Life on a Dairy-Free diet....

I've mentioned here before that I have recently been told I'm lactose intolerant, and have been trying to reduce the amount of dairy/milk products I run into.

This has become my new best friend...

But for the next few weeks/months I am going to try and even cut out the little encounters that I've had with dairy over the last 6 weeks. (It was mid-September when I was told of this food allergy, and wow has it changed my world...)

I went grocery shopping today, and let me tell you. I have NEVER realized how much food has milk or a milk derivative in it. I kept picking up boxes of food and putting them right back onto the shelf... I was able to find a few chip/snack alternatives, so those quickly got added to my cart, and written down in my notebook.

One of the things that has been recommended to me is Soy Milk.

Well...I had my first sip of the soy milk maybe 10 minutes ago and well...the jury is still out. Talk about a different flavor and consistancy. I know it is going to take time to get used to it, and I'm not completely discouraged...it is just going to have to fit into my new attitude towards this.

It takes time.

It takes time to adjust to anything new...life without dairy will take time to adjust too.

Today was the first day where I felt limited in what I could eat. We got home from church and the leftovers in the fridge didn't really look appealing. There was salad but I wasn't in the mood for that. So...I stood looking into the cupboard and pantry just staring at foods that I can't eat now.

I looked at some noodle items...nope, takes milk to make them. Looked at the box of instant mashed potatoes, nope...has milk in it. Finally as I was about ready to warm up Ramon Noodles (so yummy, lol) I noticed the box of rice next to them. So, rice it was...

Here's the reason I'm being so cautious right now....I FINALLY FEEL GOOD AGAIN! It has been months since I last felt this good... My belly still hurts from time to time, but I haven't overall felt this good in a very very long time.

And lets face it...I'm sick of feeling icky. It has interfered so very many functions. I've gone out with friends or family feeling like crud too many times. I just want to feel normal again.

SO...with the changes in my diet, getting even more strict today, I am bound and determined to GET MY LIFE BACK!

SO, let's raise a glass (of soy milk, of course) to my resolve to do what I must to regain the upper-hand in life...Here GOES!

Allergies = New Snacks....

So, I've alluded to having a lot of doctor appointments lately, and I've gotta admit that thankfully there isn't anything super-serious with me. I've been going to the allergist to try and figure out why my allergies are so awful at times. I have now started getting allergy shots, and am hoping they really do work.

One of the interesting things we (the doctor and I) figured out is that this mild, cheese, ice cream, yougurt freak is lactose intolerant. They say you can have food allergies/intolerance for all of your life and it isn't until a really bad flair-up of the allergies or sickness that they become known.

Well for me...I've had instances from time-to-time over the years that were indicators of what was to come. I now wish I knew what I had eaten on those days when I felt icky...

So, I have totally had to embrace DRASTIC changes in my died. I'd love to say that i don't miss my dairy foods, but I do... I miss them terribly.

I'm learning that Lactaid is my new best friend, but let me tell you...friendships take time to develop. There have been many meals eaten or mostly eaten before I realize "SHOOT! I need to take a pill!" I've had mixed results with taking the pill mid-meal, so I need Need NEED to start recognizing dairy more...

(Note to self: Pizza has CHEESE on it! TAKE A PILL!)

Here is a modification on a classic snack that I enjoy. If you had talked to me 3 months ago, I would tell you my typical bedtime snack is Ice Cream and that it often has chocolate sauce on it. Well...here is the new snack: Pretzels dipped in Chocolate sauce! Talk about the best of both worlds here...crunch, salty, and chocolate!

Do any of you, dear blog friends, have any experience with lactose intolerance/dairy allergies?? I feel kinda lost, not sure where I go from here. I've heard some people can re-introduce dairy after an extended period of time away from it, but has anybody actually done this?? Any good replacement foods you'd suggest??? ANY HELP WILL BE APPRECIATED!!!

I've been MIA...I know

I don't have the ability (or time) to update you guys on how crazy my life has been lately.  I feel as though I've been playing "catch-up" for several weeks now.  It's been insaine! 

I've traveled, had medical appointments, worked like CrAzY, been to weddings, and trying to find my inspiration to workout again.

The workouts is what I want to talk about...

I am in the middle of the hardest "seasonal" transition that I go through during the year.  I struggle transitioning from summer/fall, fall/winter.  Here in WNY, we are definitely in the middle of fall, well on our way to winter :(

I struggle when the day light is gone almost as quickly as I get out of work.  It is dark when I wake up in the morning.  It is dark by time I finish doing the dishes after dinner, and soon will be dark as I drive home from work. 

I've learned in past years, that the best way for me to combat this is to continue with my workouts at the YMCA.  Here is my issue...I haven't been there on a consistant basis in MONTHS! Yes...this workout queen said months. 

This summer, I did home workouts for the most part:  Insanity, bike rides, etc...

After that...I've done diddly squat!  I have been extremely lazy for about the last 8 weeks.  It has been very busy at work, and so I've been getting out late.  That was my excuse...I didn't have time.

Well, I'm done with excuses.  I can already tell that if I don't nip this in the bud, I will struggle that much more this season.  I can HAPPILY say that I've been 2 days in a row!  I know that isn't much, but when I've maybe gone 2 times in the last 2 months...it's impressive. 

So...here is my confession.  You guys are my accountability partners in this...and I hope you'll hold me to it!  I vow to keep this up, so I can make it through this rough period of the year...