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  • Published on Mar 01, 2017
    Andrew's 40 Day GF DF Diet Blog

    This will be a blog about my journey to hopefully a better place with my health. For to long I have been bound by the vices that are cheese and bread. Eating those things twice a day for years has caused me to re-evaluate a lot of my decisions when it comes to food. 

    The problem is that I am admittedly a weak individual when it comes to discipline involving food. That is until now. For 40 days and 40 nights, I will be adhering to a strict Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free diet. This will not only be a place where I can lay out what I am eating, but also how I feel. It will be wild.

    Day 1: March 1, 2017

    Breakfast: Granola

    Lunch: T. Loft for a chicken quinoa bowl with a Kale juice.

    Dinner: Rice pasta with meat sauce, salad.

    Day one was fine. I felt fine, I wasn't terribly hungry, I drank some wine and went to bed with a positive attitude.

    Day 2: March 2, 2017

    Breakfast: Granola (There will be a lot of this)

    Lunch: Jimmy Johns Unwhich with Turkey

    Dinner: Pulled pork on corn tortillas

    Day two was a little harder. The reality was setting in that I can't have so many amazing food items that I love. My google search history of Is_____ gluten free is about 40 searches long at this point with no end in site. I ate an unwhich from Jimmy Johns for the first time and let me tell you, it isn't bad, but I just don't know how it is going to fill me up without getting two of them. Also when I was eating at Jimmy Johns it is very hard to smell the bread and see the bread and cheese being consumed. The craving was REAL. Bri, wherever you are, I feel your pain. Dinner was fine, it was some pulled pork on corn tortillas. I feel like a lot of my posts are just going to be me describing the food as nothing to write home about, which is sad. I need to step my spice game up, and my sauce game.

    UPDATE ON NIGHT TWO : There was a small altercation when my girlfriend confronted me when it was discovered that I was eating chips that contained milk in them. First of all, that label is wrong. I was eating a gluten free crisp, not a milk infused chip. Regardless, it made me rethink what I am really trying to accomplish and it ended with a great conversation. I am trying to not eat bread and cheese and dairy in general. If a chip was made with milk but is gluten free and found in the organic section, I  am going to consume it guilt free. Am I happy I got called out? No. Did I grow because of it? Yes. Ed Sheerhan will have a song about a fight similar to this, I'm sure of it. Also last night I started having bread dreams... Like vivid dreams of me eating bread and then spitting it out...

    Day 3: March 3, 2017

    Breakfast: Granola (I have a lot of it left)

    Lunch: Hen House Chicken and quinoa stir-fry

    Dinner: Chicken from Cafe Provence

    Friday was my first expereince ordering at a restuarnt off of a menu. It wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be, but I did have to ask the waiter some questions, which hurt. I had to pass on the vodka cream sauce which also was troublesome but for the most part it was a fine expereience.

    Day 4: March 4, 2017

    Breakfast: 2 Sausage links from QuickTrip that I cut up and stuck in a corn tortilla

    Lunch: just turkey slices from Saint Andrews Golf Course

    Dinner: Pulled Pork Sandwhich on Gluten Free Bun with Sweet Potato Fries

    Fourth Meal: McDonalds French Fries

    This was a really hard day for me. Mainly because in the past Saturday has meant bagles or breakfast sandwhiches almost every morning. Instead it was a day of sad, sad meals. But what made it harder was that I was surrounded by people eating the meals I wanted. Seeing people at Coach's with gooey burgers and tons of wings was not great. Also this was my first Gluten Free bun I had had and let me tell you, it was worse than expected. It was so bad that I ended up leaving the bun off and just ate the meat. I don't know who I am at this point but I don't like him. Also late night drive-thru, McDonald's fries are gluten-free which was great! But again seeing others eat the burgers and chicken nuggets really gets to me. 

    Day 5: March 5, 2017

    Breakfast: Blueberry Crumble Bar GF from Mud Pie Vegan Bakery

    Lunch: Grilled chicken breast on a bed of qunioa

    Dinner: Hamburger on Gluten Free Multigrain Bread

    The day started off rough. I went to a Vegan bakery. But it did get better as I made a terryaki chicken and quinoa stir fry which left me feeling exteremly full, so that was good. Dinner was at The Tavern and I had a burger on GF multi-grain bread. Although the bread fell apart almost instantly, it was super good and I now would like to know exactly what kind of bread that is. Sunday was a good day and I am heading into the week with a ful head of steam. Although really not looking forward to the granola in the morning. I really need to diversify the breakfast.

    Day 6: March 6, 2017

    Breakfast: Granola (Back at it again)

    Lunch: Pan Roasted Chicken and gluten free chips

    Dinner: Taco night. Meat and taco shells only.

    It is getting increasingly difficult to find things to eat without repeating myself. Basically I am on a pulled pork, chicken, ground beef and turkey diet. A lot of overlapping is occurring right now and the diet is stagnant. Also didn't know Taco seasoning was very hard to find as a gluten free item. Lunch provided a great interaction with the deli lady at Hen House however. She was also Gluten Free and gave me a guide to shopping at Hen House and ended the conversation with "We need to stick together." Couldn't agree more Nancy.

    Day 7: March 7, 2017

    Breakfast: Granola (At this point it's 3 handfuls and then I'm out)

    Lunch: Grilled Chicken Nuggets and Waffle Fries from Chik-Fil-A

    Dinner: Pulled Pork on a plate with Sweet Potato Fries from Coach's

    Chick-Fil-A is an outstanding option for someone like me who loves their chicken and their waffle fries. Not only are the grilled nuggets GF/DF, but so are the fries! They cook them in a separate fryer just to make sure everyone can consume them. I appreciate that so much. Dinner was Coach's again. This time I ordered the Pulled Pork sandwich with NO BUN. A wild move only my dad would be proud of (empty carbs). The no bun order garnered ridicule from teammates as well as the runner who brought it out. Didn't understand why the runner had to make a comment. Just put the plate down. Anyways still feeling good and I have made it one week. WOOOOO

    Day 8: March 8, 2017

    Breakfast: Granola (until further notice)

    Lunch: Three chicken tacos on corn tortillas and chips from Chipotle

    Dinner: Sliced turkey wwrapped in iceberg lettuce and popcorn

    So after one week I think it is fair for me to be a critic of the soft corn tortilla taco shell. I have consumed more than 15 soft corn tortilla shells in a week and have put various meats and things inside of it, so this isn't an unfair criticism of a small sample size.

    My criticism is that it just donesn't hold well. It tears very easily. I don't really think it is supposed to tear though so I need to look into how the soft corn tortilla shell can hold. Maybe I re-enforce it with a hard soft corn shell? This is for me to look into, but I will take any suggestions you may have.

    Dinner was sad. Sliced turkey wrapped in iceberg because I was in a hurry to get to the Big 12 tournament. Another thing I learned, the Sprint Center is not kind to the GF/DF diet. It shouldn't be, but seriously there was really nothing for me to consume. It's fine though.

    Day 9: March 9, 2017

    Breakfast: Granola (until further notice)

    Lunch: Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets and brown rice

    Dinner: Sliced turkey wrapped in a corn tortilla

    Shout out to Trader Joes for having the best Chicken Nuggets I have ever tasted. I know that this is a "hot take" and people might think that this claim is bogus, but it is what I feel at this time. Thank you.

    Day 10: March 10, 2017

    Breakfast: Granola (until further notice)

    Lunch: Pulled Pork and Tortilla Chips

    Dinner: Chicken Wings and Gluten Free Chips

    The fact that most bone-in chicken wings are gluten free is amazing and should not go overlooked. For how good the diet has been going, I do find myself eating A TON of chips. Any gluten free I can get my hands on, I am purchasing and eating copious amounts of. I need to stop this habit. But it's gluten free so it's healthy. Right? RIGHT?!

    Day 11: March 11, 2017

    Breakfast: RICE CAKES

    Lunch: Beef Tacos and lettuce

    Dinner: Beef Tenderloin

    This is my first road-trip on the diet. Went to Arkansas for a wedding so most fast food choices were out. Luckily tacos are an easy option on corn tortillas so that is what I went with. Also RICE CAKES make an appearance on the breakfast list. Rice Cakes are amazing and at only 40 calories per cake. Have three and feel nothing.

    Day 12: March 12, 2017

    Breakfast: Little Rock Brunch. Scrabled Eggs, sausage and potatoes

    Lunch: More Tacos

    Dinner: Sliced turkey

    Brunch was a very nice skillet bowl. Did I want to put all of my ingredients on a nice soft flour tortilla? Absolutely. Did I? Absolutely not. Again corn tortilla tacos for lunch. Sliced turkey for dinner! I literally would never eat sliced lunch meat straight. Now I do it often and I actually enjoy it.

    Day 13: March 13, 2017

    Breakfast: Granola (Back to the grind)

    Lunch: Gluten Free Nuggets and Brown Rice

    Dinner: For a snack, sliced turkey in a hard taco shell. Regular dinner, Chicken Tacos.

    So right now I can't do corn tortillas anymore. They just don't taste good, they fall apart and leave me wanting more. I have now graduated to hard taco shells to put my food in and it isn't that bad. The problem with Gluten-Free bread is that it just doesn't taste good and it is so expensive.  Buying 12 hard shells for a $1 is not only cost effective but also taste-effective, IMHO.

    Day 14: March 14, 2017

    Breakfast: Granola (Almost gone!)

    Lunch: Chik-Fil-A Grilled Nuggets and Waffle Fries

    Dinner: Chicken Rice Bowl

    The amount of chicken and tacos I have consumed in the last 4-5 days is not okay. It's just the easiest thing for me to eat and something I always have on hand. The need for meat diversification is real now. For lunch I had Chik-Fil-A again which is just a real treat. For being really the only fast food that is good and great on a GF/DF diet, it makes it a little less painful when you smell the fires and the chicken together. 2 Weeks have FLOWN by, but still have 26 days to go... WOOF.

    Day 15: March 15, 2017

    Breakfast: Granola (Almost gone!)

    Lunch: Pulled Pork Tacos

    Dinner: Turkey Tacos

    A lot of hard shells consumed today! As as you will notice I took a day off of chicken and it feels great! Pulled pork tacos were amazing. Hy-Vee sells pulled pork by the pound so I just grab a half pound and slap some on some taco shells. Very filling and delicious. For dinner it was sliced turkey in taco shells. A quick and easy solution to the problem of not having bread. Also considering for next week making breakfast tacos on corn tortillas. I think it would be a much better solution than 3 handfuls of granola before I just can't take the blandness anymore.

    Day 16: March 16, 2017

    Breakfast: Granola (Almost gone!)

    Lunch: A lot of Wings and Chips

    Dinner: Pulled Pork Tacos

    One of the more amazing gluten free items are tradtional chicken wings. With the NCAA Tournament strating, I had an itch to binge eat somewhere. I scratched that itch with a lot of wings and regular chips. It is weird though to go from consuming enough to feel satisfied everyday to just going in on some wings and chips. About an hour later I realized why I am stopping the whole eating a ton of sh*t. I just felt bad and gross. After that meal was the first time where I considered maybe eating smaller portions even after Lent is over. That is hilarious that I feel this way now. I should always feel this way. Anyways, that's where I am at. 16 days in. #rockchalk

    Day 17: March 17, 2017

    Breakfast: Granola (Almost gone!)

    Lunch: Lettuce Wrap with Turkey

    Dinner: Pulled Pork 

    For lunch I had Adrian's, a very good deli place with the best BREAD in the world. One of the saddest things to happen on this journey took place Friday. I opened up my Adran's sandwhich only to find it sandwhiched between two pieces of the soft, heavenly white bread. I removed the bread and offered it up to my co-workers, which they flocked to. I then proceeded to eat the turkey wrapped in lettuce. Then it happened. Without thinking I grabed a cookie full of gluten and bit into it. When a co-worker pointed out my horrible mistake, I could only accept the fact that it had been compromised and move on. Sad. More pulled pork for dinner! WOOOO.

    Day 18: March 18, 2017

    Breakfast: Protein Ball and Juice

    Lunch: Burger with no bun and potatoes

    Dinner: Chicken with Quinoa

    The Burger with no bun was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Just tasted like a burger. I am really dependent on sides with this diet so I was thankful that the potatoes were seasoned well. Teryaki Chicken and Quonia is slowly becoming a staple and I love it.

    Day 19: March 19, 2017

    Breakfast: Crab Cakes

    Lunch: Pulled Pork Tacos

    Dinner: Beff Tacos

    Brunch crab cakes were delicious but very small. Pulled pork made another appearance as well. Shout out to Mission for making a gluten free soft tortilla that isn't corn and doesn't taste like trash. I will buy 4 packs of these!

    Day 20: March 20, 2017

    Breakfast: Granola

    Lunch: Turkey on gluten free soft tortillas

    Dinner: Ribs with Sweet Potato Fries

    We've made it halfway folks. Twenty days down, 20 to go. I don't know what feels better, my body or knowing that there are 20 days left. At the halfway point we also have to address the fact of which is harder to do. In my opinion, and this is a small sample size, but in my opinion it is really hard to be dairy free. If you are trying to be truly dairy free, there are so many things that you just can't have that really add flavor to your meals. Being gluten free is okay, it's not great, but dairy free for me has been the harder of the two. I did try nutrional yeast however, which I was turned on to by my co-worker. I had never heard of it before but it really does taste like powdered cheese! 

    Day 21: March 21, 2017

    Breakfast: Granola

    Lunch: Beef Tacos and Rice

    Dinner: Gluten-Free Orange Chicken and Rice

    An amazing dinner made by Kate last night. The chicken was amazing! It was gluten-free because she made the breading with corn starch instead of flour. Honestly not only did it taste great, it was very filling and flavorful as well. We can only hope that it gets made again.

    Day 22: March 22, 2017

    Breakfast: Granola

    Lunch: Turkey Wrap in gluten free tortilla

    Dinner: Pork and Potatoes

    Another amazing dinner made by Kate last night. The pork was tender and juicy with a great seasoning. The potatoes were perfectly cooked with a light crisp on the outside. Back-to-back days of very nice meals is a great way to not remember how many things you can't eat.

    Day 23: March 23, 2017

    Breakfast: Granola

    Lunch: Chick-Fil A Grilled Nuggets

    Dinner: Chicken Wings from Wings Cafe

    KU was playing in the sweet 16 so I nervously scarfed down wings before I witnessed KU play the best game they have played in a long time. The Elite 8 is Saturday... We can only guess it will be a large meal for me then as well.

    Day 24: March 24, 2017

    Breakfast: Granola

    Lunch: Pepperjax steak rice bowl

    Dinner: Thai chicken and rice noodles

    Pepperjax made an appearnce for the first time during this season of lent. It was VERY hard watching everyone order giant cheesesteaks on a large bun with 4 slices of melted cheeses. I of course settled for the steak rice bowl, which was satisfying but nowhere near what a real Philly does for me.

    Day 25: March 25, 2017

    Breakfast: Stockyard plate from Genessee Royale 

    Lunch: Terraki Chicken

    Dinner: Oklahoma Joes 3 slices of brisket 

    The season has ended for the Jayhawks. Another year, another Elite 8 loss. This one ended with me nervously eating a small amount of Oklahoma Joe's brisket and then resorting to a more liquid diet the rest of the night. I am not at liberty on this blog to comment on what type of liquid was consumed.

    Day 26: March 26, 2017

    Breakfast: Eggs,Potatoes and Bacon

    Lunch: Turkey Tacos

    Dinner: Chicken Wings

    Top to bottom one of the best food days I have had in a while. I mean minus the lunch which was just a throw away, I got a great breakfast and had a lot of chicken wings for dinner. It was a nice "after a loss" food day that helped me cope.

    Day 27: March 27, 2017

    Breakfast: Granola (Yep)

    Lunch: BBQ Turkey and Ribs

    Dinner: Chicken and Brown Rice

    Tried a new BBQ place in Overland Park for lunch. Fireside BBQ. Very friendly service, quality sauce and great meats! I took the bun of the turkey sandwhich and also ordered two ribs on the side. Any time you can get ribs by the bone, I'm all in on a BBQ place.

    Day 28: March 28, 2017

    Breakfast: Granola (Yep)

    Lunch: Pulled Pork Tacos

    Dinner: Beef Tacos

    A taco day is A-Okay. Dumb rhyme but it's true. Tacos are the best gluten/dairy free meal you can find. Still would like a soft flour tortilla at somepoint but the corn is getting me by just fine! 

    Day 29: March 29, 2017

    Breakfast: Granola (Yep)

    Lunch: Chicken Wings

    Dinner: Chicken and Rice Bowl

    Can't believe this has been my life for almost a full month! Honestly shocked that I made it this far. What you shouldn't be shocked by is that I ate chicken for two meals again. This has happened A LOT over the course of a month, but I am not getting sick of it... Yet.

    Day 30: March 30, 2017

    Breakfast: None

    Lunch: Burger 

    Dinner: Turkey

    Burger alert, Burger alert! I went to Sheirdan's Unforked for the second time ever, first time as a GF/DF. They had many great options for me and honestly, the AKAUSHI burger was wild. Not really sure what it is but I think it means they massage the cows and like let them sleep 10 hours a day. Basically they treat the cows humanely and make us pay more for that. Seems weird but it was GREAT.

    Day 31: March 31, 2017

    Breakfast: None

    Lunch: Chick-Fil A grilled Nuggets 

    Dinner: Chicken Wings

    The weekend is here and you will see a huge theme for me this weekend. CHICKEN. I don't know why but I am not getting sick of chicken wings at all. I should be, but I am not.

    Day 32: April 1, 2017

    Breakfast: Ham and Eggs

    Lunch: Chicken and Rice Bowl Chipotle 

    Dinner: Chicken Wings

    Finally a nice breakfast! Ham and scrambled eggs on a skillet gave me some good fuel. Chipotle for lunch, also getting kind of tired of the bowls. I just want a flour tortilla. BAD. More wings for dinner but really who cares.

    Day 33: April 2, 2017

    Breakfast: None

    Lunch: Sausage and Egg Sandwhich on GF bun

    Dinner: Pork Shanks

    Went to The Oliver for the first time on the plaza. Their coffee rubbed, BBQ pork shanks were out of this world. One of the better pork shanks I have had. (I've probably had 3).

    Day 34: April 3, 2017

    Breakfast: Trail Mix

    Lunch: Turkey and Pulled Pork OK Joes

    Dinner: Tacos from Taco Republic

    Just eating meat from BBQ restaurants is fine, don't get me wrong. BUT taking off the bun when it's soft and warm is a KILLER. A lot of good buns have gone to waste this past month.

    Day 35: April 4, 2017

    Breakfast: Trail Mix

    Lunch: Tacos with Rice

    Dinner: Sliced Turkey

    Whole Foods for lunch today was just what the doctor ordered. Minus the Kombucha that Scottie got. The vinegar taste was overpowering and gross. No Kombucha.

     

    Day 36: April 5, 2017

    Breakfast: Nothing

    Lunch: Costco hot dog with no bun

    Dinner: Gluten Free Frozen Chicken and Rice Meal

    The Costco hotdog was honestly not bad with no bun. I haven't had a dog with no bun since I was a child. It was pretty decent and filling. Would I like to have the bun? YES.

    Day 37: April 6, 2017

    Breakfast: Trail Mix

    Lunch: Chicken Patty with Fries

    Dinner: Chicken Breast and Roasted Potatoes

    Another great chicken day for me. 

    Day 38: April 7, 2017

    Breakfast: Bagel (It's done)

    Lunch: Chicken Wings

    Dinner: Chicken and Waffles

    It's officially over. After 37 days, on day 38, because it was my birthday weekend, it ended. I started the day with an Einstein Bagel. The first bite was otherworldly. I ate it in 30 seconds. For dinner I went to Gram and Dun and for the first time in a long time had chicken that was actually breaded. Also delicious, ate all of it very fast. Still no dairy had been introduced so I did have that going for me!

    Day 39: April 8, 2017

    Breakfast: None

    Lunch: Chinese Food

    Dinner: Chinese Food

    Happy birthday to me, I had Chinese food for the first time. Breaded Chicken and fried rice. SO GOOD. I mean for how good I felt and all that, it was really wild to just see how my mindset was instantly like I AM FREE, LET ME EAT. That is not a good impulse to have. I will work to control it.

    Day 40: April 9, 2017

    Breakfast: None

    Lunch: Ham and Cheese Sandwhich

    Dinner: Turkey

    For lunch I introduced cheese for the first time. Local white cheddar and ham on sourdough. It was also very good. Although it wasn't like an OMG WHAT HAVE I BEEN MISSING MOMENT like the bagel was. Re-introducing cheese will really hit with my first slice of pizza.

    Conclusion

    After 37 days, the biggest takeaway for me is that I could do it! I honestly thought that I would fail after day 15, but I did make it 37 days. I am happy with that. I feel great, never really went hungry and learned that I didn't HAVE to eat all the awful stuff I was eating. This will lead to mini challenges for sure. Like 2 weeks no sugar, one week no bread. I think little challenges will be good just to keep myself in chceck. If someone actually read thsi whole thing, I am sorry but thank you! 

     

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