Breaking up (with gluten) is hard to do

Dear Gluten,

It’s not you, it’s me. I just can’t seem to tolerate you anymore. You have made me sick for potentially the past decade, and I just can’t live with you anymore. When my physician told me the other day that I should try to live without you, I was honestly a little gutted (pun intended, as you mess with my guts…a lot). How could something I enjoy, bring me so much pain? The doctor had to be mistaken, right? There had to be another cause for my symptoms, right? It couldn’t me gluten, right? I was in denial.

Oh, how I love the things that you make an appearance in, such as warm sourdough bread, English muffins that I use as buns sometimes, my morning oatmeal, and a plethora of other delicious things. This was the anger stage of my grief over having to learn how to live without you. How could you betray me like that? Could you be the root cause for my psoriasis, nerve and joint pain, and even contribute to my painful bouts of IBS flares? I have supported you for decades, and you go and repay me like this?

But, I think I read that I can have a little bit of you, and it will still be okay, that you won’t hurt me too much. Maybe enjoy you once in awhile, perhaps on special occasions? If you don’t cross my lips during the whole year, I should be fine to indulge during the holidays, where there’s plenty of glutenous goodness abounds. I was bargaining.

When the doctor told me that I should try to live without you, visions of you danced in my head, or rather visions of everything you make great dashed through my mind. You are in so many things. You are in ALL THE THINGS. I would have to say goodbye to some of my childhood friends that still provided me comfort, such as macaroni and cheese, sourdough baguettes with soft cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, burritos, waffles, and pancakes. You make everything so good. I will never be able to revisit these things that you have touched, which brings me a little bit of sadness.

However, I have learned that I can live without you in my life. Sure, it means that I will have to do a little bit more work, read labels to make sure that you haven’t tainted it with your poison, and learn to make versions of my favorite things which you have ruined for me. Alas, I bid you adieu and wish you well. I am not sure if this is goodbye forever, but it will be a bit of time until I can reassess to see if we can be reunited. You caused me quite a bit of pain over the past decade, so I will need some time to readjust, but I think that this is the best and healthiest choice.

Sincerely,

Gluten-free Me

Fitness Rant and Motivation Differences

I have been on my fitness journey for a while now…about two years or so. I guess I am a late-comer to the whole thing, but at least I am here and on a mission. I have learned a lot over the past two years, about health, fitness, nutrition, and most importantly, myself. A lot of people workout in order to look good for X, Y, and/or Z…be it a bikini, vacation, or other sort of event. While I am not saying that they are wrong, for their motivation and goals are their own…but that is most certainly NOT why I do what I do.

So, why do I do it? Why do I push myself past my comfort zone? Why do I eat healthy food? Why do I not follow the “typical American diet?” Frankly, in part because someone once told me I couldn’t do any of it. I enjoy the challenge. And while I will never come face to face with the person who told me I couldn’t, knowing that I am able to push myself and conquer some of my fears, well, that is worth the sweat and discomfort. And then some.

As some are motivated to look good, I am motivated to feel good. Sure, I may be sore (as I am currently experiencing the after-effects of a good couple of workouts this week already), but it’s a good sore…a sore that many people try to avoid like the plague. I have turned my living room into my jungle gym, with over 400 pounds of weights, assorted medicine and stability balls, various elastic bands, a Smith machine and a pull-up station. I also have completed many at-home workout programs: Insanity, Insanity: The Asylum (Volumes I and II), P90X, P90X2, and Les Mills Combat. 

I am currently in the first week of the newest addition: TapOutXT. While I am finding decent calorie burns as a result of this program, there are many things lacking. First off, I am so glad that I know about proper form and technique, as this system is quite piss poor in that area…it shows fit looking people performing lunges in a dangerous manner, squats that are just barely a bend, swayed backs, and just a general disdain for proper form. I can only imagine the injuries that people who are less familiar with the movements will sustain, thus preventing them from reaching their fitness goals.

Another thing I don’t like about this workout program is the “host,” as I find him to be rather douchey and annoying. He too has bad form and keeps talking about how people want to “look good” and “have a TapOut body.” Um, I’d rather he shut his mouth, pay attention to form, and teach rather than flex. The videos are also poor quality, not synced up, and the lack of music makes it seem to last forever. Perhaps my dislike of the program has to do with my motivation and goes back to why I do what I do…not to look good, but to feel strong and capable, both mentally and physically. I shall continue this program, trying to overlook the shortcomings and use my knowledge to help in preventing injury. If anything, it serves as an example of what NOT to do.

I have 102 days left until I complete my second Tough Mudder…