Midpoint check-in

It's been just over a month (okay, so after my long break from blogging it's actually been over 6 weeks) - time to check in and see just how this diet is working out so far. I'm committed to following my bloodwork strictly for two months before starting to experiment. The doctor insists it takes two months of detox before any real results are expected.

So far, the results don't look great.

Weight
I lost 10 pounds since my last visit to the GI - 6 months ago, so not necessarily all diet-related. But there's no question the thighs and ass of my jeans are looser today than they were in July.

Appearance
I've got the Somali child gut going - distension ain't pretty. And the waistbands of the same pants are feeling tight and uncomfortable, particularly after eating.

Guts
I've never been so gassy in my life. Significant bloating after each meal and also upon an empty stomach. Rollercoaster diarrhea-to-constipation excitement (0-12 BMs/day). Achy left side pretty constantly, with occasional cramping. Inspired by my Excel artistry for work, I'm going to start collecting some BM data and see if I can trace any patterns.

Nausea
Overall not too bad. Worst on an empty stomach (nothing new there) and while in transit. Generally consistent with pre-diet recent history.

Joints
My neck and shoulders have required all the special attention (stretching, self-massage, heat, chiropractor visits, yoga) they've ever required before, with no notable improvements. Hips and wrists still require the same 20 minutes or so to loosen up in the morning if I expect range of motion. In other words, no notable difference from pre-diet.

Blood
Waiting on some general lab results from my recent GI visit. I feel just as nourished/malnourished as I did before - in other words, my intuition seems entirely unrelated to any cause and effect scenarios. A number of previously illegal foods have taken center stage on this new diet (beans, raw fruit, vegetables, nuts), and all of my safe go-tos from prior diets are out (bread, eggs, noodles, chicken soup). I've moved through the LOST diet and can now claim to have a balanced diet, but there's no question I've thrown some wrenches into the works with the extreme changes. More when Dr. Lee gets back to me with details...and more still IF I decide to spend more $$$ to check back in with Dr. Wangen on the food allergy front.