Hermy G's Super Fantastic Between Challenge Workout Log of Silliness!

[Hermione Gainser]

I can't wait to lift again. Tempted to do some light barbell work tomorrow. We'll see how I feel, though. 

 

My hands and arm are almost entirely tingle free now. Still get it when I sit in a weird position but I'm definitely improved. Hooray!  Road to wellness!

 

Better news (maybe-I should meet with her first-jumpin' the gun much?) but I found a physician in the Paleo Physicians Network who's close to me and in network. Say whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!  She does general internal medicine, hormone stuff, thyroid stuff, and.. wait for it... SPORTS MEDICINE! 

 

Seriously. It's almost too good to be true.  I can't wait to see her. I'm not sure if I should go see her now or wait until... I need a doctor? Then again, I guess if I had a doctor I liked I would probably still be consulting him re this issue. But, as it stands, I'm pretty much going to see where my chiro leads.

[Hermione Gainser]

I can't wait to lift again. Tempted to do some light barbell work tomorrow. We'll see how I feel, though. 

 

My hands and arm are almost entirely tingle free now. Still get it when I sit in a weird position but I'm definitely improved. Hooray!  Road to wellness!

 

Better news (maybe-I should meet with her first-jumpin' the gun much?) but I found a physician in the Paleo Physicians Network who's close to me and in network. Say whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!  She does general internal medicine, hormone stuff, thyroid stuff, and.. wait for it... SPORTS MEDICINE! 

 

Seriously. It's almost too good to be true.  I can't wait to see her. I'm not sure if I should go see her now or wait until... I need a doctor? Then again, I guess if I had a doctor I liked I would probably still be consulting him re this issue. But, as it stands, I'm pretty much going to see where my chiro leads.

[aj_rock]

ALRIGHT WE GET THE IDEA LAURA.

 

Sheesh

 

[katscratch]

ALRIGHT WE GET THE IDEA LAURA.

 

Sheesh

 

 

 

BAHAHA AJ!!

 

I'm on my phone and thought i was crazy

[weirdquark]

Yay, sports medicine doctor! That sounds promising.

[aj_rock]

 

ALRIGHT WE GET THE IDEA LAURA.

 

Sheesh

 

 

 

BAHAHA AJ!!

 

I'm on my phone and thought i was crazy

 

Glitch in the Matrix!

[Hermione Gainser]

ALRIGHT WE GET THE IDEA LAURA.

 

Sheesh

 

 

HA! I was all, "gee, my post wasn't that enthusiastic."   OH, yeah, thanks stupid internet.

 

ALRIGHT WE GET THE IDEA LAURA.

 

Sheesh

 

 

 

BAHAHA AJ!!

 

I'm on my phone and thought i was crazy

 

womp :|

Yay, sports medicine doctor! That sounds promising.

 

Yes! So excited!

 

***

5/18/13

 

Pistol work:

Lower to 3rd bench: 5 each

Lower to aerobic step slightly lower than 3rd bench (up down 1/1):  Left: 2, 0, 1, 1 / 0, 1, 1, 0; Right: 0, 0, 0, 0/ 1, 1, 1, 0

Lower to aerobic step "                                          "  (up down 1/2): Left: 0, 1, 0, 0/ 1, 0, 0, 1;  Right: 1, 1, 1, 1/ 0, 0, 0, 1

 

Walking Lunges:

12

14

14

14

 

Pendlay Row:

65x8

65x8

65x8

 

Deadlift:

95x4

 

Push ups:

7

4

4

 

DB Side and Front Raise Supersets:

5x10

5x10

two sets of each

 

DB Rotator:

5x10

 

Boat:

12/10

 

Superman:

5 reps, hold 30

5 reps, hold 30

 

Posture pump when I got home.

 

Decided to try some weight work since my chiro gave me the okay to do so.  She also recommended the raises, etc.  Obviously, I went super light. I did experience some tingling during the rows. None during the deadlift or raises.

 

Added a racquet ball to my mobility arsenal and it's the first thing I've used that really gets into my traps and shoulders the way I need. I don't think they've been this relaxed in monnnnnnnnths. Joy!

 

No additional tingling after workout, which I take as a good sign. I'm doing a lot of neck/shoulder mobility. 

 

Otherwise, I'm incredibly sore. So much fun working an area after not working it forever. Great fun. Really.  And I'm super sad at how my push ups have declined.  But hey, they'll come back.

[Chaze]

So glad you are feeling better and that looks like a fun workout. Hopefully all of the bad tingles stay away and are replaced by the good tingly feelings of knowing you killed another workout.

[Hermione Gainser]

So glad you are feeling better and that looks like a fun workout. Hopefully all of the bad tingles stay away and are replaced by the good tingly feelings of knowing you killed another workout.

 

I appear to have spoken too soon.  I'm not sure if it's from being sore from exercise, from exercise or a result of some poor posture during the day (which happens though I'm aiming not to allow that) but tingling down my spine and in my face near my nose last night. It was on my way to the gym and felt better after I rolled out my back with a med ball and the racquet ball.  And also, my fingers on my right hand appear to bending towards my pinky. WTF? 

 

Anyhow, about to call paleo network doc.  This shiz is too much.

 

***

5/22/13

 

Pistol Work:

Step w/6 risers

Left (1/1): 4/3/4  Left (1/2): 1/2/1

Right (1/1): 3/2/3  Right (1/2): 2/3/2

 

Seated Cable Row:

85x8

85x8

85x8

 

Walking Lunges:

20/22/22

 

Push ups:

4/4/3/3

oh hai drastic drop in ability to do push ups

 

Curlz:

20x5

15x8

15x7

all the 15s were being used when I started so I did some with 20s but wanted to do higher reps (lols, who am i?) so grabbed the 15s when they were available

 

Front Raise:

5x10

 

Side Raise:

5x10

 

Box Jumps:

20/20/20/20

box was ~ knee height (3rd lowest box that was i practicing pistols with before the risers). took 30 seconds between sets. jumped up, stood up, stepped down.

 

posture pump when i got home

 

lots of stretching and mobility

 

5/22/13

getting back into the morning stretch routine

 

much to my dismay I was awaken during a dream in which Spezzy and I were driving to Philly.  CoreyD had a meatza shop there. Seth and BigM worked there.  It was... weird... and awesome. Mostly awesome. I dream about NF and food a lot. 

[aj_rock]

Dreaming about food is awful when you're cutting. Now you can't even escape the hunger while you sleep!

[Hermione Gainser]

Dreaming about food is awful when you're cutting. Now you can't even escape the hunger while you sleep!

Ha! No lie. And my brain is definitely fighting against my recent decision to cut down on some of the protein (i was inching way up there).  "NO!" it says.  "Eat ALL THE MEAT!" 

 

Chill out, brain. Sheesh.

[Mama T]

HEY. HEY YOU. HIIII. so i know you don't crossfit, but i've been listening to this podcast called barbell shrugged and think you'd enjoy some of their episodes... they're a crossfit/weightlifting/strength focused podcast, but they're all super entertaining and informative on many levels, not just for crossfitters.

 

this one in particular might strike your fancy! http://fitr.tv/blogs/barbell-shrugged/7833817-interview-w-eat-big-lift-big-athlete-and-strongwoman-competitor-talia-vandoran-episode-59

 

all of their episodes: http://fitr.tv/blogs/barbell-shrugged

 

[IfItPlugsIn]

I'm really not sure what to do next.  Honestly, I'm nervous about working out and further hurting myself but I can't really keep not working out because it's been about week since I felt like I had a good workout and I'm getting crabby.  Workouts keep me sane.  So yeah. Not sure. We'll see, I guess.

 

I'm taking this week kind of off anyway as I'm still not feeling well. Seriously, what's going on? I have no idea. The plus side: have not felt nauseated this morning. So, that's good. Slept poorly last night, too.

 

***

Food stuffs!

 

My macro ratio experiment is still underway but the data is surely skewed given everything going on. So, not sure what to make of it. Haven't done measurements or anything. However, definitely noticed an increase in my waist and hips the last couple days.  Possibly/probably bloat? Not going to worry about it right now.

 

I decided to go back to fasting more like I did before.  However long it was that I've been shortening my fast (maybe a monthish?) my body seems unhappy.  I noticed I got hungry way more often and also got HANGRY a lot like I used to.  Weird, right? So yeah, not a fan of the hanger or hunger.  I'm still not going to worry about extending it out too long (like today I got latte at 10) but fasting is my friend.

Workouts are my sanity saver too.  I have definitely noticed when I don't get enough workouts in.  I also have been getting hangry lately.  Mostly it's right before supper, so maybe I just need an extra snack? 

 

Love the organ meat adventures!

 

The paleo network/sports medicine doc sounds awesome!  Good luck!

[Chaze]

I appear to have spoken too soon.  I'm not sure if it's from being sore from exercise, from exercise or a result of some poor posture during the day (which happens though I'm aiming not to allow that) but tingling down my spine and in my face near my nose last night. It was on my way to the gym and felt better after I rolled out my back with a med ball and the racquet ball.  And also, my fingers on my right hand appear to bending towards my pinky. WTF? 

 

Anyhow, about to call paleo network doc.  This shiz is too much.

Wow, that sounds kind of scary.  I'm really hoping that your new doc can figure something out.

[Hermione Gainser]

HEY. HEY YOU. HIIII. so i know you don't crossfit, but i've been listening to this podcast called barbell shrugged and think you'd enjoy some of their episodes... they're a crossfit/weightlifting/strength focused podcast, but they're all super entertaining and informative on many levels, not just for crossfitters.

 

this one in particular might strike your fancy! http://fitr.tv/blogs/barbell-shrugged/7833817-interview-w-eat-big-lift-big-athlete-and-strongwoman-competitor-talia-vandoran-episode-59

 

all of their episodes: http://fitr.tv/blogs/barbell-shrugged

 

I only got to listen to maybe half of that episode yesterday before I left work but I loved every.single.second.  Thanks for sharing!! This is going to be awesome!

 

Workouts are my sanity saver too.  I have definitely noticed when I don't get enough workouts in.  I also have been getting hangry lately.  Mostly it's right before supper, so maybe I just need an extra snack? 

 

Love the organ meat adventures!

 

The paleo network/sports medicine doc sounds awesome!  Good luck!

Right! My state of mind is vastly improved having been to the gym just twice since my little break. So necessary.

 

It's going pretty well so far. There's no flavor or anything, it just tastes cold.  I forget about it maybe half the time? OOOPS.  Like this morning. DAMNIT!

 

Thanks!!

 

Wow, that sounds kind of scary.  I'm really hoping that your new doc can figure something out.

 

Seriously, it's freaking me out. I'm hopeful, though.

 

**

speaking of:

 

Face tingles--went away after my workout Tuesday, came back Wednesday morning (shortly after I posted about it).  Also, along the spine and my toes on the right foot.  And the fingers are still bending. I'm starting to wonder if somehow this is all related and that it's possibly Rheumatoid Arthritis? Dr. Google is the devil so I probably shouldn't listen...

 

BUT, I think, much to my dismay, I'm going to start an autoimmune protocol (a la Robb Wolf) or some version of it.  I'm going to wait until this week's worth of food is done and plan accordingly, but I'm suuuuuper sad about giving up dairy.  I mean.. my dairy is all grassfed... that doesn't count, does it?  BUT I could survive without dairy or with very, very limited, special occasion dairy.  It's the idea of not being able to eat eggs that's making me sad. Eggs are in my top 5 favorite foods. If my body says I can't have them, I might kill it (wait.. hmm).

 

Anyhow, I called my paleo doc yesterday and they were so helpful.  She said she didn't have any new patient appointments until late June but when I told her what's going on she said she'd put me on the cancellation list and make sure I get in before then.  She also said she'd talk to the doctor about what's going on and see if we can't do anything in the mean time.   Seriously, she was incredibly sweet and helpful. Oh, and they were psyched that I found them through the PPN.  I'm really excited to meet this doctor. 

 

Otherwise, I went to the chiropractor last night.  It didn't get rid of the face tingle but she said not to worry as much as I am because movement of tingling is good (means things are moving) and that I'm doing everything right so I'm on the right path.

 

But seriously. So.over.this.shit.

[Strawberry Squatcake]

Because of my weird "auto-immune response" stuff that's happening to me with leaky gut, I follow some different AI stuff, and it sounds like it's pretty rare for eggsto be an issue with people. And if it is, many of them can still eat the yolks (which I think is where the flavor comes from). Dairy is more common, but many people with issues find different reactions to different kinds of dairy. For example, some find they react to hormones in the dairy (so the hormone-free, grass-finished stuff works for them). Others find different TYPES of dairy of the same kind (like yogurt versus milk versus soft cheese versus hard cheese) affect them differently. Some can't have any cow's dairy, but do fine with goat's product. Some can't do any dairy except butter. Others can only do ghee. And others can't do any of the stuff listed (except ghee, I guess, which isn't really dairy, but if you make it yourself, some still react), but can do raw milk products b/c of the enzymes. So, worry not. I think even if it is an AI disease/reaction/response, you might be able to find dairy that doesn't affect you. There are also people who know their thresholds, so they know they can't have dairy everyday, but eat it once or twice a month. And with arthritis specifically, I've seen people who cut gluten and/or starch and that fixes them right up (and also tightens the gut permeability up, and gives them more freedom with other foods).

I'm always trying to do the AI protocol. It's so hard. But every week I do a little better than the last. It sucks at first, but I probably only crave peppers a few times a month now, rather than everyday. Your body will adjust, and if you do find a trigger, you might realize going without isn't as hard as it sounded at first. When I was trying to figure out what was bothering me and suspected the nightshades, peppers were one of the, "I could NEVER give up peppers!" Well, yeah, now mostly I have. The human brain/body is built to adapt. (PS I still miss peppers (specifically hot, I used to eat sweet all the time, but never miss them). But when I eat them, it's usually not worth it.)

Yay for the paleo doc! I'm so jealous!

[Hermione Gainser]

Because of my weird "auto-immune response" stuff that's happening to me with leaky gut, I follow some different AI stuff, and it sounds like it's pretty rare for eggsto be an issue with people. And if it is, many of them can still eat the yolks (which I think is where the flavor comes from). Dairy is more common, but many people with issues find different reactions to different kinds of dairy. For example, some find they react to hormones in the dairy (so the hormone-free, grass-finished stuff works for them). Others find different TYPES of dairy of the same kind (like yogurt versus milk versus soft cheese versus hard cheese) affect them differently. Some can't have any cow's dairy, but do fine with goat's product. Some can't do any dairy except butter. Others can only do ghee. And others can't do any of the stuff listed (except ghee, I guess, which isn't really dairy, but if you make it yourself, some still react), but can do raw milk products b/c of the enzymes. So, worry not. I think even if it is an AI disease/reaction/response, you might be able to find dairy that doesn't affect you. There are also people who know their thresholds, so they know they can't have dairy everyday, but eat it once or twice a month. And with arthritis specifically, I've seen people who cut gluten and/or starch and that fixes them right up (and also tightens the gut permeability up, and gives them more freedom with other foods).

I'm always trying to do the AI protocol. It's so hard. But every week I do a little better than the last. It sucks at first, but I probably only crave peppers a few times a month now, rather than everyday. Your body will adjust, and if you do find a trigger, you might realize going without isn't as hard as it sounded at first. When I was trying to figure out what was bothering me and suspected the nightshades, peppers were one of the, "I could NEVER give up peppers!" Well, yeah, now mostly I have. The human brain/body is built to adapt. (PS I still miss peppers (specifically hot, I used to eat sweet all the time, but never miss them). But when I eat them, it's usually not worth it.)

Yay for the paleo doc! I'm so jealous!

 

Gosh, I hope that's the case.  Eggs <3  I'd be sad about dairy, but I think that'd be the easier thing to get rid of... I eat so little of it anyway. Usually in the form of grassfed milk post workout and some cheeses. Oh, and grassfed butter.. oh.. that I'd miss that.  I suspect/hope mine would be a similar--somethings are ok, some not type situation.

 

The weird thing is for the last month or so I've only eaten gluteny, starchy stuff on my refeed/cheat day. Otherwise, I even avoided them post work out (from a misunderstanding in something I read).  Usually on refeed day it's Malaysian Food, though the last two have been different.  So it's weird to me that NOW things are starting to act up. It's weird. But then, maybe it also has to do with all the movement in my spine.  They say chiropractic can really stir up your insides. 

 

Bah! I don't know!  hahaha

 

****

 

5/23/13

 

Pistol work

 

6 Riser Bench:

Left (1/1): 4/4 Left (1/2): 1/1

Right (1/1): 3/3 Right (1/2): 2/2

 

5 Riser Bench:

Couldn't get any 1/1 on this on either leg.

Left (1/2): 4 + 1 failure

Right (1/2): 5

 

I'm not sure if I should keep working at the 6 riser bench or move to the 5. I got a few consecutive down and up on one leg to the 6 riser bench but zero upward movement on the 5 riser.  Can I get a 5.5, please? hahaha  I'm leaning towards 5 and just working at it.  Boyf watched a few at the 5 and said it looks like I need to get my other leg up more (which I noticed) and also lean forward more. I think I'm afraid to lean as much I need to lean.  Maybe I'll take some video on Saturday.

 

Push ups:

5/4/4

 

Squats:

to a medicine ball, no weight

10/10/10

 

Seated Cable Rows:

70x10

70x10

70x10

went light

Front Raise:

5x10

5x10

5x10

Side Raise:

5x10

5x10

5x10

superset styles

 

and lots of mobility (like 30+ minutes beforehand, 10 post)

[MasterOfCows]

I love how your 70 cable rows are light

 

There's a lot of lean in the pistols.  Before I stopped doing them, I was doing assisted ones, using a pole for balance and I had to be careful I didn't smoke my head into the pole!  How's keeping the off leg up on your flexors?  I had terrible terrible luck with this, part of the reason that I stopped was because I couldn't hold that leg out without it cramping to infinity.

[PrincessHeather]

Sorry to hear about the weird tingling junk. That's got to be no fun and kind of scary. I hope that the paleo doc (jealous!) can get you in soon and get you started on something to make it better.

 

And I concur with all that Squatcake says! Good advice, your AI protocol should help reveal more specifically what might or might not be an issue. Hopefully butter will get to stay on the menu, what's life without butter?!?!

[Guest CyborgNinja]

My input is that if you want to do pistols you should probably just do a lot of negatives and ankle/hip flexibility stuff.

 

Sounds like you're training it hard though, I'm sure you'll get it pretty quick.

[Morrigainz]

I love how your 70 cable rows are light

This.

 

Also, you're making me want to try them.

[Damy]

I think I'm afraid to lean as much I need to lean.  Maybe I'll take some video on Saturday.

 

This will sound a bit stupid, but it may help if you hold a dumbbell in your hand and close to your body. A little weight (10-15 lbs?) that will help you to find and keep your balance.

 

Also, this is a great article from the guy that did all the workouts from "convict conditioning": http://www.beastskills.com/one-legged-squat-the-pistol/

 

Good luck

[Hermione Gainser]

I love how your 70 cable rows are light

 

There's a lot of lean in the pistols.  Before I stopped doing them, I was doing assisted ones, using a pole for balance and I had to be careful I didn't smoke my head into the pole!  How's keeping the off leg up on your flexors?  I had terrible terrible luck with this, part of the reason that I stopped was because I couldn't hold that leg out without it cramping to infinity.

Ha! Thanks

 

Actually, my hip flexors haven't bothered me almost at all in a long while now! I'm so excited!  I'm glad I listened to Waldo and kept at it.   I did a little barbell work this weekend and only felt a little tight after my first warm up... otherwise, it's good!  How excited am I? WICKED EXCITED!

 

Sorry to hear about the weird tingling junk. That's got to be no fun and kind of scary. I hope that the paleo doc (jealous!) can get you in soon and get you started on something to make it better.

 

And I concur with all that Squatcake says! Good advice, your AI protocol should help reveal more specifically what might or might not be an issue. Hopefully butter will get to stay on the menu, what's life without butter?!?!

Right!! Gah.  It's been an on and off kinda thing. Right now it's all kinds of on. 

 

I'm feeling a tad overwhelmed at this whole AI thing, if I'm being honest.  I've been toying with ideas..which I'll talk about in my update.

 

My input is that if you want to do pistols you should probably just do a lot of negatives and ankle/hip flexibility stuff.

 

Sounds like you're training it hard though, I'm sure you'll get it pretty quick.

 

Thanks!

 

Sounds solid.  I think I need to get back to trying more full negatives with a cable or something.  I did at the beginning but have kind of stopped. Lazy Laura is lazy.   No mas!

This.

 

Also, you're making me want to try them.

 

Do iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.

 

This will sound a bit stupid, but it may help if you hold a dumbbell in your hand and close to your body. A little weight (10-15 lbs?) that will help you to find and keep your balance.

 

Also, this is a great article from the guy that did all the workouts from "convict conditioning": http://www.beastskills.com/one-legged-squat-the-pistol/

 

Good luck

 

Doesn't sound stupid at all! I recall reading that suggestion somewhere (as well as his suggestion of holding weights out in that article). I think now that I'm more comfortable holding/using weight again it's worth a shot. 

 

And somehow, I didn't know that was the same guy. Ha!  Go me.

 

Speaking of CC... I was perusing the squat progressions this weekend and I really want to try shoulder stand squats.  WTF? That's the first progression?! Geez! But seriously, looks really fun. I can only imagine the looks I'd get doing that in my globo gym hahaha

 

**

5/25/13

 

I had intended to do pistol work, etc but I was overcome by the need to spend some quality time with my barbell.  So a very simple barbell workout was had (spoiler alert: it was awesome).

 

Mobility: 30 minutes--no lie.

 

Squat:

bwx6

65x2

75x2

85x2

95x5

95x5

95x4

Nothing impressive here but I'm happy with my numbers and how it all felt.  It's easily been a month since I've done any bb squats so I am really pleased that I'm about where I was.  I could have done 100, I'm sure, but in the interest of not hurting myself I decided to play it safe.  I made sure I did ample mobility for a proper meat shelf.  the fail on the last set was nerves. I had boyf watching me and I just thought too much about what I was doing.

 

Bench:

65x4

70x1

75x5

75x5

75x5

60x10

Intended to try 80 but 75 felt plenty heavy. Again, not far from where I was pre injury. No tingling or discomfort. Had boyf check form. Used a wider stance per some suggestions in my bench form check thread. Did a back off set for giggles.

 

Deadlift:

105x4

120x3

135x6

135x6

Not far from where my deload was but pretty far from where my last real working weight was (180).  But since deads usually smoke my traps I opted to keep it light, too.  Again, no issues. 

 

PP at home

 

I think I'm going to aim to include some barbell work each week but not exclusively.  Right now I'm thinking one day while the other two will be body weight stuff. Sounds like a (really fun) plan.

 

Also, bw work is awesome.  My lifts have barely changed in all the time I have not been using a barbell.  Pistol work and a gazillion lunges, FTW!

 

**

Food stuffs:

 

As I mentioned, the whole AI protocol is a little daunting.  I started doing some research, etc into it but, frankly, I got really annoyed reading The Paleo Solution.  I obviously spend too much time on the internet because informational texts are freaking boring. Where's the tl;dr version, yo?  (it's okay to judge me here. i'm judging me a little) So, I need to go back and really give it a solid once over. I do have a general idea of the protocol but I'm pretty curious about the science behind the blank slate stuff.. which will make sense given this next paragraph:

 

I was going to start it this week but since I've done little to no research I'm not.  Instead, this week, I'm going to do the damn research I should have done while easing my way into some of this.  This week is dairy free. I'm also going to actively try to limit my intake of other items on the list (aside from eggs for the time being) and go from there. So, you see why I'm interested in more about the blank slate.  I suspect dairy, so if I eliminate dairy does that work or is the blank slate necessary.  I'm sure the answers are contained within the text I didn't want to read. Answers, they will be found.

[Strawberry Squatcake]

Have you seen this (about midway down on this page)?

 

 

Paleo For Autoimmunity

Emerging research has made clear the link between Neolithic foods (grains, legumes and dairy) and autoimmune diseases such as Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis and a host of other less well know conditions. Many people have found significant improvements in autoimmune disease by eliminating the Neolithic foods and building a diet around nutritious Paleo options. If you suffer from an autoimmune disease we highly recommend you start a Paleo diet and let us know what your results are. To give your body its best chance to heal we recommend that you initially limit the following foods:

• Eggs
• Tomatoes & eggplants
• Peppers including bell peppers and hot peppers
• Spices such as curries, paprika, and chili powder.
• Nuts and seeds

Some of these otherwise Paleo-friendly foods have been shown to be problematic in individuals with autoimmune issues. We recommend you fully remove not only these foods but also all Neolithic foods (grains, breads, potatoes, beans and dairy) for at least a month to see if they pose a problem for you.

 

 

 

I read The Paleo Solution, and I don't remember it pushing AI as a main goal (of course at that time I didn't know I had an AI disorder, so maybe I missed the focus?). I think the blank slate/elimination diet works for many people because they have a hard time separating which things are causing problems. If more than one thing is causing an issue, then it's often hard to separate out what the issue is. That said, many people do it the way you're suggesting. That's the way I discovered eggs as an issue. Peppers were more daunting/confusing and I did more of an elimination with that one (only eliminating and adding back nightshades, including paprika, which is tough).

 

If you have an idea of what might be causing a problem, then you really don't need to eliminate everything. 

 

In my experience, getting out the biggest offenders allows you to slowly work through the other foods and either find them as a trigger (and eliminate) or feel better without them and not feel like you need to do anymore. So, for example, after I found peppers were an issue, I started working through whether it was all peppers, or if it was just fresh. And I found anything not dried (so canned, pickled, fresh, etc. were all triggers) were issues. But I could get away with dried in several forms (red pepper flakes, smoked chipotle pepper, cayenne, etc.). So if you discover you feel better without dairy, you can start sorting through whether different types of dairy like cow's milk vs goat's milk, or pasteurized versus raw, or hard cheese vs soft cheese, etc. affects you differently. Not to keep bothering yourself, but to truly find out what doesn't bother you, and sometimes those things will help you adhere to your diet. For example, if I can add some dried smoked chipotle pepper to stuff, then I've found I really don't miss fresh peppers as much. At first I was all, "Well, screw peppers if they're ruining my life." Then I realized I do miss spicy stuff. So it's nice to have the dried stuff. And the longer i go, the less I use those things. 

One other thing to consider: The things that are the hardest to give up are often the issue. This was DEFINITELY true for me with gluten (ugh, the never-ending battle), and peppers. It was so weird how I was SO ATTACHED to peppers. I mean, really? There were times I'd be all, "Oh, woe is me!" Haha. This is why I keep re-suspecting cheese as an issue, but I honestly haven't found I feel worn down or anything if I eat or don't eat it. 

 

The other thing I hate to say is if you have an AI disorder, many people say the root cause of almost all (if not all) autoimmunity issues are rooted in leaky gut. But that's a whole different rabbit hole you may not be willing to jump down, yet. Many people site sugar and gluten as the main cause of leaky gut and say if you get leaky gut under control then your trigger foods go away. I have no idea if this is true. There are days I'll eat some eggs and have no reaction. Then a few weeks later will have the worst reaction ever. The last time I hate (what I considered to be) a very, very small portion of peppers was my worst reaction in probably over a year. So, I have no idea what causes some reactions to be worse than others for me. 

 

 

Anyway, my tl;dr: 

 

Many people do the elimination diet because it's easier for them to dump all of the possible offenders and work their way back. However, I found that pretty overwhelming, and my problems weren't debilitating or anything. So to run into a trigger occasionally wasn't enough of a motivation to go all in with everything. However, many  people leading the crusade are those with MS. And I think some of the more serious AI disorders (not that they all aren't infuriating and maddening, but I'd say not being able to walk or having brain lesions is pretty intense) require a total elimination because tiny things like the slightest gluten exposure, or paprika as the tenth item on an ingredient list really does affect them. And their reactions are bad even with small exposure. Whereas if I react to dried peppers, I honestly don't notice it. And their reactions are exhausting and physically limiting, so they'd possibly never figure out the issue if they didn't get rid of EVERYTHING and slowly add back.

[Hermione Gainser]

Yes, I have.. which is why I know the over all protocol. A lot of results I found in my searching also referenced the book, which is why I suspect there's info on the blank slate stuff in there.  But I didn't find any of that when I was skimming so maybe it's just a slightly more detailed/fleshed out version of that paragraph? And what you've said is basically it? If that's the case then I'm good hahaha

 

I have wondered about the leaky gut, too. I may be a slight hypochondriac, btw.  I do this thing where I read about someone's illness/issue and then start to wonder if I have it. So, not so much I'm convinced I have it, but I do notice similarities. But then I also notice similarities in what's going on with Catspaw but how likely is it that I also have that issue? Anyhow, I'm a little silly. But, there is definitely something wrong. 

 

Most of this stuff really started happening when The Sh*t Hit the Fan back in March.  Stress and grief must be a factor here.

 

I've pretty much eliminated gluten over the last year or so.  I really only eat it on refeed/cheat days.. and that's maybe once per week.  That's going to get cut down so I can better stick with this protocol. Boyf and I have started to cut down on going out for cheat/refeed, too.  Otherwise, over the last month or so I've cut down significantly on sugars and starches. There were multiple weeks I didn't eat any other than on the cheat/refeed.  Only within the last week have I added bananas back into my post workout shake. The rest of the time I keep to non starchy, low carb veggies.

 

So, the weird thing is I've gained ~10 lbs over the last few months but my diet is continually getting better.  Can we say ass backwards?

 

Anyhow, more research to be done.  I really hope I get in to see that doc soon.  I want need some guidance in muh life.