Who is this?

Before I start posting about my diet, my thoughts on the world, crafts I found on pinterest, funny pictures of cats, and snarky comments about public figures, I should probably introduce myself.

I'm a 27 year old woman (it's still hard for me not to say girl even though I generally think of myself as an adult,). I am currently on the brink of staring a new career in healthcare, as soon as my paperwork for my license clears.

I've been treated for depression since I was in 3rd grade, medicated since I was 11. I was a slightly rounded kid but became a chubby teenager, likely due to the meds and self-medicating for the depression with sugar. Thanks to an off label RX from my psychiatrist I lost 30 lbs the summer before jr year of high school, and another 10 in the following months. But that same medication was killing my memory and making me forget words, so I went off of it. I gained a couple pounds in the end of high school. Managed to keep the freshman 15 to just 5, but then gained 20 in a bout of depression sophomore year of college. And from there it just creeped up a pound or two at a time. I'd go on weight watchers, lose 5 lbs in 2-3 weeks, then nothing for a month, then 1-2 lbs, then nothing till I got frustrated and quit. Then I'd regain the few pounds I lost and they'd bring a couple more along. I tried soup diets, frozen meal diets, volumetrics, Mediterranean diet, shakes, bars, cereal, websites, 1200 calories, 1000 calories. Of course none of it worked no matter how many times I called it lifestyle change instead of a diet. I was flirting with the idea of becoming vegetarian for my health when my sister mentioned this diet she heard about at her gym.

I had what doctors had written off as IBS most of my adult life, but my sister told me people were saying this diet CURED it. I was game for that. So I tried a paleo/primal blueprint diet for a few weeks. I felt amazing. Then during class one day I ate a few bites of a donut. I became terribly ill.

Long story short (ya, right you say) I discovered that my "IBS" was celiac disease and I would need to be gluten free the rest of my life, but my health started improving immediately.

Gluten free is not calorie free however and my sugar jones hasn't gone away. I haven't lost and kept off any weight since I've been flirting with paleo for the past year and a half.

On Feb 1 I will be starting a 21 day sugar detox (level 3) and recommitting to improving my health.