Gluten-free for me!

A few years ago, just a year after I was diagnosed with Celiac disease, one of my friends decided "to become Anna" for a week. It was part of an English assignment, he had to go on a "quest" and write about his experiences, his quest was to eat gluten-free for an entire week. 

I wish I could get ahold of that paper now, but I have lost touch with him over the years. I remember that it was very difficult for him to find something to eat day to day, and he came to me a lot for help. By the end of the week he had lost a few pounds and was so thankful to be able to go back to delicious gluten-full food!

I told this story to two of my friends at school. They immediately jumped on the idea, it was a Sunday night so for the school week, Monday through Friday, they were going to eat gluten-free. I explained to them what they could eat at each meal in the dining halls, as well as what food was available to them at our house. It didn't take them long to second guess their decision, but they were determined.

I checked in with them the next day. They said it went well, listed the things they ate, and were so excited for the next day. But after we had been sitting there for awhile confessions started to leak out, they hadn't done as well as they said. I just laughed, without the incentive of keeping yourself from getting sick, it was very difficult to stick to it. The next day they forgot all about their plan for the week and went back to eating as normal. 

So I just have to say "good for you!" to everyone who has no choice but to stick to this diet day after day, year after year, with no hope that we might "grow out of it." It's tough, we have to forgo the birthday cake at a friend's party, the donuts someone picked up on the way to class, the bagels when the study group meets up at a coffee shop, the cookies a roommate received in a care package, the pizza and beer when everyone's just hanging out. We have no choice, but it's not easy. So good for you! You are stronger than most people realize!