Hot off the heels of my “#change” post, I have landed on my first course of action!

I will be starting an Elimination Diet.

I know, I know, it sounds like another crackpot/roundabout/pseudo-committed attempt at weight loss, but I assure you, that is only…. 11% of why I am doing this.  I will be sharing my experience along the way, but here is a list of my reasons behind this decision.

1. Bad Skin

I am 25, and I have struggled with acne since I was a teen.  Granted, some of the struggle is hormonal, but I would like to find out, once and for all, just how much my diet affects my breakouts.

2. Unpredictable (and sometimes irritable) Bowels

You would think that by now I would have figured out exactly what foods upset my stomach, but nope.  I’ve never paid much attention to how the food I eat affects my bowel movements, but it’s undeniable that it does.  I would like to know what foods to avoid, so that as I get older, the chance of shitting myself does not increase.  I don’t think that’s too much to hope for.

3. Mood Swings

I suffer from…. not depression or bipolar disorder (or maybe I do, and I’m undiagnosed), but I definitely experience substantial mood swings.  And I know it’s related to my diet.  Even though I don’t understand the science, I accept it as a fact that certain foods have specific chemical properties and provide different vitamins that affect my mood in a physiological way.  To put is crassly, some foods fuck with my head at a basic biological way.  Some foods also mess with my head in an emotional way, too.  It’s certainly something I have to let go, but I feel guilty for eating various foods and proud for eating others, which definitely contributes to my mood swings.  I hope that this elimination diet will allow me to appreciate the physical effect food as energy has on my body, as opposed to the emotional effect food as a drug has on my mind.

4. Restaurants are Expensive! And I’d like to become a better cook.

I eat out WAY too much.  Not only does it strain my bank account, but it’s disheartening that the best dish I can make from scratch – without a recipe – is scrambled eggs on toast.  I would like to feel comfortable– dare I say confident in the kitchen.  Am I the only person who romanticizes having the ability to cook my friends and family a beautiful meal?

If you identify with any, some, or all of these, I encourage you to join me in this Elimination Diet challenge!  I start tomorrow: Monday, September 26, 2016!

❤ EM