Please check out my first post about the LEAP diet that I’m doing: LEAP Results & My Program. That first post goes into detail about what the diet is and what I’m allowed to eat.

I’m still horribly sick (as I talk about in this post), so I’m having a hard time telling what is from being ill and what is from the diet.

Image: Now LEAP, Oxford Biomedical Technologies

I started the diet on Tuesday, the 28th; starting phase 1/2 as directed by my dietitian. However, since starting, I have felt horrendously ill. I’m not sure if my viruses have gotten worse, or if I’m experiencing the detox/withdrawl symptoms that this phase 1/2 is trying to reduce. I’m also not sure if some of it is from being removed from two of my (very helpful) supplements suddenly – I did my best to taper slightly. I was removed from my magnesium, which has been mostly controlling my fibromyalgia for several years now, and from my VSL #3, which has been extremely helpful in easing my IBS symptoms. This diet is supposed to reduce or eliminate both my fibro and IBS symptoms, but so far it’s not.

The weather has also been extremely volatile. It keeps jumping from 70+ degrees (F) and sunny to under 50 degrees and rainy, one day after another. These sudden changes are absolutely brutal on my body! I know that it has definitely not been helping with my fibro pain.

The entire three days, I’ve been extremely hungry. I have been struggling to figure out snack foods, as all of my go-to snacks have been eliminated. Since almost anything pre-made has also been eliminated, thanks to my chemical sensitivities, I am at a complete loss. I have also spent the last two days cooking, seriously, every second of my “free time” has been spent cooking. I am exhausted, and hungry.

I’m also very nauseous. My nausea (I have has chronic nausea for several years now) increased to a very uncomfortable point, and it’s making it very hard to eat. Every time I eat something, anything, I get very ill feeling. Even when I’m eating “safe” foods, that I’ve eaten before without problem, I start feeling horrendous. It has not been fun, and it’s making hard to try new foods.

My taste buds are also a little screwy from my sinus infection, so I have to take Dan’s word on if new foods taste good. Luckily, this seems to be improving as my sinus infection has improved slightly.

Every day I have woken up with severe pain. Wednesday night, my left hip was in atrocious pain. Thursday, after my hand therapy appointment, I was in so much pain that each little jiggle of the car made me want to throw up from the pain. Luckily, the hip pain relaxed overnight, so it’s doing a little better today. However, I’m still having rather severe fibro pain in my hips; actually, the fibro pain is pretty bad all over.

I’ve also had relatively bad headaches every day. Some of them definitely seem like dehydration or sinus headaches, but some are just general headaches that hurt horribly. It’s not fun.

It’s been hard for me to keep up with my hydration. I do not like water. Actually, I pretty much hate it, but I drink it because I know I need to. However, I cannot stay hydrated on water alone because it’s so hard for me to force myself to drink it. With all my restrictions, I cannot drink most of the stuff I usually rely on for hydration. I have been making lemonade from scratch, and I can drink 100% pure cranberry juice (obviously by adding my own sugar and watering it down), but the high sugar levels make my teeth more sensitive. It’s been a serious struggle. I do not like fruit infused water, it’s just weird to me. I am thinking about trying to make some cucumber water because I can usually tolerate it and I like cucumbers. I really need to figure out water options. I may have to start trying to figure out infused water that I can tolerate, or forcing myself to like it, because the dehydration is not good for me.

I also discovered I really do not like ghee. I’m not allowed butter (I double checked and she changed her mind) thanks to my cow milk sensitivity, but ghee has been filtered and can sometimes be tolerated. I don’t like butter either, really, and ghee has a very strong butter taste to it. But, I think putting a tiny bit of it into the mashed cauliflower I’m making tonight will be okay.

Overall, I’m really hoping this diet starts to pay off soon. I have been feeling horrendous, and I’m really hoping it’s not diet related.