I started my LEAP diet March 28^th, with my ½ phase. Unfortunately, I’ve also been struggling with some severe acute illnesses as well, so it’s been hard to tell how much the diet is changing things. I was feeling a bit better for a few days, but then I seem to have relapsed and gotten really sick. Hopefully, I’ll get over whatever this is soon, and then we can see what the diet is doing!

Since everyone seemed to enjoy my weekly FODMAP diet lists, I thought I would do the same thing for the LEAP diet! Since I’m so extremely restricted on what I can eat, I have to get creative with food. There has been a lot of “from scratch” cooking, a lot of substitutions, and a lot of frustration. I’ve lost several pounds, because I’m still working on trying to figure out snacks and other quick food, so I’m not eating as much as I should be. Hopefully, I’ll get more energy soon and can actually spend more time cooking.

Week one of phase ½, I was cooking the entire week. Every second of my free time was spent in the kitchen, which would be fine if it didn’t require so much energy. I’m completely exhausted, but hopefully I can get a better routine down.

(The lists of foods that I’m allowed to eat can be found on this post.)

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LEAP Phase ½ , Week 1: March 28 – April 3

Tuesday, March 28

• 11:30am: puffed millet cereal with homemade rice milk
• 12:45pm: oatmeal with brown sugar
• 4:40pm: yogurt with blueberries
• 7:05pm: sweet potato risotto; cinnamon oregano chicken
• 9:20pm: cinnamon sugar rice (with ghee)
• Fluids: 91.64oz (2.71L)

Wednesday, March 29

• 12pm: puffed brown rice cereal with homemade rice milk
• 2:30pm: brown rice rice cake with sunbutter
• 7pm: sweet potato risotto
• 8:40pm: yogurt with blueberries
• Fluids: 90.64oz (2.68L)

Thursday, March 30

• 11:45am: oatmeal with blueberries and maple syrup
• 3:30pm: spoonful of sunbutter and handful of freeze dried blueberries
• 5pm: sweet potato risotto
• 8pm: “burritos” (homemade tortillas, homemade refried beans, cumin chicken, mild cheddar)
• Fluids: 75oz (2.22L)

Friday, March 31

• 12:30pm: blueberry maple oatmeal
• 3pm: yogurt with blueberries
• 7:15pm: steak; mashed cauliflowers; steamed broccoli
• 10:40pm: horchata (homemade rice milk, cinnamon, vanilla)
• Fluids: 89.28oz (2.64L)

Saturday, April 1

• 12:15pm: blueberry maple oatmeal
• 2:20pm: burrito filling with rice
• 3:45pm: a tiny bit of coffee (this did not go well with my stomach, as expected)
• 6:45pm: “crockpot soup” (turned out more like casserole/stew)
• Fluids: 133.64oz (3.95L)

Sunday, April 2

• 11:45am: blueberry maple oatmeal
• 2pm: burrito filling with rice
• 5:22pm: homemade energy bar (sunbutter, oats, lemon juice, freeze dried blueberries)
• 5:56pm: homemade energy bar
• 8:20pm: plain noodles
• 10:30pm: oatmeal with brown sugar
• Fluids: 66oz (1.95L)

Monday, April 3

• 6:15am: oatmeal with brown sugar
• 12:20pm: rice cake with sunbutter
• 2pm: homemade edible cookie dough #1
• 6:30pm: crockpot soup
• 10pm: edible cookie dough
• Fluids: 98oz (2.89L)

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I have to make my own chicken broth, as I am not allowed to have either carrots or celery, and they’re in all of the ones in stores! It’s surprisingly easy, especially with my giant crock pot.

I’ve been struggling with hydration a little, thanks to despising water and not having most of my usual options. Most of my fluids are water still, but I do have homemade lemonade and 100% pure cranberry juice (obviously, it must be mixed with water and sugar, otherwise your face will pucker up like a cartoon character). I did discover that mixing the cranberry juice and lemonade (and diluting it a little), adding a cinnamon stick, and then microwaving it until it’s hot is actually quite comforting.

The cookie dough experiment went alright, it’s just a little too sugary so it gives me a massive stomach ache if I eat too much of it at once. It even hurts Dan’s stomach if he eats too much, which is ridiculous since nothing ever hurts his stomach (except for beer). I just need to reduce the amount of sugar in it a bit, and I think it’ll be just as good but less painful! (Hence “#1.”) I had to figure out some sort of dessert, because I was having massive sweets cravings!

Comment below to tell me which recipes you would like me to write up!