Change Is Not Sweet

Change is hard. I don't like it. I don't like new things even when I know my old things are out of date or on their last leg. Call me frugal, cheap, boring. I don't care. Although, I do prefer the words practical and loyal. We are a full two weeks into the AIP diet. Some meals have not been very impressive, offering little to no flavor. Others have been promising and keep me inspired. Of course, all of my meals (breakfasts and lunches) have not followed AIP, so I admittedly am having an easier time than my daughter. I have already begun to see changes in her skin, however. The patches are still there, but they do not look as raised or scaly. She already does not feel as bloated and she has even shed a few pounds, which is not the main goal but would be an added benefit. 

I have been impressed with her determination. She did amazingly the first six days, but on the seventh day her craving for ice cream or popcorn showed up with a vengeance. Instead, we made an AIP approved banana bread. Her review: "It tastes like warm sand." The next day it tasted a little better and I think it helped, somewhat, get her through the second week. Last night's dinner was a flop. I made chicken thighs marinated in an approved Italian dressing and roasted green beans in extra virgin olive oil and sea salt. I have never used extra virgin olive oil before, and the taste did not impress us at all. Blech! I will go back to plain old olive oil in the future. The chicken had a good flavor, but I think she is getting tired of chicken, in general. In an attempt to please her tastebuds, last night I made some AIP strawberry ice cream which consisted of canned coconut milk, frozen strawberries and maple syrup. It was supposed to freeze in one hour but was finally frozen solid this morning. I watched her face as she took her first bite. It started out promising and then her face quickly turned into a sour grimace. Apparently, the coconut flavor kicked in and overpowered the sweetness of the strawberries. 

I've had to face a change in my runs this week, albeit a temporary change, but a change, nonetheless. My running friend is on rest for two weeks, doctor's orders, and I have been having to go out on my own. It's a catch-22. While I don't get anxious when I head out the door on my solo runs, I have a hard time making myself actually run, and I have a 5K event coming up next weekend. Gasp! While I've written before about running through the hard and not quitting, I have a difficult time actually putting that principle into practice. As ready as I am for my buddy to be back in action, I know she is even more ready! I am praying that she will be cleared by the end of this week. In the meantime, I adapt to the change, hoping to see some self-growth come out of it. "I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6 (CSB) Until then, here's to one more week of solo runs and 3 weeks, 2 days, 10 hours, and 52 minutes of strictly holding to an AIP diet, but who's counting?