Low Amylose Diet: Tips, Tricks and Tidbits

I have only been on the low amylose diet for a few weeks now, but here are a few tips, tricks and tidbits that I've learned so far:

1. I'm always hungry. Not to the point of being uncomfortable, but it's been a big change from eating three meals a day that were large and made me feel full, to eating 6-8 small snack sized meals a day that keep me above starving, but never to the point of feeling full. 
2. Preparation is the key to this diet. Since I'm eating 6-8 small meals, I have to bring a lot of food with me to work. Each day, I fill my insulated lunch box with cheese sticks, fruit, frozen edamame that I can steam at work, fruit mashes, fruit leathers, and more. Things like the cheese sticks and fruit leathers are easy because they come prepackaged, but depending on what else I bring, some preparation is needed. Say, for example, we buy a bag of grapes at the beginning of the week. I'll wash them all and then divide them in enough containers to last me the week. That way, I can just grab one when I'm preparing my food for the day.
3. Even after just a few weeks, I can already see a change in my body. Not necessarily my weight or measurements, but how my body reacts to certain foods. When Keegan's parents were here over the weekend, we threw out the diet to make it easier on us all. While we didn't go crazy, we did make homemade pizzas and go out for frozen yogurt. Come Monday, I had some...digestive issues and horrible heartburn. While I hated to see my favorite foods cause so much discomfort, it was just more proof that this is what my body needs. 
4. Personally, starting this diet slowly worked best. Instead of going cold turkey from all "bad" foods, I started by making small changes. Making smoothies for breakfast instead of muffins or toast. Bringing a variety of small snack sized meals to work instead of packing one big lunch. Hiding veggies by throwing in some spinach into my smoothies or chopping up a bell pepper to go into pasta sauce. Doing it slowly was a less shock to me, both mentally and emotionally. I'm pretty sure if I had done it all at once, I would have stopped after a few days because it would have been too many restrictions. Doing it slowly was like weaning myself off of the "bad" foods. 
5. Be flexible. Doing any kind of restrictive diet is really really hard, especially with today's hectic lifestyle. I don't beat myself up if Keegan and I have to go out for dinner because we both work such crazy hours, I just try and make better choices than I used to. A salad is always better than a bowl of pasta. A quesadilla full of chicken and veggies is better than a fast food hamburger. Keegan and I will be traveling to two weddings in October, and I know that the food that is served probably won't be within my diet. If there is a buffet, I will try and load up on the salad and meat. If it's a prepared dinner, I will just have to shrug my shoulders and allow myself a "cheat" day. 
6. Remember that tomorrow is a new day. Just because you caved and got a mocha instead of a sugar free coffee, or you have to eat a prepared dinner at a wedding, doesn't mean that you have to quit the diet entirely. My personal philosophy of this diet is that it's more about integrating healthier choices into your every day life, not making it so difficult to come up with a meal that you quit after one day. You'll make mistakes, but the point is to learn about what you're putting into your body and how to make better choices. 

Like I said, I'm still new to this whole thing, so I'm still learning and making mistakes. I probably won't post too often about the diet because I know it's not the most interesting topic, but I'll make periodic updates and perhaps post recipes if I find some I really enjoy. Thank you all for the good wishes on my last updates, they're a great motivator! If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment or email me.