Relaxing weekend

So we didn't do much this weekend.  Worked out yesterday morning while the kids enjoyed the nice, clean basement.  Jon took the kids to the store in the afternoon, where they bought the ingredients for my special birthday treat I'll make Tues/Wed.  Today they went to church while I worked at home as usual.  Trying to finish up the last of a project for my company.  Hopefully will finish up tomorrow and might even get a night or two of no work before the new month begins! 
Tried 2 new recipes today.  One was great, the other great but not so kid friendly.

Breakfast - Grain and Sugar Free waffles 
The kids really liked these.  Although next time I need to not forget to spray the waffle maker and I bet everyone will like them more.  Probably should double the recipe too to end up with some leftovers.  Should think about something for syrup as well.

Dinner - Wheat Free Stuffed Peppers 

Jon and I thought these were great!  The kids, not so much.  It sure doesn't help that I think James is getting his 2yo molars right now either.  Carolyn ate about 10 bites and then helped herself to a pear, which she ate nearly all of.  James had an apple, I'm still amazed that he's already eating them right off the core.  I think the hard but juicy part helps his mouth a little.

Tomorrow is "O" day and we'll be making Omelets for breakfast.  I'll update on how I get the kids to help me after we do it.  Two more brand new to us recipes coming later this week, so stay tuned!

Slow and steady, right?

Slow and steady wins the race, right?  I'm happy to report that I'm down 2lbs this week.  So heading in the right direction now.  I have a lot more energy than I should for James being up with a fever last night too.  Haven't made anything very exciting the last few days, so haven't been posting.  Wednesday night we did ham, potato, carrot, and green bean soup.  Thursday night we did leftover, and last night we did scrambled eggs with cheese and ham in them.  Tonight we're getting take out again like last week.  I'm looking forward to the yummy ribs. 

I made bread today with Pamela's bread mix thanks to my Dad for my birthday.  It was good and the kids really like it.  It will serve as a decent transition as I try to make grain free bread.  It's a good treat though for the kids since they can handle the higher carb load.

Sat down today and made the plan for the week.  I'm looking forward to trying some new recipes, especially a cupcake one for my birthday.  I'll let you know how they all turn out after I make them.  I'm also looking forward to working less this week.  Two weeks in a row of over 20 hours is tough.  But it'll be nice to see the paycheck, along with our tax refund, and Jon's backpay all next month.

Jon is worried about much more expensive this style of eating is going to be.  I'm hoping that he'll see it's not that different, we're just spending our money differently.  And of course I'm hoping to put together a nice, large garden this summer that will offset some of the costs, for at least part of the year.  It's going to be tough to get him completely on board.  I'm just hoping that the benefits he feels after he gives it a try will convince him.

Feeling Full!

It's amazing how much less hungry I am getting.  Don't feel the need to snack anymore and much smaller portions keep me going for longer.  And I am getting my energy back too.  Did a great crossfit workout today and pushed myself, but didn't feel like I was going to die afterward.  Looking forward to playing soccer tomorrow and having the energy to run around a bunch.

Breakfast was haphazard
Carolyn - hardboiled egg, carrots, banana, clementine
Me - PB waffle leftover from Sunday, milk, clementine
James - waffle, banana, clementine, raisins

Lunch was leftovers while I was on a conference call
Ham, cheese, apples

Dinner was an attempt at alternative pizza crust.  It didn't go over very well.  It was quite filling and we ate it, but we will not make it again.

I am excited to get some of my birthday presents this year as I've asked for some of the special ingredients that don't quite fit into our regular food budget.

Off to finish listening to Obama's State of the Union.

Great Day

So my weekend issues definitely appear to have been cycle related.  I felt SO much better yesterday!  Had energy, wasn't hungry except as meal times approached, and only had occasional headaches.  Had yummy food throughout the day too.  I also did some research about whether I should focus on cutting my carbs that remain after eating wheat.  It seems that might be the key to weight loss.  However, that can result in ketosis and ketones can pass through breastmilk.  So until June and James is weaned, I'm going to stop at simply giving up wheat.

Breakfast - scrambled eggs with ham, green pepper, mushroom and cheese

Snack 1 (kiddos) - string cheese and cantaloupe

Lunch - Nachos with corn tortillas, refried beans, avocado, salsa, black olives, and cheese.  Sour cream on the side.  Kids also enjoyed blueberries and James had some extra olives.

Snack 2 - 1 piece chocolate (kids) and almonds

Dinner - Brocolli cheese soup  I did use 2 cups shredded cheddar and 1 cup monterey jack that I shredded myself.  I think I might add in more cheese in the future.

Both kids gobbled up breakfast, both snacks, and dinner.  I was surprised to see that they weren't too interested in the nachos, beyond the chips and sour cream.  This means I might just have to find a guacamole recipe for them to use up the other avocados.  For them, if you can dip it, they will eat it seems to be the case.  The soup was pretty good and both kids ate 2 bowls each.  They also had applesauce for "dessert".  My silly 3 year old in action again requesting applesauce as dessert.  Hard to turn down that kind of request though!

Trying another new recipe tonight, stay tuned for the results!

Mystery solved?

So I think I discovered the reason behind my crummy feeling weekend... being female!  I've been feeling a little better since I officially started a new cycle this afternoon.  But it does help me to make some sense of all of this, and likely blame the dizziness on that.  If the past is any proof, I'll feel better when I wake up tomorrow morning.  I discussed the exhaustion with my OBGYN previously and he was puzzled why it would come on before the actual start.  This could explain the huge weight change as well.

Had a good day as far as food is concerned today.  Definitely feel a lot fuller more easily.  So will probably start to eat less and hopefully begin losing in the next couple weeks.  Here's to hoping I'm now on the road to recovery!

Dinner Tonight
Ham
Frozen Peas and Carrots
Rice w/ butter and garlic powder

Very simple Sunday meal that takes a while to cook.  But looking forward SO much to the leftovers for lunch this week.  And later in the week we'll put the ham bone in the crockpot for a yummy soup.

Excited for tomorrow's dinner, something I've been meaning to make for a while.  Stay tuned!

Dizzy

Okay, so this is not going so well.  For the past 36 hours I have been dizzy on and off.  This fits into the almost unbearable column compared to previous dizziness episodes.  Combine this with the headaches that don't seem to want to go away and I'm not sure what to do. 

Last night we had a great dinner of ribs, salad, and frieds from Tommy's Red Hots in McHenry.  It wasn't terribly expensive ($17) and was pretty good.  Leftover salad even for today's lunch.  This morning we had waffles, made with a recipe found here.  It was very filling, only needing 1 waffle and some bacon for breakfast. The rest of the family didn't seem to be big fans, so we'll still be searching for a new waffle recipe.  Will probably try this as bread at another time.

Ready to be over this dizziness though.  I thought that was the one thing that would surely be fixed by going wheat free.

Disappointment...

So after nearly a week (officially tomorrow @ lunch), I honestly expected more.  Today I've been exahusted, really wanted to nap when the kids were down.  Would have been a great day to do so too, since James slept 2.5 hours in his crib!  But I was working.  I worked out pretty diligently this week - Mon, Tues, Wed, and today did a crossfit workout.  Those are tough and heavy weights with a tiny bit of cardio due to the circuits built in.  Wed night I played 2 soccer games, sitting out only about 2 minutes.  Friday I shoveled snow for over an hour, so chose to skip working out.  Scraping the ice off the driveway was actually somewhat therapeutic.

Today I'm not as hungry.  Had a great breakfast of bacon and an omelet with cheese and green pepper.  For lunch I had chicken salad, monterey jack cheese, and carrots.  I'm still full from that almost 4 hours later.  So that's definitely a good thing.

I went to bed at 8, Jon says I was out at 8:15.  But I tossed and turned most of the night and have been up since 6 for the most part.  What gives here?  I thought sleep was supposed to improve.

I'm still having headaches.  They, of course, could be due to the weather and the crazy dryness that we're experiencing.  Luckily it's due to warm up a little and hopefully the snow melting will help with that some.  But headaches are a big reason I was doing this.  I'm still getting dizzy too.

I know, I really shouldn't expect miracles after a week.  But I was expecting to notice something positive.  I had big hopes when I got on the scale this morning.  I have plenty of weight to lose, probably 40lbs to be considered "normal" BMI.  Not that I consider BMI a good measure, especially considering that I know I am pretty strong (muscle) and have a large chest (34FF).  But I also have plenty of inches to lose all over and pounds to go with it.  Yet, I gained 5lbs from the last time I weighed.  I'm going to give this 4 weeks, so until Feb 12.  But I honestly have to say that if I don't start to notice some real benefits here, I don't know I can keep this up.  I took measurements today and recorded them on my computer, but I'm a little embarassed to share them.  So I'll simply report back on the changes I notice starting next week.  Although it was interesting to discover that my left thigh is 1" smaller than my right.  I'm sure there's some margin for error there, but that's a big difference.  Makes sense I suppose since I'm a righty.

Hoping to share better news next week!

Better sleep?

So if it's possible, James has started to sleep better.  I also turned down Carolyn's music, which I think is helping some.  But he slept last night 7-5:15 in his own bed, then with me until 6:45.  So can't complain much about that, although of course I'd like him in his own bed all night.  He's getting too big to comfortably sleep next to.  And he isn't happy just sleeping next to me - must be on me or touching me in some way.  I didn't sleep very well last night though.  I wonder if the potato salad was so high in carbs that it contributed.  I certainly was exhausted at 8 when I came to bed.

Last night's dinner wasn't so great... ready to eat chicken from Dominick's and potato salad.  All wheat free, but the chicken was a little greasy and the potato salad was clearly high carb.  We need to find alternatives for what to do when I'm sick of cooking though.  I've cut/mixed/cooked for every meal except that one since Sunday lunch, and it gets tiring/monotonous, even though I'm doing a lot of different things.  Hoping to get to either Trader Joe's or Joseph's Marketplace this week to pick up a bunch of almonds.  Then I can bake some muffins to have for breakfast some days or bread for easy lunches.  Planned some fairly easy meals for dinners this week that should produce some yummy leftovers. 

We have a low budget for everything, and that certainly includes eating out.  We budget $50/month for eating out.  For a family of 4, that doesn't go very far.  It was allowing us to get Papa John's nearly every week, since we would earn free pizzas after spending so much.  But I'm stumped on what to do now.  All other take out is so expensive, but I really do get tired of cooking.  So if any of you reading this have any ideas, let me know!

I'll be back in a little while with my starting stats for all of this.  But for now I'll just say I was disappointed to see the number on the scale this morning.  I'm hoping it's just my body adjusting, muscles filled with lactic acid, or cycle as a female.  I'm willing to give it 3 more weeks I suppose.  Still having quite a few headaches too, hoping they start to go away.

My Different 3 year old

My kids' eating habits are quite different from the typical child.  Carolyn's memory for McDonald's is playing in the playland while Jon and I had hot chocolate.  We went there once last winter so she could play.  Neither child gets juice very often, James none so far.  Before we started this journey they already loved fruit and veggies. 

But just how different my kids are has become more apparent this week.  Carolyn's choice for lunch today... green beans with last night's sauce.  That sauce was pretty much tomatoes and cheese.  She ate a full plate and asked for more.  James a little of everything - green beans, sauce, cheese, and tuna salad.

I do wonder how this will change as they start school and are around others more for meals.  But that's looking to be about 18 months away at this point.  By then the no wheat will be just normal to them.  And James will never have really known anything different.  I don't want to raise the "weird" kids, just healthy, smart, and as well adjusted as possible. 

About time to go enjoy the snow with these kids.

Feeling Better

I honestly am starting to feel better.  No headache this morning, and James slept much better last night.  He was up around 1, nursed, and put himself back to sleep after rocking for 2 minutes.  I think he had a bad dream because he wrapped his arms around my neck and wanted to rock upright.  What an improvement though!  Something really cool is that I'm no longer starving when I wake up in the morning.

I got caught up with work yesterday, so didn't have a chance to post about lunch, snack, or dinner.  So I'll combine them all here this morning.

Lunch:
Tuna salad - tuna, mayo, celery
Cheese
Carrots
Apple
Almonds

I hadn't planned to have the almonds with lunch, but Carolyn insisted.  She didn't seem interested in eating much else.  Glad she likes them, but they're expensive so we need to ration until I find a cheaper source!  We'll find out today if she truly didn't like the tuna salad or just wanted the almonds.

Snack:
Green pepper slices
Almonds
1 piece of chocolate

The kids had their snack while I was tutoring.  Carolyn was super hungry because she didn't eat much for lunch.  I told her that she needed to eat more for lunch in the future because she doesn't get to spend all afternoon eating.

Dinner:
Chicken
Tomato Paste 6oz
Tomato Sauce 14.5oz
Garlic - 3 cloves minced
3 T water
2 t oregano
1 t sugar
Mozarella cheese
Frozen green beans

Place chicken in bottom of crockpot.  Combine other ingredients except cheese in a bowl and then dump over chicken.  Cook on low 4-6 hours.  Too much longer and this will burn.  Remove chicken and stir in cheese until melted.  Serve with veggie side.

Both kids were a huge fan of this as usual.  Carolyn was asking for her noodles, since we haven't had any in quite a while.  I will need to find alternative ones to keep everyone happy.  I also need to find a cheap source of almonds and a way to grind them in order to make some baked goods.  The trickiest part of this whole change is going to be staying in budget each month, at least until we get settled into the new routine.

Nuts

Stopped by the grocery store last night on my way to soccer.  Got a 9lb ham for just over $5, the kids will love that.  Also got more green pepper, cheese, oranges and other staples.  I also treated myself to a container of almonds.  Nuts are expensive!  Anyway, had them on the counter this morning and Carolyn asked about them.  Once we sat down to breakfast, I let her try one.  I wanted to be sure she could chew it well.  Not only could she chew it fine, but she loves them!  Kept asking for me.  This is good, because almonds are cheaper than cashews.  I also let James try a couple.  The first one he did great with.  The second one he spit out almost fully chewed, but I suspect it was because he wanted the orange I was peeling ;-).  He asked for another after the orange and had no trouble with it.  So I've found a great snack for all of us, with wonderful fats. 

I have a terrible headache this morning, but I suspect it's from interrupted sleeping last night.  I think James is going through an adjustment period with the no wheat and he's been up a lot.  Hopefully he'll get through this soon so we can all get some more sleep!

I played soccer last night and it felt wonderful!  I was super sore beforehand from the crossfit workouts, so a little worried.  When I found out we only had 1 sub, I was more worried.  But after I got going, I felt great.  I only subbed out for 2 minutes in the first game, since we lost our sub to injury for the second half.  So I played 38 minutes at center forward/mid.  Then I played the whole second game in goal.  Since they were playing the top team I had to do a lot of work.  Overall, a great night and it was amazing to not be exhausted afterwards.  If I can find the money, maybe I can play on 2 teams again next session.

Using what we've got

So did I mention we did our grocery shopping this week before I decided to give wheat-free a go?  I had kind of planned dinners around the idea, but nothing else.  So today was a little challenge for breakfast.  I dug out some frozen veggies (green beans, carrots, peas, and corn), paired with hardboiled eggs, milk, and clementines.  Probably not something to repeat though as the kids didn't seem very interested in the veggies as a breakfast item.  Interesting since they usually gobble them up for dinner.  I am full though and ready to start what promises to be a long day.  Dinner tonight will either be a crockpot meal or leftovers, depending on how long the chicken takes to defrost.

A little withdrawl

So I've been having headaches on and off today, likely a little withdrawl symptoms.  But I know it should go away in a couple days, and maybe I won't have to deal with them anymore!  Of course, the soreness in my legs and abs after yesterday and today's crossfit workouts certainly doesn't help.  But I know that'll be gone by Friday and I'll be feeling stronger by Monday.  Still searching for great, non-wheat recipes to add to our list if anyone reading this has some suggestions.

Tonight's Dinner was an old favorite.  Not the best choice since it's a ton of carbs, but quick, cheap, and yummy.

Rice
2 cans dark kidney beans
Garlic (3-4 cloves) minced
Onion (1/2 large) minced
1 T chili powder
1 t cumin powder
1+ C Salsa
Cooking oil
Cheese

Cook rice according to directions.  Cook oil, onions, and garlic in pan until onions are translucent.  Add beans, spices, and salsa.  Cook until heated through.  Serve mixture over rice (or just eat).  Top with shredded cheese.  Add sour cream if desired.

James was a big fan and gobbled up his bowl, then some applesauce, plus ate some off of Jon's plate.  Carolyn, who has loved this in the past, ate her applesauce and only a few bites of the beans.  Sometimes kids just like to be picky.  Definitely something we'll be going back to.

Hoping everyone sleeps well tonight!

Getting Creative

Looks like this change is going to push my creativity for the kids.  Instead of being lazy and giving the kids the bag of pretzels for a snack, I'm going to have to help them find something.  Not really a big deal, but definitely need to get a little creative to get them to think past pretzels as a snack.

Today we did Ants on a Log - celery, peanut butter, and raisins.  Each child ate 2 "logs".  While it proved quite messy, they both enjoyed something different. 

It will be nice, of course, after I go to the store and buy more veggies, to just send them to the fridge to grab a container of precut veggies.  And once I find some softer nuts, perhaps cashews, we can include those as well.  Looking forward to having an excuse to add some different types of foods into the rotation!

Full tummies

So no improvements in sleep last night.  James was up twice before 10, although he did then sleep through until 5:15.  And he did go back to sleep with me until 6:40 after nursing.  Carolyn was up a couple times, bad dreams I suspect.  But we weren't really expecting miracles over night!
Breakfast this morning wasn't challenging at all.  I offered Carolyn scrambled eggs, but she asked for a hardboiled egg instead.  Since I already had some in the fridge, I obliged.  Looking like everyone has a full tummy this morning because James is a big fan of scrambled eggs and gobbled up his and some of mine.

Scrambled eggs with chopped green pepper and mozarella cheese
Strawberries
Banana (kids only)
Milk (Me and Carolyn)
Carolyn - hard boiled egg with sliced green pepper

Not sure what we'll do tomorrow since we're out of green pepper.  Might check out the freezer for some frozen veggie that would work with breakfast.  I ate so much that I was definitely full.  So perhaps there is some truth that you eat less when not filling up on grains.  Heading to the store tomorrow night and hoping to get some more veggies and maybe some nuts.  Thinking I might even let the kids eat some of the softer nuts like cashews.  They're both great at chewing their food and already handle all sorts of raw veggies, including carrots.

I think I'm going to fill one snack cup with Chex today and see how that goes.  While it's not ideal, it's gluten free and might help to wean them off their cups in the car. 

Here's to day 2 wheat free!

Over 24 hours complete

And so completes my first full day with no wheat, and even for the kids too!  Jon of course had cereal for breakfast and pizza for lunch.  In fairness, we said we're starting next week.  Both kids gobbled up their dinner again too, which is awesome to see 2 nights in a row.  Carolyn seemed less cranky this afternoon and played quietly while James finished his nap.  He slept nearly 3 hours, and half of that time was in his crib!  Here's to hoping he sleeps through the night in his crib. 
Jon and I are getting back to our crossfit workouts as well, now that his contract is settled.  Tonight's workout was killer and I could barely get up the stairs afterwards.  But it's definitely a great feeling and I'm looking forward to following the 3 day on / 1 day off schedule and creating a 30 day rotation of workouts to follow.

Tonight's Dinner:  Chicken and Veggie Soup
Leftover chicken bones from Sun night - filled crockpot with water and let cook overnight

1lb carrots
Celery - 3 stalks
Chicken - pulled meat off bones and there was a lot
1/2 Large onion - chopped
Italian seasoning
Garlic salt
Dried oregano

Dump crockpot into collander with a bowl underneath to separate broth from bones.  Pour broth back into crockpot.  Chop carrots, celery, and onion into bite size pieces.  I make them fairly small so the kids have no trouble eating them.  Pull chicken off bones and shred into bite size pieces.  Sprinkle with seasoning, garlic salt, and oregano as desired.  Mix briefly, let cook all day.  I would guess a minimum 6hrs on low like most crockpot meals.  I turned this on around 8 and we turned it off at 5:15 to let it cool.

Both kids loved it, Carolyn even ate the broth.  James at his bowl plus some from mine and Jon's bowls!  We then each had a couple hershey's kisses for dessert at Carolyn's request.  Haven't gotten any appropriate desserts into the house yet, but that's something I should look into.  We still have so much Christmas candy left!

Tomorrow's challenge will be the car ride home from gymnastics.  I normally allow each kid their Cheerio cup since they expend so much energy in class.  It also keeps James in one place to put on his shoes and coat after class.  I haven't decided if we'll forgo the cups or if I'll look for an alternative.  I think for tomorrow I'll let them have them.  But I might hide them in the bag and see if they ask for them.  I'm pretty sure it's a habit thing and not a hunger issue.

Lunch success!

So this isn't something they'll likely eat daily.  But I found a lunch that both children gobbled up, amazing for James especially.  Since they're children, they get to eat more fruit to acount for a higher carb need in their growing bodies.  So here's what we ate today:

Chicken Salad - leftover chicken from last night, chopped, mayo, chopped celery, a sprinkle of dill weed
Cheddar cheese - I used mine to spread the salad on and used each slice as kind of a cracker
Carrots
Apples (by request, a few slices/child)
Strawberries (2 for me, as desired for the kids)

So far, no post-lunch headache as I have been getting for a while.  Earlier this morning we did all have some string cheese as a snack.  It's going to take some time to determine whether the kids eat their snacks because they are hungry or they are conditioned to do so.  Carolyn is easy to figure out because I can ask her.  But James is tougher since he doesn't have a full vocabulary yet.  Plus his sleep is so erratic that it's hard to know if his crankiness is hunger or being tired.  I'm thinking snack this afternoon will be ants on a log, something I'm almost ashamed to say I've never fed either child, lol.    Almost nap time here!

Carolyn amazes me

Really, the things my 3.5 year old likes to eat is amazing at times.  I always hear parents complaining about how their kids won't eat fruits or vegetables.  Well, my theory from the beginning was, introduce only what I want them eating and they won't know to ask for anything else.  So my kids don't drink juice, except for the rare juice box at a playgroup.  And only then does Carolyn take a couple sips before asking for her water cup.  Neither child drinks any pop, I only drink it rarely.  They both do well on water and milk.  James is still nursing, so pretty much only has water from a cup.  I made all of their baby food except for the oatmeal and multigrain cereal.  I never did the rice cereal, it just didn't seem appetizing to me.
Last night after dinner I found Carolyn walking around with her snack cup full of Cheerios, not 5 minutes after dinner.  She informed me she needed something crunchy.  She then happily exchanged the cheerios for carrots.  The most amazing things lately was today's breakfast, which she happily gobbled up.

Hardboiled Eggs (Carolyn refuses to eat the yolk)
Sliced green peppers
Clementine
Milk

Unfortunately, I am already feeling hungry.  So while I put dinner together (chicken soup in the crockpot) I stole some celery.  As I sort out portion sizes over the next week, I may just be joining the kids in some of their snacking.  We'll see how scrambled eggs fairs tomorrow for keeping me full.  We don't have enough veggies on hand right now for me to fill up on them, which is why I'm not doing this fully until next week.

Night 1

Tried my first dinner tonight without wheat.  It did have some carbs, but since we're getting back to working out tomorrow, I'm going to include some. 

Whole chicken
4 potatoes
Frozen Brocolli
Garlic - 2.5 heads
Italian seasoning
Cooking oil

I didn't check the seasoning to be sure it was wheat free.  Preheat the oven to 350.  Peel garlic but leave whole.  Chop potatoes into bite size pieces (makes it easier since I then don't have to cut it up for the kids later).  Line roasting pan with potatoes and garlic (could use some cooking oil, but the chicken juice was enough).  Save a few pieces to stuff into the chicken.  Place chicken upside down on top of potatoes, lather with oil and sprinkle with seasoning.  Bake for 1.75-2 hours, depending on the size of the chicken.  Cook broccoli according to package directions.

This ends up being a fairly cheap meal because it will also provide a few days of chicken for lunch and we're using the bones to create stock for soup that we'll eat tomorrow.  Not bad for a $6 chicken.  I will be picking up a couple more of these on Wednesday before the sale ends.  Carolyn (3.5yo) gobbled up the broccoli and chicken, and even asked for more of both!  James (19mo) is a challenge to get to sit still long enough to eat, but he didn't fight too much tonight.  We'll see if it helps with sleep at all tonight!  This will definitely be a Sunday dinner we return to as it's not overly complicated and provides leftovers easily reused.

Getting Started

I haven't been at an appropriate weight since I can remember.  In college I played soccer, so I exercised 5-6 days/week nearly year round.  I ran, I lifted, I swam, and I walked all over campus.  Yet I still weighed significantly more than I should.  I got married and gained weight from cooking more often and going out to eat.  Then we bought a house and started having kids.  I have been pregnant and/or nursing since August 2007.  Yep, I've been sharing my body for about 4.5 years.  And I have about 4.5 months before my youngest will be completely weaned.
When my oldest was about 6 months old, I developed terrible dizziness.  I saw countless doctors, had countless tests done, but no root cause was found.  It was discovered that I have a nystagmus that comes and goes, but not such that would cause what I was experiencing.  After about 6 months it spontansously went away.  So we decided it was okay to have a second child.  This past summer (Aug '11) the dizziness returned with authority.  I couldn't think straight and it lasted much longer than previously.  Saw some new doctors who couldn't find any causes.  I gave up and decided to live with it.
On top of the dizziness and weight problems, there are a myriad of other random ailments that are a part of my life.  I came across the book "Wheat Belly" through a couponing website and am intrigued by what it purports.  As I read the book, I recognized quite a few of the things the author's patients were cured from by removing wheat from their diet: acid reflux, joint pain, exhaustion, headaches, and stomach problems.  The book also suggests that sleep will get better, which would be a God-send for my children.  If I could even cut down some of these from simply removing wheat from my diet, it will be a success.
I want to be successful at this, so I'm going to spend the next week doing research and finding recipes to fill 3 meals a day for 2-3 weeks, plus the occasional dessert.  I anticipate removing wheat from my diet to be somewhat simple.  The trickier part will likely be removing wheat from the kids' diets. 
So here I will share with you the recipes I use, how I'm feeling, and the weight that I lose.  I will weigh in on Saturday to get a starting weight.  Wish me luck!