Day 1: elimination diet

So we have been missing our dear boy for over 7 months now. It just doesn't seem real.  I get so busy taking care of my other littles that even though I think of him every moment of the day, how can I not, he is still here in everything he left behind, I do sometimes forget to have a really good cry.  Preparing my oldest left at home's school binder had me sifting through B's binder from last year and I was all alone and so I just couldn't stop crying forever!! He always encouraged me to eat healthy and exercise.

Now with Damsel having thyroiditis that quickly turned into Hypothyroidism, I must be motivated to make a change here. We are all stressed and ill after these last 41/2 yrs and especially after the stress of losing one most precious to us.
My research has taken me to 'the plan' by Lyn Genet.  Some of you may of heard of her from the Dr. Oz, I don't watch regular TV but someone told me about this book so I have been researching and our whole family is going to start the Plan.
It is a 20 day elimination diet, using your body's wt and signs as a indicator of your 'trigger foods.  The children will start on Day 4 and will journal any changes so that they will not be taught to 'focus' on wt plus it doesn't help a youngy yet at their age.
Yes, I am going to try it with the kids.....they aren't looking forward to it but they are very willing...this is my chance to do this all at once and see if we can find out what is triggering things in each of us.  I have already stopped wheat for myself and I find that I went from 1-6 Ibuprofen a day to just a few a week!!! Seriously!

What do we need help with you might be wondering?

Me: I am fat, cannot get the wt off, tired, achy, low energy.....headaches, low concentration..I could go on. I guess I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia years back but who knows.

Damsel:  She has an auto-immune disease!! Seriously??  I want to try to see if there is something setting this off...they don't know much about this medically nor is there any treatment.

Ninja: He is pretty good except he has severe acne and  major bouts of IBS, also he does have an attitude sometimes but then he is a teenage boy...

The Man:  Well, he is perfect...he wasn't even breastfed...haaa...perfect teeth...he can eat any food and it doesn't seem to bother him, he has general energy but not over an abundance of it..well he did have bad eyes but that was corrected with lasic.. ok so he is over weight and has a chronic back pain, that I hope will be alleviated...I love him...we will see how it goes...much of this food will be slightly challenging for him to eat..carrot ginger soup pureed?? oh boy

Ok, so keep up with me here and I will try to keep you informed on how we are doing.

I am going to go take a pic and get the flax granola out of the oven...hope the man can eat it...

YIKES!  I can't believe how fat I have become!!

I wish I could find a better picture of me when I was skinnier but here something at least from 2009.