We’re not telling you to risk your life; we’re telling you that it is possible to go on a weight loss diet despite having food allergies, with proper care and planning.
Folks with food allergies often find it more difficult to navigate certain food diets due to their already existing food restrictions. But it is possible for people like us who sneeze at the sight of food that we’re allergic to to follow a weight loss diet without the risk of swelling and scratching here and there. Here are four ways that can help you start with your diet plans.
Get to Know Your Body Again
Before starting with any diet plans-even allergy-friendly diets-schedule an appointment with an allergy testing specialist to determine if you’ve developed any new allergies and find out if any of your known allergies are still present. You’ll be surprised that adults can develop allergies to food that they weren’t previously allergic to. Likewise, adults outgrow some food allergies that they earlier had, which means they can slowly introduce these food types into their current diet.
Knowing what food you’re now and no longer allergic to is beneficial, especially when it comes to meal planning. Not knowing what you’re currently allergic to can substantially limit your options and force you to eat the same type of food each time, which may result in taste fatigue.
Taste fatigue can hinder or discourage you from continuing your diet plans. To prevent this from happening, it’s best to include a wide range of flavors in your diet. But atopic folks like us can only do so when we’re aware of the kinds of food that can trigger and no longer trigger an allergic reaction in our system. Getting tested for food allergies in your adulthood removes the guesswork in what you can and cannot eat; that’s one less thing to worry about.
Consult a Nutritionist
Given that you need to avoid certain food types that are normally recommended for weight loss, it can become a tad challenging for you to achieve your nutrient requirement daily. As a result, you may feel weak and, to some extent, irritable and unable to focus.
To properly and safely deal with this challenge, consult a nutritionist who can help you come up with a strategy that will help you get all the nutrients that your body needs daily. A proper allergy-friendly food intake strategy is an important aspect of your meal planning. This makes it possible for you to create delicious meals and come up you’re your own tasty recipes while keeping a well-balanced and healthy food intake.
Make Your Own Meals and Snacks
To eliminate the tendency of consuming any food type or ingredient you are allergic to, it’s best to make your own meals and snacks at home. This way, you know what’s going into those containers, and you have full control over the portioning.
While it is more convenient to order meals or subscribe to allergy-friendly meal plans, nothing compares to the peace of mind that you have when you know you’re not eating anything that will leave your ear swollen afterward. Aside from that, making your own meals will also lessen your need to take allergy medicine, which is much healthier for you, too.
When you know what you’re eating, it helps you worry less about your allergies and allows you to enjoy your diet and fitness plans more.
Keep Track of the Food You Eat
Keeping a food diary can prevent you from mindlessly snacking. On top of that, it can help you keep track of your daily intake and keep track of any food that might cause other issues such as bloating, gas, and abdominal cramping.
When keeping a food diary, be as detailed as you can be. You can report any food issues to your nutritionist so you can re-strategize your food intake. By doing so, you can continue getting the right amount of nutrition and encourage you to follow through with your diet.
Your food diary makes it much easier for you to gauge your progress and appreciate the discipline of sticking to an eating schedule. Eating at the right time ensures that your body is properly nourished throughout the day, which is key to an effective diet.
You can also use this as reference for future meal planning and allergy testing later on.
As you can see, it is entirely possible to follow a certain diet-even a weight loss diet-despite having allergies. The key is knowing what you can and cannot eat and following the correct strategy for proper nutrient intake. Once you get all of these down to a tee, you can expect great results out of your fitness journey.
