When Will It Finally Sink It?

[prinsessa]

I can't believe I keep glutening myself in stupid ways. Yesterday I was eating some herring that my husband bought. As I was eating it, I kept thinking to myself "you should check the ingredients first". So after eating 4 or 5 pieces, I check the ingredients. Of course it say "Contains Wheat" in bold print. I did the same thing last week. Why can't I get it in my head that I should ALWAYS check labels before eating? How long did take for everyone else to remember to always check labels? I'm so mad at myself right now.

[hez]

For me it took six months of not feeling better on the gluten-free diet. I then became very diligent about reading everything. It became a habit like washing hands before eating. It will become part of your life, just give it time.

Hez

[2kids4me]

Took me a while too. Kids have been gluten-free since 2004 and just this spring I bought them skittles littles (after all the regular skittles are gluten-free, right?).

It was my son that noticed the wheat in the ingredients - after they ate some.

They didnt get sick and now I may know why - just noticed the thread about wheat starch....hmm still wont take the chance though and will stick to regular skittles

[katrinamaria]

i know exactly what you mean! i'm so mad at myself (and sick) right now because i did the same thing...i grabbed a little sleeve of trail mix with nuts, rainsin, and generic m & m's --thinking what could be wrong with that? AFTER i finished the bag i lazily read the ingredients...wheat...my heart sunk cause i knew what was coming... now i'm trying to drag my sick, miserable self around campus mad for not being more diligent....grrr this is so frustrating sometimes....

.....sorry, needed to vent............

[spunky]

You really have to stay on your toes with this. I usually stand in the store reading labels for quite a while, but then read the labels again at home before eating anything. I keep a list of safe ingredients and forbidden ingredients on the fridge with magnets so I can easily double check anything doubtful in the kitchen. Even as careful as I feel I am, almost everytime I go shopping, it seems I end up with at least one thing that I am afraid to eat after I double check it at home before eating it.

The last time I messed up, about two or three weeks ago, my neighbor convinced me to taste her special, really expensive beer. Since I've never been a beer drinker, it was just a total DUH moment for me when I took that swig to taste the stuff. It wasn't until a couple of hours later that I realized what I'd done. Fortunately, I got only mildly ill from that one.

My husband is getting pretty good at reading labels with me too, now. So, I guess two heads are better than one.

[CarlaB]

I'm 9 months gluten-free and wouldn't dream of eating something without checking ... I guess you just have to get sick enough times before you figure out you need to read ... hopefully this is your last time!!

[aikiducky]

You can teach yourself a new habit if you take your time to do it and make it into a bit of a game. Like decide that this is "Read The Label Week" and read the label on everything you eat this week, even though you are absolutely positively sure that it's gluten free. Read the labels on everything you use in cooking even if you already bought it ages ago and have been cooking with it for weeks. Just every time you take a package of food in your hand, read the label. The idea is to get ridiculously obsessive with it to make it into a habit. Read every label thoroughly before you put it in your shopping cart. Then again when you put it in the cupboard. Then again before cooking.

I bet you have yourself a new label-reading habit before you even know it.

Pauliina

[2Boys4Me]

Reading labels can certainly be a pain in the ... It has happened where I've read the label and seen nothing suspicious but called the company anyway and sure enough - it's usually the last or near the end of the ingredient list. First I check the bold allergy info line. Then I read the label from top to bottom. Then I put the item in my cart. Then a bit later, before I pay, or while I'm in line at the cashier, I read it from bottom to top. You'd be surprised how many times you catch a forbidden item by reading from last ingredient up to the first.

[TinkerbellSwt]

My thing is.. I read the label. I havent gotten sick yet.. but there have been many times that I dont read it for some reason until I get home. I dont know why I do this... it makes me nuts. So, I end up either returning the items, which I dont like to do, or throwing them away. gggrrrr.. I should save the middle man and just throw my money in the trash!

[2Boys4Me]

My thing is.. I read the label. I havent gotten sick yet.. but there have been many times that I dont read it for some reason until I get home. I dont know why I do this... it makes me nuts. So, I end up either returning the items, which I dont like to do, or throwing them away. gggrrrr.. I should save the middle man and just throw my money in the trash!

Throw the $$ my way. I'll PM my address.

[All-about-March]

My husband is getting pretty good at reading labels with me too, now. So, I guess two heads are better than one.

This is what helps me - do groceries with hubby or friend. Read ingredients out loud to each other. Laugh at each other for what the other cannot pronounce. Wonder about consumption of what cannot be pronounced. Then have some fun with the grocery store clerks when you catch them 'eyeing' you for being there for 4 hours.

[prinsessa]

Thanks everyone. The thing is that I have been gluten free for about 6 or 7 months now so feel that I should know better. I ususally check everything and won't eat stuff if I'm not sure it is gluten free. I don't know if it is the brain fog from getting glutened the first time because I will usually forget to check labels a couple of times after that. I don't get horribly sick, but I do feel bad enough that getting glutened is not fun. I need to tell DH that to remind me to check every label at the store. I guess I am mad at myself because I am trying hard be be gluten free, but I end up glutening myself when I should know better. I'm glad I'm not the only one who does it though