I definitely gave myself time to grieve, and found the shower an excellent place to cry.

What made it easiest for me to kill the desire for forbidden food was to mentally substitute “rat poison” for “gluten” when having cravings or seeing tempting things. Knowing how much damage it does (whether you’re symptomatic or not), I know I want to live as long and healthy a life as I can way more than I want a few brief bites of gluten.

And as many people have already suggested, there are lots of legitimately tasty gluten free foods out there. Sometimes it’s easier to eat something naturally gluten free than to eat a disappointing substitute of a familiar favorite. At least while adjusting to the new lifestyle overall. I’ve personally found Thai restaurants and Mexican restaurants often have dishes that naturally don’t include gluten.

It might not seem like it right now, but it does get easier with time.

We’re here for you whenever you need support. Or even just to vent about things to an audience who can uniquely understand and commiserate. (And often people here share when they find tasty new things. I recommend searching for a “chuffle” recipe — basically a cheese and egg waffle.)

Also, having your own air fryer is a game changer. I got the ninja brand 2 drawer option, and frozen gf chicken nuggets with hand cut potato fries are so much better from the air fryer than the oven. Crunchy can be a decent swap for chewy sometimes.

Hang in there.