When I first tried going GF it was annoying. I hadn't done all of my research and as a result I was only "mostly" GF for those first 6 months, but I didn't know that then. I missed things. A lot. A lot a lot. There were times I'd tear up at an event or restaurant realizing there was nothing I could eat/drink.

Then, last Thanksgiving I decided to test it. I ate whatever I wanted - bread, pies, bread stuffing... and was horribly ill for more than a week after; maybe up to a month. That's when I first discovered the brain fog. Even after I physically felt better, it seemed like I had to churn taffy in my brain to have a thought My eyes were heavy, and I slept a lot (now I recognize this lingers even after the intestinal signs of an accidental glutening have passed). Okay, so even without an exact diagnosis (I wasn't about to go back on gluten after how sick I was then) I knew I had to get serious.

I bought The Gluten Free Bible and lots of other GF books - I used those GF cookbooks a lot then, finding a lot of disappointment and only a couple really FANTASTIC dishes. I joined groups all over the internet, downloaded Gluten Free apps, and began reading for non-obvious gluten ingredients (like modified food starch) and stopped drinking beer completely instead of "one, once an a while".

It sucked. Oh, how it sucked. I also gained about 15 pounds since I was a) no longer always sick and b) trying out every single new gluten free product I could find - most of which have extra fats added for texture and flavor...

I was traveling this past weekend, out for dinner with some of the boyfriend's family who I hadn't met before. Instead of getting stressed out and looking at menus online ahead of time to see what had "safe" choices for me, I found myself saying "oh, I can eat something almost anywhere, don't worry". I never would have said that a year ago, or 6 months ago. I would have been embarrassed about putting people out and struggled to over-explain what I could and couldn't eat. Now, it's fine, I JUST NOW realized I don't even think about it too much anymore.

But now, it's easier than it was - magically, it's become a (mostly) non-stressful part of my life. I hate salads, but figured out I love greek salads and spinach salads. I've found certain Chinese restaurants that use GF soy sauce - and they watch out for me, know I get sick, and tell me if something I order can't be made "safely". When I eat out I know how to ask the waiter to ask the chef about ingredients or cross-contamination (the best piece of advice I've ever gotten; be clear that you are not asking them, you are asking them to ask the chef on your behalf). If I feel a high degree of trust in a chef/waiter combination, I may go wild and ask if a particular dish can be modified for me. So many people in the food service industry have a relative or close friend who is GF that it's getting easier and easier to do.

I know how to avoid fries by ordering a fruit cup, and that my days of eating fries at most places are gone (tossed with flour so they don't stick together/fried in oil with breaded stuff). I know to ask about marinades or dressings. I don't feel embarrassed or awkward anymore and can assertively ask the exact questions I want to about gluten (including wheat, barley, rye, and most oats) to a food service person and usually notice whether or not they understand.

I don't carry gluten free crackers around with me anymore, but for the first while they were nice to have (they were like my safety net). I didn't have to decline cheese (brie with crackers? no problem, I have my own crackers) or otherwise "safe" dips (spinach dip, om nom nom). Now I have no shame in asking for apple slices from the kitchen/waiter/host - brie, spinach dip (as long as it's GF), and most of that stuff go great with apple slices and I don't have to stare at it longingly wishing I'd brought my own crackers.

I also used to carry gluten-free oatmeal with me when I traveled (I travel a lot) so that I could always have something to eat if a given meal absolutely would not work for me. It was good at the beginning, but now I don't feel I need it. I know how to get eggs and a fruit cup, and yogurt, even if I need to get up earlier to find it. I used to mourn at "free continental breakfast" hotels that I could no longer have a donut or a croissant or cereal, but now I feel a banana, apple, and hard boiled egg is a fine breakfast (and 7-11, White Hen, or gas stations/convenience stores usually have them).

I'm getting into a good stride and it's no longer a daily/weekly cycle of confusion, frustration, and envy. It gets better.

Here's the best advice I can give for those new to GF:

• Don't eat foods that are GF that you wouldn't have eaten before you went GF. I didn't eat rice crispy treats regularly before I went GF, so why did I spend months with GF rice crispy treats in my pantry/eating them semi-regularly? Just because they were GF, that's why. I didn't have pretzles on hand all the time before, so why did I order a case of the ones I liked (Glutino are awesome) and eat them daily? No more - if I didn't eat it daily before, why eat it now?

• GF products and recipes can be miserable. If you try one that everyone else has rated as 5-star on your favorite GF site/forum and it's horrible, don't despair! You will find things you like, and maybe those people have been off gluten far longer than you and don't remember what the original item tasted like. Maybe they just had different tastes from yours. (for the record, there are still things that the rest of the GF community says are "fantastic" but I think taste like cardboard).

• Experiment. Find one brand of GF pasta, one bread, one crackers, etc. Then stop experimenting for a while. Constantly trying to find yet another thing I could eat wore me out. Now I have a pattern and it's much less a concern, much less exhausting.

• Make a rule: if you can't eat it, you're not making it. No, not even if your kids love your shortbread, or your SO loves that homemade chicken noodle soup of yours. It sounds selfish, but STOP MAKING THINGS YOU CAN'T EAT. (this phenomenon may be mostly mommy bloggers who are entirely selfless, but they're torturing themselves and feeling angry, worthless, and frustrated all the time. it sucks. stop it.).

• Ask, ask, and ask some more. Unless you're too tired. Then take a break from asking. Two weeks before the start of baseball season this year I started visiting and calling the ballpark. I got transferred around and had to call back numerous times, but then I got ahold of the guy in charge of foodservice. It turns out a lot of other people had been calling to find out if there would be GF stuff available so he made one bar/kiosk completely GF, with GF beer (Redbridge), GF hot dog buns, hot dogs cooked on a GF grill/roller, etc. (San Francisco/AT&T park, the bar behind home plate on the promenade! Ask at guest relations and they'll point you there). I do this for places I love and frequent whenever I'm in a good, positive mood. I don't do it in an exhausted, frantic mood. When that happens I just eat my apples and drink water instead of getting into frustrating situations where I end up tearing up hearing "no, we can't accommodate you." Have a membership at a museum? One day when you feel great, call up and ask what you can eat and if they're willing to make some choices available to you. Going to a concert? Call the venue a week or two before if you think of it :)

Anything else that I missed? Any other veteran advice that makes things easier? Any other newbie frustrations or confusions that some of us can help with?

For those who have been GF a long time, how long was it before it felt natural and easier?