I like ice cream, as most people I assume do. It doesn't like me, or at least not the lactose in its delicious, creamy molecules. I've gotten better at saying no, or find alternatives. And no, sorbet is not an alternative.

Ellie and I recently celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary (woo!) with a lovely Italian dinner at a local spot called Gigi's, and followed up with ice cream at Lake Effect's new location on Hertel. It was absolutely packed, which was a reassuring sign. Unfortunately their signage of offerings is lacking and difficult to see, especially at night, so it wasn't until we were up at the counter that I found out they had no lactose-free offerings. Bummer, and an unusual problem recently. Most places have a crappy coconut based alternative that I inevitably order, complain about, and wish I had just gotten an empty cone. Because Lake Effect didn't have anything, and I was in a celebratory mood I opted for the sponge-candy ice cream, and asked, nay begged, for them to put as little as possible in the waffle cone.

The amount of ice cream, despite being a single scoop, still proved to be too much for my stomach. Within the short drive home, I was already doubled over in pain with horrible stomach cramps that persisted a full 24 hours. Definitely not worth it.

Now, I understand that this post up to this point is me just complaining about not being able to eat ice cream. But! There is a silver lining, I promise. It served as a wake up call that I sometimes need, a reminder that I do have a delicate stomach and my food intake severely impacts my ability to get out and run, to make it to my training appointments, to just feel good. Ellie has been great planning menus the last few weeks, and I have been feeling a lot better stomach-wise. It is a lot of work, but the benefits far outweigh that meal-prep time and hassle.

Take home message for me? If I have real fitness goals, I need to have real nutrition goals as well. It is painfully (in my stomach) obvious that the two go hand in hand, and ice cream is just standing in my way of success.