Growing up, almost all my dairy intake came from ice cream and cheese. Freshman year of college, I lived in the dorms (for those familiar on campus, I lived FAR, a.k.a "far away from campus") so I ate at the dining halls. Ice cream was something I ate almost every day because of my school's buffet-style meal plans. Being the Catholic I am, I gave up ice cream for lent, meaning I couldn't eat ice cream for 40 days. Mind you, this meant I didn't have a lot of dairy intake in those 40 days. When Lent was over, I immediately ate ice cream. Let's just say the outcome of that wasn't in my favor...
So yeah, that's how I developed lactose intolerance. That being said, I'll talk about my experience as someone who's lactose intolerant. I'm sure many of you fellow lactose intolerant readers can relate:
1. Buying lactose intolerant pills
So recently I bought lactose intolerant pills at Walgreens with the intention of taking it every time I eat dairy. Here's the problem though: I forget I have these pills and don't take them every day. Talk about a waste of $16.
2. Longing for dairy items
Even though I'm lactose intolerant, that doesn't mean I avoid dairy products. I yearn for dairy all the time-- I LOVE pizza and ice cream! It's unfortunate I crave these items the most when I don't take the pills.
3. Being reminded I'm lactose intolerant
My friends will remind me that I cannot eat too much dairy. However, I will go to the extent of justifying the degree my lactose intolerance by saying the following: "I'm not THAT lactose intolerant."
4. Indulging anyway
If you're stubborn like me, you will do whatever you want and eat whatever you like despite having friends that remind you because they care about your well-being. Let me eat my ice cream in peace. #NOREGRETS
5. Regretting
Many people who are lactose intolerant understand the consequences of eating dairy. For me, these include being gassy, bloated, and even throwing up (yes, this happened to me twice).
6. Repeating the cycle
I'm never going to learn my lesson. No matter how many times people remind me or discipline myself, I will continue to eat dairy.
If you asked me to give up ice cream, I don't think I could ever do it. Not even if you paid me!