A 2,000-calorie-a-day diet should have no more than 66 grams of fat, less than 20 grams saturated; 2,400 milligrams of sodium; and 300 grams of total carbohydrate, including sugars.

Here are the 25 Foods:

1. Smoothie King’s Hulk Strawberry Smoothie – One 20oz smoothie contains 268 calories – 9g fat, 3g sugar
2. Starbuck’s Double Chocolaty Chip Frappuccino Blended Creme w/Whipped Cream - One 16oz Grande contains 510 calories, 19g fat, 11g saturated, 59g sugar, 300mg sodium
3. Coldstone’s PB&C Shake – One large shake contains – 2,010 calories, 131g fat, 68g saturated, 153g sugar
4. Auntie Anne’s Jumbo Pretzel Dog – One Jumbo Pretzel w/butter contains 610 calories, 29g fat, 13g saturated, 1,150 mg sodium
5. Cinnabon’s Caramel Pecanbon – One bun contains 1,092 calories, 56g fat, 47g sugar
6. Wendy’s Sweet and Spicy Boneless Wings – One order contains 550 calories, 18g fat, 27g sugar, 2,520 mg sodium
7. Dunkin’ Donuts’ Coffee Cake Muffin – One muffin contains 620 calories, 25g fat, 7g saturated, 54g sugar, 93g carbs
8. Olive Garden’s Grilled Shrimp Caprese - One plate contains 900 calories, 41g fat, 3,490 sodium
9. Chili’s Onion String and Crispy Jalapeno Stack – One appetizer contains 2,130 calories, 213g fat, 31g saturated, 1,320mg sodium
10. Macaroni Grill’s Kids’ Fettuccine Alfredo – One order contains 890 calories, 67g fat, 1,480mg sodium
11. Quiznos’ Chicken with Honey Mustard Flatbread Salad – One Salad, Dressing and bread included contains 1,070 calories, 71g fat, 1,770 mg sodium
12. Pizza Hut’s Meaty P’Zone – One whole P’Zone contains 1,480 calories, 66g fat, 3,680mg sodium
13. Lunchables’ New Wholesome Deep Dish Pepperoni Fun Pack – One Fun Pack  contains 470 calories, 20g fat, 880mg sodium
14. Ruffles’ Cheddar & Sour Cream Flavored Potato Chips – 1 oz serving size contains 160 calories, 11g fat, 230mg sodium
15. Haagen Dazs’ Dulce de Leche Low-Fat Frozen Yogurt – one service (1/2 cup) contains 190 calories, 2.5g fat, 25g sugar, 35g carbs.
16. Kar’s Yogurt Apple Nut Mix – 1oz serving contains 150 calories, 10g fat, 2.5g saturated, 90mg sodium, 3g protein, 2g fiber
17. Arnold’s Whole Grain Country White Bread – 2 slices contains 220 calories, 4g fat, 420mg sodium, 42g carbs, 4g fiber
18. Reese’s Puffs Cereal – 3/4 cup serving with 1/2 cup of skim milk contains 160 calories, 3g fat, 12g sugar
19. Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts Brown Sugar Cinnamon – 2 pastries contains 420 calories, 16g fat, 26g sugar, 66g carbs
20. PowerBar Performance Energy Cookies & Cream – 1 bar contains 240 calories, 26g sugar, 45g carbs, 8g protein, less than 1g fiber
21. Healthy Choice Sweet and Sour Chicken – 1 meal contains 400 calories, 13g protein, 5g fiber, 10g fat, 20g sugar, 500mg sodium
22. VitaminWater – One bottle contains 125 calories, 32.5g sugar
23. Quaker Natural Granola, Low-Fat – 2/3 cup contains 210 calories, 3gfat, 4g protein, 3g fiber, 18g sugar
24. Bear Naked Chocolaty Cherry Grain-ola Bar – One 54 gram bar contains 230 calories, 10g fat, 14g sugar
25. Amy’s Organic Thai Coconut Soup – One 1/2 can serving contains 140 calories, 10g fat, 8g saturated, 580mg sodium

The final straw came the end of February when I indulged in a very tiny amount of pasta.  About a half  hour after eating the symptoms returned in full force.  It took everything I had to walk up the stairs to lay in bed until the dizziness passed.  I ended up falling asleep and the big scare came when Lori tried to wake me up 3 hours later and I was unresponsive.  Eventually I did wake up, but the frightened look on her face let me know that enough was enough.  I had to eliminate these foods from my diet and there were to be no exceptions.  It was a hard pill to swallow, but it was time.

The following day we cleared the house of forbidden foods (there was quite a bit), bagged it up and gave it away.  Grocery shopping was done and we filled the kitchen with fresh veggies, nuts, a wide selection of meat that we could grill, cheese, bagged lettuce (we eat a ton of salads), frozen veggies, sugar free pudding and Jello, etc…  I started taking the time each day to make healthy dinners and the days of “I don’t have time to cook so lets order out” are over.  On the rare occasions that we do go out to eat, we avoid our usual favorite places and opt for restaurants that offer a wide selection of salads and grilled meat.

The first couple of weeks were complete torture as my body detoxed.  Sitting down to a meal of grilled shrimp, steamed veggies and a salad seemed incomplete without a chunk of crusty french bread to go with it.  Sugar free pudding did not compare to a slice of chocolate cake and crunching on a pickle was no satisfying substitute for the crunch of a blue corn tortilla chip topped with guacamole.  I remember one night watching a movie with Lori and in one scene a woman buttered a french baquette and bit into it.  I wanted nothing more than to reach into the TV and take that bread out of her hands.

As time went on I stopped missing the old foods I used to eat.  I started getting creative with food preparation and have made many incredible discoveries.  Lettuce or cabbage leaves are a great substitute for hamburger rolls, taco shells or a sub roll.  Many nights we’ve dined on cheeseburgers with all the fixings wrapped in lettuce leaves, tacos wrapped in sweet cabbage leaves instead of soft taco shells and turkey sausage with sauteed peppers and onions wrapped in either cabbage or lettuce leaves.  Sliced radishes, celery sticks or bok choy dipped in homemade guacamole is just as satisfying as using the old standby of blue corn tortilla chips.  I’ve even come up with some amazing variations of sugar free mousse.

Two months later I am happy to say that I haven’t had one episode of previous symptoms.  I feel better than I have in my entire life.  My energy level is amazingly high and consistent throughout the day and the extreme fatigue is gone.  One of the other amazing outcomes of this is I’ve lost a tremendous amount of weight.  My clothes are at least 2 sizes too big and I’ve had to break into my small stash of clothes that had once been too small for me.  I have a large amount of clothes that I am no longer able to wear because they are just too big and next week they will be donated to the Easter Seals.

I realize that clearing out these clothes means that I am left with very little, but I’m not buying a new wardrobe yet.  I’ve had to pick up some items for an upcoming trip, but I’m going to wait a while before I stock up again.  I look in the mirror everyday and I notice the changes.  Lori is constantly telling me that I’m “disappearing” and making fun of my lounge pants that now look like MC Hammar pants.  This makes me happy, but what I’m the happiest about is how good I feel.  I don’t miss the old foods I used to eat and I know that I will never go back to them.  I realize there might be some obstacles in the future…family gatherings, Holidays, parties or visiting a restaurant that has minimal selection of the foods I can eat, but I’ll cross those bridges when I get there.