Let's talk about going gluten free for a minute. Only about 15% of people who are on a gluten-free diet medically need to be, and the other 85% is made up of people who do it as a choice: to lose weight, gain energy, because someone recommended it, or just to be "trendy."

I'm going to put this out here: being gluten-free is not trendy. It's a pain in the ass. It's expensive. It's inconvenient. It requires a lot of research and planning. That being said, here are the stages of becoming GF.

1. Thinking positively (and naïvely), and being kind of excited.

This is where the "trendy" parts come in. Celebrities do it! There are books about it! I can make a new Pinterest board for all my new foods! Gluten free is the new black!

2. Finding out that gluten is in everything.

Check your spices, your candy, even your makeup. Some people are less sensitive than others, but if you're going fully gluten free, you'll realize that the things you thought to be safe probably aren't.

3. Becoming a scholar.

You now realize that adjusting your diet is going to take some work. You never knew that brown rice could be turned into pasta, that beans could be turned into cereal, or that millet was even a type of flour... but now you do.

4. "This sh*t is expensive."

Going to the grocery store when you're gluten free is like taking several trips to the store when you aren't. Gluten is an inexpensive way to make food, and a very expensive ingredient to avoid.

5. Explaining to everyone what your new diet is and why you do it.

This is the stage where you'll get annoyed, especially if you do it for medical reasons. Chances are that it's a personal reason, and nine out of ten times, GF people don't feel like answering a slew of questions or hearing, "I could never do that!"

6. Planning. Planning everything.

You can't just roll out in the morning and expect to find food in your budget (or find food at all). You either cook food ahead of time at home, call restaurants, or pack lots of GF snacks for the go.

7. Insane jealousy.

Remember the days of grilled cheese sandwiches? And pizza? And mac-and-cheese? You miss it like you would not believe.

8. Cheating.

A step that always follows jealousy. Whether it's a social event and food is lying out or a friend offers it to you, you're bound to slip up at least once.

9. Commitment.

When you decide to go gluten free, you gotta marry it. Whether this means getting rid of all your non-GF foods, starting a food journal, or using an app, you've decided to stop cheating and commit.

10. Acceptance.

Realizing that even though this diet is a pain and expensive, you feel a lot better and that makes it totally worth it.