When you start to lose weight, people notice. They compliment and ask if you have been working out. Which I haven’t. Not in the strict sense of the word. I chase 4 kids around all day, we take lots of walks and bike rides and I lift 20 pounds of baby multiple times throughout the day. But I did all of that long before losing weight.

For those that do not know, I am 31 and gave birth to my 4th baby a year ago. We cut processed foods out of our kitchen a long time ago, so my diet has been real, wholesome foods all along. In each pregnancy I gained between 40 and 45 lbs. With my first baby it took me 3 months to lose my baby weight. With my second it took 6 months. With my third it took 9 months. So, this time around when baby was 9 months old I was incredibly frustrated. I was still wearing some of my maternity clothes and nothing from my normal wardrobe fit. I was eating healthy, moderately and although I don’t “workout” I am very, very active. I decided something needed to change and I reflected back over my experiences. The only time I ever successfully lost weight in my life due to dietary changes was when I did a grain-free, yeast-free diet. At the time I was not a real food enthusiast, but was battling constant yeast infections and in efforts to rid my body of the yeast overgrowth I cut out grains, yeasts and all forms of processed sugar. I lost a ton of weight, got rid of my yeast infections and felt great. I assumed the weight loss was due to “low-carb”. Over the years when my weight was up I tried “low-carb” diets with no success.

In the last few years I decides to eat a clean, real food diet and not focus on weight, but rather on overall health. This was fine until I simply couldn’t shake my baby weight. I am eating healthy??? What the heck is wrong? I didn’t drink soda, eat junk food or candy. Everything in my diet was nutrient dense and wholesome. I don’t even eat a lot! Then it dawned on me. Maybe it was the grains!  In the last year I have done a lot of reading and research, a lot of which points to health benefits of eliminating grains, not because they are a carb, but because they are difficult to digest. I had already taken the step of properly preparing grains by soaking, souring and sprouting, but different people’s bodies handle grains differently.

I decided to do a cleanse for a month. Roughly following The Whole30 diet. I cut out all grains, legumes (this, sadly included peanut butter. Did you know peanuts are a legume? crazy) and sugars (even the good ones like honey and maple syrup) and alcohol. I wasn’t eating particularly low carb as I still ate lots of fruit and some starchy veggies like sweet potatoes. I started out cutting dairy too, but a few days in my dairy cravings were so intense and I decided to listen to my body and added it back in. So I ate lots of veggies, fruits, meats and healthy fats (coconut oil, butter and plenty of them). I do have quite the sweet tooth, so that took about a week to get used too, but the great thing was that after the first week, my sweets cravings vanished.

At the end of the 30 days I had dropped 2 clothing sizes and 2 inches around my waist. I don’t own a scale, but I think it was around 15 pounds. I was delighted to pull out my pre-baby clothes and have a whole new wardrobe to wear!

I decided to continue without the grains, perfecting the art of baking with coconut flour and replacing pasta with squash. And saying no to donuts and cookies. But now I drink wine with dinner again and have honey in my tea. After another month I have lost another 2 inches around my waist and my clothes are beginning to get baggy. Like I said, I don’t own a scale, but I know that I have lost at least 20 lbs, based on how much I weighed before and after pregnancy. I am not finished losing weight, but I am also very happy with where I am at. I still eat most of the things I love. I don’t count calories or carbs or fat grams. I do my best to be active and exercise every day, but I don’t “work out”. I still make sourdough pancakes and bread for my kids and they love soaked oatmeal, but those are the days I make bacon and avocado for me. And most of all I love both my food and my body! If you are tired of fad diets, you should try bacon and butter and weight loss!

Before cutting grains and sugar. Healthy and happy, but hanging on to the baby weight.

After going “primal”

…and apparently I never appear in photos without my kids…

Want to learn more about weight loss by cutting grains? Check out Paleo Weight Loss.

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DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor and the statements on this blog have not been evaluated by the FDA. Any products or techniques mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. I am just a mom who shares what works for me!