I gained 46 pounds during my pregnancy with my daughter (my first and currently only child). I didn’t particularly have any cravings, but I didn’t watch what I ate. My favorite thing to get was the $4 special at Wendy’s: a coke, cheeseburger, order of fries, and 4 piece chicken nuggets. I didn’t get all this because I wanted fast food, but because it was easy! I didn’t have to cook, which was a huge plus for me because I just felt awful throughout most of the pregnancy.
My all-time favorite meal I had while I was pregnant (yes, I remember it!) was when I went out to Panera for lunch at around 37 weeks. I got myself: a grilled cheese sandwich, cup of chicken noodle soup, tuna sandwich, two bags of chips, and a brownie. I ate ALL OF IT. At home. By myself. It was sad. But it was also delicious.
Enter my newborn child, who weighed 6 pounds and 14 ounces of that 46 pound total. Maybe I can blame the placenta and all the other fluid for some of the weight, but let’s be honest…I WAY overdid it. I knew something needed to change, because I wasn’t happy with how I looked.
For 2 months I pumped, breastfed, AND supplemented my baby with formula. There’s a long and still painful story that goes along with this, but it’s one I’m honestly not ready to tell yet without getting emotional and crying. The short version of it is that my boobs suck, and no matter WHAT I did, it wasn’t good enough, and I didn’t produce what she needed. I ended up stopping when she was a little over 2 months old. I had been losing weight thanks to breastfeeding and just a generally MUCH healthier diet, but the weight really started coming off after I stopped pumping and feeding, and gave my diet a whole new makeover.
My husband and I had been out to dinner with a friend who had asked about our diet. We had been eating clean, and just healthier overall, but my husband wasn’t really seeing amazing results. Our friend recommended the diet he and his wife have been eating for over 3 years–the Ketogenic diet. This diet was developed in the 1920’s to help children with epilepsy, and is now still used for this purpose, but also for diabetics and Alzheimer’s patients.
The Keto Diet is a VERY low carb, HIGH fat, and moderate protein diet. Yes, you heard me correctly. HIGH FAT. On this diet, the average person consumes ~5% of calories from carbohydrates (yes, it requires eliminating nearly all bread and sugar), ~75-80% of calories from fat, and the remainder from protein. This diet completely changes how your body uses energy–and burns fat for fuel! {I could go on about the diet, but if you’ve gotten this far and want to read more, click here for my favorite resource on Keto}
Moving on with my story…my husband and I began our transition to this diet in early June. It’s hard at first to give up breads and sugars–and if you had told me 6 months ago I’d be eating this way, I’d have told you you’re out of your mind. But since I was so busy with my baby, it all seemed pretty easy. I started eating lots of butter, bacon, eggs, fatty meats, cheeses and avocados. The weight literally fell off, as so many diet pills and infomercials claim, yet I wasn’t, and am not using ANY supplemental products, except my multivitamins and extra magnesium, on this diet.
Fast forward now that I’ve been eating this way for 3 months, and I’ve completely lost all of my baby weight, plus another 10 pounds. This diet has changed my life completely. I feel so much better, I’m NOT tired during the day (which is insane considering I work full time, and am up at night with the baby!), and I feel like I have so much more energy than I used to. For the first time in my life, I feel like this is a lifestyle, not a diet.
Keep in mind through all of this, that it’s just my own personal experience. I’m not a doctor, so if you’re thinking of starting a diet like this, talk to them about it first. Do some research, because this isn’t an “I’ll try it for a week” type of diet…your body needs to adjust to it, and the carb and sugar withdrawal can be tough for folks just starting out. But for me, it was entirely worth it. I still have stretch marks, my boobs are still saggy, and things are still soft all over…AND I still have more weight that I’d like to lose. But for now, I can honestly say that I really love my postpartum body, and I really love this way of eating!
If you like this post and would be interested in hearing more or seeing some recipes, leave a comment below, or follow me on my Instagram account that I started just for accountability: @mamabear.eatsketo. The support of the folks on that IG account has been invaluable to me, and I’m so grateful to all of them, and also my husband (who lost 20lbs, had before and after bloodwork done which came back in much better shape!!). Having the support on ANY diet, no matter which one you decide to do, is the key!!
Have a great week!
