The Journey Begins: From a Healthy Diet to Pregnancy Weight Gain
Lindsey grew up eating a healthy version of the Standard American Diet, that included plenty of fruits, veggies, and the occasional sweet treat. An avid dancer, she took classes up to six days a week, and was able to maintain a trim figure with ease. After meeting her husband and getting married, she became pregnant soon afterwards, and was encouraged by her family and friends to eat to her heart’s content. Lots of curly fries and Sour Patch Kids later, she welcomed a baby girl. After the birth of her second daughter, however, her health and fitness took a backseat. “I was very focused on caring for my kids and not caring for myself—so I gained a lot of weight…just eating whatever was easiest.”
Challenging Conventional Wisdom: Gestational Diabetes and Conflicting Advice
Time passed, and Lindsey’s third pregnancy brought with it an unwelcome diagnosis—gestational diabetes. As she researched the subject, she picked up a book by Lily Nichols called Real Food for Gestational Diabetes. At the same time, she was required to attend a nutrition class recommended by the hospital. “What I was reading and what I was [being] taught were just completely different.” The nutritional class recommended a high-carb diet—while the book recommended a low-carb approach. “I didn’t tell my doctor, but I decided to go along with what the book said instead of what the hospital said.” With this approach, Lindsey was successful in controlling her numbers for most of the day, and only needed to take a single dose of insulin in the evenings.
Discovering the Ketogenic Diet: A Life-Changing Decision
After the birth of her third child, Lindsey was excited to eat the foods she had been forced to avoid during her pregnancy, so for the next 6 months she ate whatever she wanted. “Eventually, I just woke up and was like, ‘I don’t want to be this way anymore.” She had heard about the ketogenic diet at a coffee and muffin get-together with some local moms, so she decided to give it a try in April of 2019. Starting at her heaviest weight of 220, she was able to lose 80 pounds by the end of the year. “I felt amazing and was shocked at how easy it was…and—you know—dealing with everyone thinking I was crazy at the same time. I was like, ‘It’s working though!’”
Embracing the Carnivore Diet: Surprising Benefits and Transformation
Lindsey heard about the carnivore diet halfway through January of 2020, and after thinking it over, decided to jump in and try it for the month of February. She was astonished by the results. All of a sudden, she had more energy, could think clearer, and was truly satiated after every meal—something she struggled with even on keto. She also noticed old aches and pains from her dancing days were disappearing!
A New Way of Eating: Lindsey’s Meat-Filled Menu
Now, Lindsey’s menu is filled with T-bone steaks, bacon and eggs, seafood, and plenty of chicken wings when she’s looking to shake things up. For anyone nervous to start the diet, Lindsey says, “It doesn’t hurt to try! Even if you try for a week—just start somewhere.”
