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This is my own testimonial to real food.  My own journey.  I was so pleased to share this first with Fancy Little Things and now I get to share it with all of my readers at Boholistic Mom.
Brooke Shambley, Boholistic Mom

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Real Food, Real People: Brooke - BoholisticMom.com

Figs – LupenGrainne on Etsy

I Stopped Dieting

by Brooke Shambley
Originally posted on Fancy Little Things: I Stopped Dieting on July 11, 2013
 

Oh heavens!  I used the word diet; please, don’t run away screaming.  I no longer fear the word diet.  I detest the verb “dieting,” but I absolutely cherish the word diet.

Dieting

verb

The eating small amounts of food, exercising intensely, and feeling dead in the water

To eat sparingly or according to prescribed rules – Merriam-Webster

Diet

noun

A way that I eat that is consistently good for me

Habitual nourishment – Merriam-Webster

I grew up during the low fat craze of dieting.  There were low fat Oreos, low fat Wheat Thins; dude, they were even pulling the fats out of cheese!  I thought that fat was bad.

Then the fad was low cal.  Low calorie brownies, diet soda, everything became low calorie or diet.  Now I felt that I not only needed to avoid fats, but I should stay away from calories.  Alright, avoid fats, avoid calories, check!

Then it was carbs…the next food villain.  “Keep your hands off those muffins!”  “Don’t even think about eating the free bread at restaurants.”  “Make sure to stay away from pasta.”  I’m not sure about you, but I became confused at this point.  To avoid eating carbs, one must eat fat.  If you cut down on your carbs, your fats, and your calories, you are no longer living because you have no energy to survive.

So after I had my son in 2009, I found myself lost and confused in the realm of dieting and weight loss. There I was with 20 extra pounds, breastfeeding, working out, avoiding all sorts of “unhealthy foods”, and not losing a pound.  Obviously, these fad diets and thinking certain foods were “evil” just wasn’t leading to a healthy body or weight loss.

At the end of 2012, I had made it to 144, only 4 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight.  However, I was stuck.  Those last four pounds weren’t budging.  I desperately wanted to fit into my old clothes again.

In January, my whole life changed.  I stopped exercising.  I was still active, but I did not intentionally exercise for weight loss.  I stopped dieting.  Instead, my whole family began to eat a more traditional diet.  Traditionally, most cultures ate plenty of fat and more nutrient dense foods.  We also cut out most processed foods.  In addition, I did the craziest and most insane thing I could honestly conceive of at the time.

I purposely added a tablespoon of raw organic virgin coconut oil to my diet each day.

Instead of avoiding all fats, I began to add in healthy fats to my diet.  I use plentiful amounts of Organic Butter (grass fed is best), Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Raw Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, and I even leave the delicious (yet fatty) skin on my chicken!  I make chicken broth, oxtail stock, and vegetable stock to use in recipes and even use the broth as a drink.  I try to eat fermented foods as much as possible.  We even made our own sauerkraut!  My husband now makes kefir and yogurt.  He is also excited about switching over to a traditional diet.

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Since last November, I have lost 11 pounds and am actually down to 133. That’s below my goal weight! I haven’t been at 133 since the first year I was married.  And while I am excited about the number, above all else I am beyond belief relieved to feel genuinely healthy, energetic, and with a huge weight of my chest (not just off my thighs)!

I have done something great for myself and for my family.  I stopped dieting and instead, I chose to habitually nourish my family with a healthy diet.

If you are interested in learning more information about my life changes and how to eat traditionally, please visit my new website Boholistic Mom.

Thank you for reading about my journey!

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