Do you have friends that shed pounds fast while nursing, but the scale isn’t budging for you? Even while doing Trim Healthy Mama, I still have a harder time losing weight while breastfeeding.
Day after day, I would go to bed feeling good about my eating choices and celebrating that I had made it through another day of following all of the Trim Healthy Mama “rules”. Not only was it easy for me, but it had became a lifestyle that I enjoyed.
No matter how hard I worked to stay on track, for some reason the scale wouldn’t budge. Now, I know that non-scale victories are big in the Trim Healthy Mama community and that inches can melt away while the scale remains the same.
My point is that nothing was changing and I wanted to challenge myself in making some adjustments in my diet.
One day as I was flipping through the new THM cookbook, I stumbled upon the page (pg. 347) that mentions nursing mamas. Since I am still nursing my ten month old, my eyes were drawn to the short paragraph. It said that “mamas that are having a hard time losing weight while nursing should try to cut back on dairy and muscle meats, while adding in more gelatin and collagen.”
After some deep thoughts on whether I could really let go of cheese, I made a commitment to eat completely dairy-free for the month of February.
It has been more difficult than I thought that it would be (I might have sneaked a few bites of pizza and a chocolate dessert that my mom made on Valentine’s day…just keeping it real here.) but the scale has finally moved and I’m getting closer to my goal weight.
Before, I was using cream cheese and heavy cream multiple times a day, these are THM approved foods but I believe it’s still important to not over do it, which is exactly what I was doing.
By cutting off dairy cold-turkey, I was forced to get creative and just do without. Also, I’ve switched to once a month grocery shopping, so when I don’t buy butter, cream, and cheese at the beginning of the month than I’m not tempted to use it later in the month.
Instead of using these dairy products, try a dairy-free alternative like the ones listed below.
Butter: coconut oil or olive oil
Cheese: avocado (this is great for taco night, chili and soup)
Heavy cream: canned coconut milk (I love Trader Joe’s coconut cream)
Yogurt: for baking you can use unsweetened applesauce or coconut yogurt
I’m also trying to make sure that I’m eating foods that are high in calcium like:
almonds
kale
broccoli
oatmeal
salmon
Like the book mentions, I’ve started to add more collagen and gelatin into my diet. I have collagen in my coffee every morning and in several drinks throughout the day. The adjustment has been incredibly easy and I’m definitely seeing results.
Since I have had so much success by making these changes, I will be starting a new series all about how I follow THM dairy-free. My plan is to share with you all of my favorite breakfasts, lunches, dinners, desserts, snacks, and drinks. So be on the look out for this new series, starting next week.
If you would like to get started now, I’ve created this printable that you can put on your fridge to remind you of these simple swaps.
Definitely, we are all different, what works for me may not work for you. I’m not guaranteeing that you will suddenly start to drop pounds by going dairy-free, but if you have stalled, it doesn’t hurt to try!
Check out my post on why I follow Trim Healthy Mama and why it’s about so much more than losing weight! Why My Diet is No Longer About Losing Weight
Trim Healthy Mama Plan: The Easy-Does-It Approach to Vibrant Health and a Slim Waistline
Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook: Eat Up and Slim Down with More Than 350 Healthy Recipes
Trim Healthy Mama
Great Lakes Unflavored Beef Gelatin, Kosher, 16 Ounce Can
Great Lakes Gelatin, Collagen Hydrolysate (Beef Kosher) 16-Ounce
