Where My Weight Loss Story Really Started (Hint: It Wasn’t a Diet)

I guess if I had to pinpoint when things really started shifting for me—it wasn’t a Monday, or a “new year, new me” kind of moment. It started with a root canal. Yep. A dang root canal.

Back then, I’d had four babies in five years, each one nursed for at least 18 months. My body had done a lot, and I wasn’t bouncing back the way I used to. I was always athletic growing up—never skinny, but strong and thick in the best way. But this was different.

After the root canal, something changed. I was exhausted all the time. I couldn’t stay awake past 3 p.m. I’d lie down with my kids for “nap time” and barely make it through the day. I went to doctor after doctor, and every time, they’d tell me my labs were “normal.” But I knew something was off.

Finally, someone told me to try a functional doctor—and that changed everything. She looked at my labs through a different lens and quickly diagnosed me with hypothyroidism. Turns out, my thyroid had been dragging for years, and it explained so much.

I was in survival mode for a long time. I tried every plan under the sun: Weight Watchers, Trim Healthy Mama, intermittent fasting. Each one taught me something—but none of them fixed it.

Then my husband was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. That moment changed our whole household. We dove headfirst into learning how to manage blood sugar—for him, for me, and eventually for our kids too. That’s when we found keto.

At first, keto worked. I cut carbs and sugar completely, lost 20 pounds, and felt a little more like myself again. But over time, I got stuck. I was doing “dirty keto”—lots of treats, low on nutrients—and my weight hovered around 175–180 for years.

Was I thinner? Yes.

Was I healthy and thriving? Not quite.

Was I frustrated? 1000%.

But that’s just the beginning. This journey has layers—and I’m finally ready to share what worked, what didn’t, and what I’d do differently if I had to start over.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing “everything right” and still stuck, you’re not alone.

If you’re trying to piece together your energy, your confidence, and your health—you’re in the right place.

This is just part one. More coming soon.