How I Became the LCRF Mom

Hi there, my name is Lisa and I am a proud low carb, real food mom!  Before I try my hand at some more substantive blogging about my adventures in LCRF, I'd like to first chat a bit about how I have gotten to this point in my life.  The reason why I stumbled into a LCRF lifestyle and into new mommyhood is actually one in the same. The culprit is my lovely husband-to-be, James.  How James and I met is pretty sweet, at least to me, so I'll share...  I moved to South Africa from the States three years ago and during the first year, I was having a hard time meeting South African friends here in Cape Town.  If there was a contest for cliquiest city in the world, Cape Town would surely rank in the top three.  Surprisingly, a lot more Americans live here than you'd ever imagine, so I had no trouble building a little home away from home with some lovely ladies from all over the U.S. and that helped me get through some tough times.  However, I was still really looking forward to meeting some rad locals and putting down some new roots in the Mother City.  That wish came true about two and half years ago when my roommate and now great friend dragged me kicking and screaming (jokes) to a house warming party in town. And there I met the love of my life.  We became great friends first and one day, about six months into our friendship, a switch was flicked and he quickly became the only person I could ever imagine myself with (a line stolen from a beloved tv show).  It didn't take long for us to imagine settling down together and starting a family. Little did we know that that would happen sooner rather than later as I fell pregnant (don't you just love that phrase? "Fell".  Like, "whoops I fell and I landed in some pretty deep doodoo"!) with our little Jane the following year.  Though the timing wasn't as perfect as we would have liked it to be in terms of having a baby, it couldn't have been more perfect in terms of diet.

Just three months before I became pregnant with Jane, James phoned with some oh so exciting news...  It was Christmastime and I was back home visiting my parents in Florida (where else would you expect New Jerseyians over 70 to be?) when I got the call.  He had decided to lose the excess poundage.  At first, I was relieved.  I had also started dieting (some random low fat, calorie counting mumbojumbo) and exercising.  I walked two miles in the morning with my mom and my dog, May, and I biked five miles in the afternoon faithfully for two months.  So, this was good news!  I hoped that when I returned to South Africa that James would help me keep it up, because just like everyone else I have a tendency to start exercising like crazy and then ever so slowly but surely "crazy" turns into "lazy". Then, however, the conversation took an alarming turn when he said the most controversial four letter "c" word imaginable... "carb".  It made my insides twist. No more carbs?  Things couldn't get any worse.  Though I never had much of a sweet tooth (until I got pregnant that is) I lived (and live) for pasta, potatoes and not so much packaged sliced bread, but yummy home baked artisan type loaves oh, absolutely! Yes, please! Like french baguettes and ciabattas... even now my mouth still waters.  They were now off limits, labeled as harmful as cigarettes.  In fact, he boxed up all the carby items in his house, the sugar, flour, pasta, rice, etc. and took it straight over to his mother's and quit cold turkey.  I was in a state of complete shock. Who was this guy and what had he done with my "so what if he was chubby, at least he was sane" boyfriend?  All he wanted to talk about was this new low carb HIGH FAT diet and how it was going to save the world from obesity and disease!  He had "read up on it".  More specifically, he had read "Waist Disposal" by Dr. John Briffa.  I was skeptical. BUT.  I loved him, so I supported him as much as I could and I even said I'd try it too when I got back.  I did.  I'm not going to lie here, it was very slow going.  Eating was so boring and I cheated (on the diet, not James) A LOT.  Then, I started noticing things... number one was that I stopped exercising (like I new I would), but this time, I continued to lose weight and so did he! How could this be?  We were eating so much fat, it didn't make sense. Then I "read up on it" too, so I could better understand what was happening to my body.  It was the low carb, high fat diet that has been making waves in Sweden and slowly trickling its way around the globe and into South Africa. I had been back for less than two months, eating in this strange new way and was suddenly... pregnant. I now can't imagine eating any other way, for myself and for my child (a post on LCRF and pregnancy coming soon).  I love it!  That is why I chose to start this blog, so I can share my love of REAL FOOD and guess what? REAL FOOD has FAT in it.