Full-Fat, Low-Fat, Non-Fat…which is best for health and weight-loss?

Today I am sharing my own personal thoughts and experience with weight-loss. I know that everyone has different obstacles and different bodies and one size does not fit all. My story is not one about the latest fad or diet trend, but instead an account of what happened when I changed my food mindset and looked at food as a source of energy and life. I found great health and a better relationship with my body and with food when I committed to eating real food.
I want to share a message that took me a good 10 years or longer to learn- Eating fat does not make you FAT! Like almost every person on earth, I went through a period of time where I wanted to lose weight. I tried exercise, low-fat foods, restricting foods, and unfortunately I also tried some dangerous diet pills. Nothing worked, and looking back I was probably the most unhealthy I have ever been.
A few years ago when I became pregnant with my first child, I knew I needed to change my eating habits. I chose to purse the most natural diet I could and avoided fat-free, low-fat, and highly processed foods. I took all focus off of what I thought of as “bad” foods that would make me fat, and instead focused on foods I needed to grow a healthy baby. For the first time in my life I focused on the nutrition that food provided, versus the potential weight gain. Throughout my pregnancy I consumed full-fat milk, cheese, butter, and yogurt. I used coconut oil, olive oil, and grape seed oil in my cooking, using as much as I needed for the dish, without worrying about the calorie content. I ate free-range organic eggs, consumed whole milk, and only bought clean (antibiotic free/hormone free) meats and mostly organic veggies. I also experimented with different grains (I ate Carbs!). I made more dishes with quinoa, barley, and millet, and less with white rice and pasta. I still indulged in treats and snacks, but 80% or so of my diet was healthy, whole foods in their original or close to original state.
The result of this diet during pregnancy led to a 28 pound gain by the day I delivered, and 9 lbs 3 oz of that weight was all baby (he was a big baby boy!). I had a very healthy pregnancy with no health concerns, no high sugar issues, no swelling or nausea, and no labor or delivery complications. This can be attributed to good luck and good genes, but I believe my diet played a large role.
I continued this diet after pregnancy and 1 week post-partum I was down 30 pounds to my pre-baby weight. Within 6 months of delivery I was down an additional 30 pounds and had not changed my lifestyle at all, aside from eating healthy fats and real foods! I also traded daily workouts with chasing after an active baby  Prior to this I had tried for years to drop weight by going low-fat, exercising constantly, and cutting entire food groups and had never lost more than 10 pounds before eventually putting it all back on. For the first time I was eating fat and whole foods, and losing weight without really trying! I continue to this day to eat this way and have maintained this weight loss for over a year now. I am rarely sick (I used to get 4-5 colds, sore throats, ear infections a year) and if I do come down with something, I recover within 2-3 days without the use of prescription medicines. For me, this change in lifestyle has led me down a path of superior health and a better understanding of my body.
I believe in the power of good fats and recommend that everyone consider the benefits of consuming quality foods in their natural state (in moderation of course). Through my journey I found that focusing on nutrition versus fat/calorie content allowed me to see food as energy for my body instead of “good/bad foods”. Don’t get me wrong, I still indulge in dessert and enjoy every minute of it! But I’ve been able to break the hold that food had on me and found my healthiest self in the process.
If you are interested in learning more of the science behind eating fats, I recommend reading an article online in the Huffington Post, written by Dr. Mark Hyman. You can find this data everywhere, but I like the flow and easy explanation provided in this particular article. Based on my experience and current health, I fully believe in eating a diet containing good fats and have found great health and weight-loss success in moving to a traditional diet of all REAL foods in moderation. Remember, low-fat does not equal weight loss!