I didn’t start this experiment to lose weight. I started my 30 day gluten free experiment because I woke up at 4:22 in the morning convinced gluten was sabotaging my face.
The 4:22 AM Realization
January 25th. 4:22 AM.
I woke up like someone had clanged a bell inside my brain. And the very first thought that popped into my head was: “It’s gluten.”
Not menopause, not stress, not hormones.
Gluten.
Now… whether that realization came from intuition, desperation, or my brain simply being dramatic at 4 in the morning — I don’t know, but I decided to test it.
My 30 day gluten free experiment had begun!
There was only one small problem, it was also my daughter’s birthday.
Which meant the house was about to fill with smoked salmon pasta AND birthday cake.
Perfect timing.
Day 1: The Pasta Situation
Every year my daughter requests the same birthday dinner:
Smoked salmon pasta.
And an epic birthday cake her older sister makes.
So there I was… starting a gluten-free experiment while standing in a kitchen that smelled like a carb party.
No pasta. No cake. Just determination. And tea, of course!
But day one?
Survived.
What I Actually Ate (Because This Matters)
Let’s get something straight right away. Going gluten-free does not mean eating sad lettuce and air. Most of my meals looked like this:
Breakfast
- Oatmeal
- Eggs
- Smoothies with berries and protein
Lunch
- Chicken stew
- Supper leftovers
- Sardines or smoked fish or tuna
- Salads
Supper
- Chicken burgers
- Fish cakes with potatoes
- Tofu and veggies
- Rice and broccoli
- Pork Tenderloin with roasted veggies
Snacks
- Greek yogurt
- Pumpkin seeds
- Homemade granola bars
- Chips on Friday night!
Real food. No complicated diet rules. Honestly, it’s the kind of eating I’m able to sustain. Not much different than what I would eat pre GF experiment.
The First Unexpected Benefit: Energy
By day six something strange started happening.
I was waking up before my alarm. Not groggy. Not dragging. But ready to go.
My workouts felt better. My afternoon slump disappeared. And that mid-day ‘ugh feeling’? It was gone.
The Second Surprise: My Hunger Changed
This one shocked me!
Normally I’d get hungry all the time. Especially between the hours of 2-4 PM.
The moment when kids need picking up. Dinner isn’t ready. And suddenly you could eat the entire pantry.
But during this experiment? My hunger leveled out: meals kept me full longer and my cravings faded.
This usually signals something powerful happening behind the scenes:
Balanced blood sugar.
The Third Surprise: My Jeans
About a week in, I pulled on a pair of jeans fresh out of the dryer.
You know the ones. The “deep breath before buttoning” jeans. And you guessed it, they zipped easier.
Now here’s the important part. I didn’t start this experiment for weight loss.
But when your body reduces inflammation and stabilizes blood sugar, your body often responds.
Even the scale noticed. Just a few pounds — but noticeable.
The Skin Experiment
Remember why I started this whole thing?
My skin – let’s get back to that. For months I had these tiny red bumps (mostly around my mouth) that refused to disappear. They never turned into pimples exactly. They just… stayed.
After 30 days? Most of them faded significantly.
Now I’ll be honest. I also tweaked my skincare routine. So I can’t say gluten was the only factor. But something clearly helped.
The Weirdest Benefit
My hair. I did NOT expect this.
But my hair became shinier, healthier and fuller. To the point where people started commenting on it and asking if I had just gotten my hair done. Which is odd… because it was winter and I was wearing a hat half the time.
What I Learned From My 30 Day Gluten-Free Experiment
Let me start with the truth. Gluten isn’t automatically bad. But removing it helped me notice something important:
How much my energy improved. My hunger balanced and my body felt better overall.
And I didn’t feel restricted at all. Too many benefits to consider it coincidental.
Am I Staying Gluten-Free?
Yes. At least for now. Because I know real health changes often happen over time. This is what I teach my students. 30 days is a great start. It’s an incredible start actually.
But 60, 90, and 120 days are where lasting change begins.
The kind of changes that help you create:
- Better energy
- Sustainable weight loss
- Confidence in your body again
- And great hair??
Want to Try It?
Important caveat… if losing weight is something you’re actively working towards, the magic bullet isn’t going gluten free. It may help – certainly. But there are many other factors that play a more important role in dropping a few pounds than cutting out gluten.
I have a free audio that talks about those other factors. Grab it here: Why Midlife Weight Gain Happens (and the 3 simple habits to reverse it)
Remember this:
You don’t need perfection. You just need curiosity.
If you’re up for it, try your own 30-day gluten free experiment and see what happens.
Your body might surprise you.
And my friend… I’ll end with this – why settle for average when GREATNESS is within your reach.
Nat – your 30 day gluten free experimenter
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