& I’d echo the comments on self image & even kids ‘worrying’ about their weight/size. Some of the comments are so touching – what wonderful stories!
Here’s a definition for diet – Etymology: Middle English diete, from Anglo-French, from Latin diaeta, from Greek diaita, literally, manner of living, from diaitasthai to lead one’s life – 13th Century — so ‘leading our lives’ . . .

Here’s part of my story: I’ve been ‘into’ natural foods since the early 70s, gardened, exercised (dance, water aerobics, riding my bike), I’m a Massage Therapist, & will be 60 in a few months.
I went GF for health gain (love that!) last summer when my daughter had the genetic testing, & found she’d gotten a gluten sensitivity gene from me! She & her little family (girls now 5 & 10, her & her hubby) were going GF, so I figured I would, too. I was pleasantly surprised when weight started coming off as well – I’ve now lost that extra 20 post menopausal # I thought I was ‘stuck with,’ & am back to my ‘ideal weight’.
I have always been ‘normal’ size, but had ‘child bearing hips’ – Nadine G, a local GF consultant http://www.glutenfreern.com had ‘Polish Potato Picker Legs’ before going gluten free ~ 4 years ago (she’s lost 35#, has her hair back, & her skin’s clearing up!). When I heard her talk on Gluten & mental health issues this spring, we were BOTH wearing skinny jeans! (her sisters still have those ‘PPP Legs,’ & none of them have looked into going GF, tho she has the genes from both parents, & they have numerous health issues!)
My daughter suffered from Anxiety – which was GONE about a week after going GF, we have a family history of Dyslexia, & her older daughter has ‘mild seizure disorder’ (she had a NORMAL EEG this spring, & will be going off her meds this summer!)

One of the issues in weight gain after dietary shifts can be nutrient absorption – if we’re nutrient starved (from any cause) our bodies will ‘hoard’ nutrients! So it can take quite awhile for the body to reflect that shift toward healthier eating.
I recently read that having sufficient Magnesium & Vitamin D (often poorly absorbed with gluten issues) make it easier to loose weight after going Gluten Free – the body responds to the ‘re-set.’ Thyroid issues, auto-immune diseases (inc Fibro) any bowel/gut issues, skin . . . all can be tied to gluten sensitivity! Gluten is difficult for ALL of us to digest (it apparently isn’t fully digested by anyone, & wheat has been bred to contain ~ 2x the protein – gluten – it did in the 50s!)
Incorporating more raw foods into the ‘diet’ – helps cut down the pervasive gluten – if you think you might be gluten sensitive, here are some things to watch for:

Oats, tho they don’t contain gluten, are grown, shipped & milled with gluten containing grains (wheat, rye, barley) – GF oats are available (Bob’s Red Mill).
Soy depresses the thyroid, so that can also slow the metabolism.
Sprouted grain breads, tho lower in gluten, do contain some if they’re made with wheat, rye, barley or oats. Wheat grass is also questionable.
Many prepared products – soy sauce may contain gluten (I’ve used Braggs & my daughter uses GF tamari) there are great lists with things to watch for.
Oils: last year I also switched to coconut oil for cooking (yes, I do incorp. cooked food) & mixed with olive oil for salad dressing. MAKE YOUR OWN DRESSINGS! If you read labels on dressings – most are made with the unsaturated oils – which go rancid as soon as they reach body temperature (oxidize) & the liver needs to detox them! Coconut oil is stable, & metabolized upon ingestion, feeds the brain, balances the thyroid . . . I eat OG Virgin Coconut oil, & use OG Coconut oil in my massage practice.
We also have to avoid gluten in external products (almost all shampoos, conditioners, & cosmetics) – info on this is mixed – but OUR experience – the ‘itchy scalp’ I’ve had since I was a kid doesn’t itch any more! & my daughter’s ‘adult acne’ is slowly improving (Dermititis herpidiformis – linked to Celiac, but undiagnosed by ANY of the docs she’d seen, who just gave her topical creams)

I’ve only been raw for a short time, but I too and already getting “how many pounds have you lost” like it was my only motivation in choosing this lifestyle. I keep waiting for somebody to say “have you been able to get off your thyroid meds?” Or “is your pain level diminished?” instead, but I realize society, as a whole, just doesn’t think that way.

My reason for choosing raw was to give my life back to me

I have taken great strides her entire life never to complain about my weight, never to say “I need to diet.” What I do say is that I like eating healthy and making good choices so that I don’t have to worry about my weight or worry about my health. I tell her that if she thinks more about the quality of what she eats, she’ll be able to not worry about whether or not she’s “fat” because she’ll be at a healthy weight that’s good for her body.

She, like any 11 year old, does enjoy things like pizza and the like but I’m happy to see her enjoying eating home cooked meals more than going out. She saves the junky foods for special occasions like when she’s with friends and they are sharing a meal. I’m also happy when she tells me “Mom, I’m going to have fruit for dessert.” WITHOUT MY PROMPTING!

So my little message to anyone with a young daughter, start the positive messaging about food and their self image EARLY because they are barraged with negative imaging about diets and body styles. You can defeat it by setting a good example and constantly reminding them that a healthy body is a perfect body, no matter the shape or size.

Thank you for this post!