Since I've had to give up dairy, I picked up some coconut milk to add to our family's smoothies (we do green smoothies in the morning for breakfast). I also had some coconut oil. I read a long time ago about how coconut oil is supposed to help with weight loss, and my DH noticed that when he scales back his consumption of soy milk he loses weight.

So I quit using soy milk on cereal, and the past three days have had coconut oil in some form (coconut milk or using the oil for cooking).

I've lost a pound a day. In a few days I've gone from 175.5 to 172.5 this morning. Believe me when I say that I am NOT restricting my caloric intake. DH and i celebrated our anniversary last night, and we both had 14 oz steaks, champagne and a very rich gluten free cake I made. I was expecting to be back up to 176 or something.

Has anybody else noticed soy causing them to have trouble losing weight? I'm also wondering if soy has been contributing to my general lethargy, which got better when I gave up gluten but is still there sometimes.

In any case, I think i'll keep up the coconut oil. It can't hurt. And I've never been a big soy milk drinker, but we use it for cooking and baking sometimes. Back when we were vegetarians we did eat a lot of soy products, and I'm wondering if that has been hampering my weight loss attempts all along.

This was gonna be my suggestion. Maybe you're having some issues with soy, and it's not fat you're losing, but water bloat from the soy. If this is the case I expect you'll look even better with the puffiness gone.

What comes to my mind first, is that soy has a lowering effect on thyroid function, while coconut oil tends to raise thyroid function. So it may be a bit of both that you are experiencing.

Or, perhaps your body just doesn't do well with soy.

That's interesting, about coconut raising thyroid function. I just know I feel better, and so does my husband, when we reduce our soy consumption. I'm kicking myself for all those years I was eating soy burgers and not real burgers.