I'm gluten-free, dairy-free or have a sensitive stomach. Will a fat loss meal plan work for me?
Yes. Your coach builds your nutrition plan around the foods you can't eat or that don't agree with you, and you tell her on day one. Here's what surprises most women: the first 14 days of our plan already take a break from gluten and dairy. So if you're gluten-free or dairy-free, the start will feel familiar.
You don't have to bend a generic plan to fit your stomach.
Yours gets built around it from the start.
First, when should you talk to your doctor?
We coach. We don't diagnose.
Your doctor leads on anything medical about food. Please talk to your doctor if:
- You have celiac disease, a food allergy, IBS or any other diagnosis. Follow their plan, and your dietitian's if you have one. Tell your coach what they've said, and she builds around it.
- Your stomach has changed recently, or a food that used to be fine suddenly isn't.
- It hurts, or comes with blood, changes in your bathroom habits or losing weight without trying.
- You suspect a food is the problem and want to know for sure. That's your doctor's question.
We'll never tell you to start, stop or change a medication.
Everything below works alongside what your doctor says. It doesn't replace that conversation.
What do the first 14 days look like if I'm already gluten-free or dairy-free?
Let's make this plain.
For the first 14 days, every woman's plan is lower carb and higher protein, with a short break from alcohol, dairy, gluten and processed sugar.
So yes, the first two weeks already pause gluten and dairy. For everyone.
If you're already gluten-free or dairy-free, you're a step ahead. A lot of what everyone else is learning to live without, you've been living without for years.
After day 14, those foods come back for most women.
For you, they don't have to. If gluten or dairy is off the table, it stays off, and your plan is built that way for all 8 weeks.
Curious why we take that short break at all? Here's what the first 14 days do for afternoon bloat.
How does your coach build a plan around what you can't eat?
You tell her once. She plans around it from there.
- Tell her on day one. Celiac, allergies, lactose, eggs that don't sit right, foods you just don't like. Put it all on the table.
- Your recipes avoid it from the start. The first 14 days already pause gluten and dairy, and your coach swaps any recipe that doesn't work for you.
- Anything can be swapped. Don't eat eggs? Your coach swaps that meal for one that works for you.
- No counting. A palm-sized portion of protein at each meal, and your coach sets the right amount for your body. No food scales.
- It changes as you go. Something doesn't sit well? Tell her, and the plan changes with you.
Chris puts it like this: "You don't cut your own hair. Why design your own nutrition plan?"
That goes double when half the standard plan is off your list.
Where does the protein come from without dairy or eggs?
Here's the thing.
A lot of "easy protein" advice leans on Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs and shakes. If those are out for you, it can feel like there's nothing left.
There's plenty:
- Chicken and turkey. The reliable ones, and your coach helps you keep them interesting.
- Fish and seafood. Salmon, shrimp, white fish, a can of tuna on a busy day.
- Beef. A steak, a burger without the bun, a big batch of chili.
- Last night's dinner. Leftovers make a great breakfast when eggs and yogurt are off the menu.
- Protein powder, if you want one. It's optional, and whole food comes first. Whey comes from milk, so if dairy doesn't work for you, other kinds exist. Here's how to choose a protein powder when whey bothers your stomach.
Vegetarian as well as dairy-free? Here's how we build protein without meat.
Eggs and yogurt both out at breakfast? Here are high-protein breakfast ideas without eggs, yogurt or shakes.
What if my stomach is just sensitive, and I don't know why?
Can we please stop pretending a sensitive stomach is all in your head?
A lot of the women we talk to tell us that foods they ate for years started to bother them somewhere in their 40s. For some it's dairy. For some it's eggs. Some can't put a finger on it.
If that's new for you, start with your doctor.
Alongside that, here's what we coach:
- Regular meals. Nothing until noon and then a huge dinner tends to sit badly.
- Slow down and chew. Sit down to eat when you can.
- Water through the day. Steady sips, not a giant bottle at 4 p.m.
- Tell your coach how you feel. Especially when foods come back after the first 14 days, so she can adjust your plan.
Will going gluten-free or dairy-free help me lose fat?
Hey ladies, listen up.
On its own, in our experience, not much. A gluten-free cookie is still a cookie.
Most women come to us wanting to lose weight. What they actually want to lose is fat.
What changes your body composition is the same whatever you can or can't eat:
- Enough protein, at every meal.
- Strength training. Follow-along workouts at home, about 50 minutes, with a set of dumbbells, a Swiss ball and fabric bands.
- Recovery. Sleep, rest days and less stress.
- A plan you can actually live with. One built around your stomach, your kitchen and your week.
We don't do restrictive elimination diets. After the first 14 days, the foods that work for you come back, and your coach helps you keep your menu as wide as your body is happy with.
We've helped 1,000+ women lose 10 to 20 lbs of fat in 8 weeks, with plans built around very different kitchens.
Ready for a plan built around your stomach?
You've worked around your food for years.
Let's build a plan that works around you.
Start with the short video on our homepage at fortyfwd.com. It walks through why your body stopped responding after 40 and the method we use to change that.
If it sounds like you, apply for a call with Chris.
He reads every application himself. On the call, tell him what you can't eat, and he'll tell you straight whether the program is the right fit. If it is, he walks you through the investment then, once you both know it's a fit.
Your stomach has a say.
Your plan should listen.
Frequently asked questions
Can I lose weight on a gluten-free or dairy-free diet?
Yes. Your coach builds your plan around what you can't eat, and in our experience what changes body composition is the same for everyone: enough protein, strength training, recovery and a plan you can live with.
Is your meal plan gluten-free and dairy-free?
For the first 14 days, every plan takes a short break from gluten, dairy, alcohol and processed sugar. After that, those foods come back for most women, and if they're off the table for you, they stay off.
I have celiac disease. Can a fat loss plan work for me?
Yes. Your doctor leads on celiac, and your coach builds your plan around what they've told you, so gluten stays off your plate for the whole program.
What if I can't eat eggs or dairy for protein?
Chicken, turkey, fish, seafood, beef and leftovers can carry your protein, and your coach swaps any recipe that doesn't work for you. Protein powder is optional, and there are kinds without dairy.
When should I see a doctor about my stomach?
If you have celiac disease, a food allergy, IBS or another diagnosis, or if your stomach has changed, hurts, or comes with blood, changes in your bathroom habits or losing weight without trying. Your doctor leads, and your coach builds your plan around what they say.