Success Stories
By Julie Westly, CarbSmart Contributor
Posted 11/15/03
Karen from Nebraska is 41 years old and 5' 4" tall. Karen has been following her own modified version of the Atkins program for a little over a year now. She began low carbing weighing 320 pounds and wearing size 28W and now weighs 209 pounds and wears a size 18. Karen's goal is to reach 150 pounds and sport size a size 10.
"I've had a weight problem my whole life," Karen began. "I've tried several weight loss remedies along the way. I did Nutra System because it was simple and convenient and managed to stay on it for about six months. It was easy to follow because of the structure, but it was costly. I lost fifty to sixty pounds, but the office started to close on Sundays, the only day I could come in. I had to drive 120 miles round trip, and when I joined they assured me they would be open on Sundays, but ended up not doing it. I felt very betrayed. Since I could no longer go, I eventually gained all the weight back."
"I also attempted low fat and low calorie diets, and also attempted to lose weight with the grapefruit diet. The motivating factor for trying all these diets was the low cost. Most lasted only a couple months and were hard to stick with because I was always hungry."
"I'd known about low carbing for nearly two years before I actually tried it," Karen continued. "I had a friend who lost over 150 pounds following a low carb plan. I finally asked my doctor about it and he was all for it!"
"The best two things about a low carbohydrate way of life is that I can always find something I can eat when going out and that I am NEVER hungry! It was hard getting over my love of bread and getting past the first couple of months while my body and mind were adjusting to my new lifestyle, but other than that, it's been a wonderful, successful experience for me."
I feel that not only can I stick to this way of eating for a lifetime, but I have to stick to it. I have a bad hip that will be replaced this year, and when I weighed 320 pounds no doctor would touch me because the new joint would not support that kind of weight. I am now at 209 pounds and would like to get to 150. Now, I can have the surgery, but afterward I plan on continuing to lose. I know that I can never be over 200 again for health reasons, so I will have to stick to this way of eating the rest of my life," Karen declared.
"My coworkers and friends are amazed at my weight loss and I get positive comments almost every day. They have been very supportive. Many of my friends and acquaintances have started doing some form of low carbing themselves!" Karen smiled.
I asked Karen, if she were speaking to a group of new low carbers and seasoned veterans about low carbing what tips or advice would she give them regarding:
Cheating?
"You can't cheat and expect to be able to stay on the diet or to lose any weight. You must be committed 100% and understand that this is a lifetime change."
Stalls?
"Exercise!"
Most important points to remember?
"You have to be ready to do this 100%. No less."
Congratulations to Karen on her outstanding success and best of luck with her surgery! We'll update our readers later when Karen gets towards her goal!
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