Health

Dietary dogma about Dietary Fats came about despite the fact that there was very little evidence connecting diet to heart disease, and despite the concern of some scientists that eating too little fat could also have harmful effects. The media being what it is, it pushed all the scientific criticisms aside, and stood behind the simple, easy-to-understand but incorrect idea that less fat equals longer life. The government publishes the US Department of Agriculture's booklet on dietary guidelines every 5 years, and so far the well-known Food Pyramid still recommends that fats and oils be eaten "sparingly." Article 15 of the Science of Low-Carb & Keto Diets series.

PJ from Illinois is 43 years old and has followed the Somersize program since February of 2001. Her weight has dropped from 313 pounds to 191 pounds. (That's 122 pounds in just ten months!) PJ is well on her way to her goal of weight of 150 pounds.

Ron Moshier is from Minnesota and winters in Texas. Ron is 6' tall, and follows the Atkins program. He has used low carbing to lose from his top weight of 260 pounds down to a trim 180 pounds. Ron's waist size has shrunk from a 44 to a 34!

Vonnie from Australia is 34 years old and has gone from 245 pounds to 154 pounds, just 9 pounds short of her goal weight of 145. She has dropped from a size 22 to a size 10 on her way to her goal size of 8.

Joanne from Leeds in the UK is 28 years old. She started low carbing in January of 2000, and has been at it ever since. Joanne follows the Atkins program and is currently just below her goal weigh at 117 pounds. She has gone from a US size 14/16 to a US size 6/8.

Connie from Ohio is 31. She started the Atkins Plan in May of 1998, but told me, "It's since been tweaked so much it's more like a hybrid plan of my own." Connie has gone from 244 pounds to 169 pounds, and from a size 24 to a 12!

Jen from Maryland is 27 years old. Jen has been following the Atkins program since November 5, 1999, nearly 2 years now. Jen has lost 64.5 pounds dropping from 284 pounds to a current weight of 219.5 pounds, and still losing on her way to her goal of 160 pounds! She has shrunk from a size 26 to an 18! "I don't have a goal size," Jen said. "I have a goal weight. When I get there, I will be the right size."

In the wake of September 11th, many of us are thinking about disaster preparations, things we can do to prepare ourselves for the unforeseen. Foremost in our minds at this time are terrorist attacks, of course, but there are other kinds of disasters, too. Many of us live in areas that are prone to earthquakes, forest fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, blizzards, or lengthy power outages.

Di Bauer, CarbSmart's editor, offers her view of low carbing and helpful tips to make low carbing easier and more productive.

Lori from Illinois is 26 years old. "I started Atkins on January. 3, 2001," she told me. "I guess I don't follow the plan as strictly as others do; I kind of do my own version, you could say." Lori began her journey weighing 266 pounds and wore a size 26 at that time. Just nine months later, Lori weighs 181 pounds. That's fourteen pounds lighter than she is in her 'during' picture! She now wears a size 12/14, and is well on her way to her goal weight of 150 pounds.

Mark and Donna are from Texas. Mark is 47 years old and Donna is 39. Both are following the Atkins' program. Mark began low carbing in February of 2000, and Donna has been following Atkins since August of 1999.

Suddenly getting into those reference jeans doesn't seem quite so important anymore, does it? The tragic events of September 11th have shifted all our priorities, and looking good isn't as high up on the list as it used to be. Now we have more important things to think about. But that doesn't mean than staying on plan isn't still important.