Byron From Texas’ Low Carb Success Story

Success Stories

Byron from Texas is 23 years old, and 6′ 2′ tall. He began his low carb journey in March of 2000 topping the scales at 360 pounds, and he had a 54-inch waistline back then. Byron is currently a pound under his goal weight, tipping the scales at 179, and he now has a 34-inch waist!

“I was always big,” Byron said. “The titles that I thought for so long to be ‘terms of endearment’ like ‘big guy,’ ‘big un,’ or ‘big boy,’ were never anything of the sort! The problem for me was that food was consolation. There is nothing like curling up with huge BUCKET of ice cream when you are sad to make you feel better. Of course, ice cream is a tricky, fair weather friend. You gain more, you feel worse, you eat more, you gain more….. on and on. It’s the diet snowball effect.”

“I have had trouble with my weight all my life. I believe that obesity is a disease, and I am in remission, but will struggle for the rest of my life. There is treatment, but no cure. I could easily be fat again in less that a year, but I chooseto fight my disease, everyday.”

“I was very depressed and suffered for a long time with low self esteem. The breaking point came for me when I was at a popular amusement park here in Texas. I had waited for over an hour to get on the new ride they’d just built. When I got to the car of the roller coaster, they couldn’t close the bar over me, and I had to get off the ride. Hundreds of people watched me, mortified, walk away pretending to laugh. I left right then and bawled like a baby, all the way home. I knew something had to change. I could either die, or change my life, but could not go on living that way any longer.”

“When I was about seven or eight, my mother took me to a pediatric dietitian. I was too young to understand what I was doing so that didn’t work for me, of course. When I was 12 or 13, I did Jenny Craig. It was a HORRIBLE program! First, you are spending more than one hundred dollars a week on one person for food, and the cost of their program is extra! Right up front you’ve got an outrageous cost. The second bad part is that the food is terrible! You get little tiny portions on a little tiny plate that you pop in the microwave. The reason is was so unsuccessful for me was the lack of preparation. They spend very little time preparing you for maintenance. You spend all these months eating their food, and when you hit your goal, BAM, store food. Bad idea, Jenny!”

“Later in life, I also tried Metabolife. YIKES! Of course, you lose weight; you are taking legal speed! When you stop taking it however, your body returns to it’s normal level of thermogensesis, so you have to take it forever!! Since the body has a wonderful way of adapting, you will become resistant to the affects of ephedra and have to take increasing amounts for the rest of your life. Needless to say, that was short lived.”

“I heard through the grapevine about ‘some diet’ where you could eat all the meat and fat you wanted and still lose weight. I looked around and found the Atkins book at a garage sale (believe it or not) and read it. Skeptical, I decided to try it. I didn’t know then what I know now, so I assumed that milk was like cheese or butter. For the first couple of weeks, I didn’t lose anything,” Bryon chuckled. “Then I realized that milk is loaded with carbs, and corrected the problem. When I officially stared, I lost (WOW, I thought) 14 pounds in the first two weeks! My energy shot through the roof. Surprisingly, I even experienced sharper mental focus.”

“I lost the first 125 pounds in six months. That was FAST, really FAST! Then of course, like we all do, I hit my first plateau/stall. Boy, I was upset! But I just stuck with it, and about three or four weeks later my body adjusted and I started losing again, only slower, perhaps a pound or two a week. I would tell anyone on any program to expect that, but not to give up. Your body is just adjusting, be patient. You spent all these years being fat, you can handle a few weeks of a stall. Just hang in there, I promise it will pass. Atkins has a section in his book also about how to kick start your loss again in a couple days or so, if you really can’t wait your plateau out.”

“Here I am, two years later, at half my original weight! I still sometimes have issues with self esteem, but I guess my mind just has to catch up with my body. Generally though, I feel great! More than ever now, I am interested in the health benefits of low carbing, more so that the weight loss aspect of it. That is why I am now working towards a masters of science degree in nursing, specializing in nutritional research. I’m a long way off, but I’ll get there soon enough.”

“I think there are many important tips to follow, but I’ve developed my own seven essential tips for low carbers,” Byron continued.

1. As you start, really do go have a check up and blood work done just so you can see what a difference this is going to make in your numbers.
2. Do not listen to non-low carbers. Most of them have not read anything about the program itself and have no understanding of it. You will hear things like, ‘It will destroy your kidneys,’ and ‘That’s bad for your heart.’ It’s simply, not true! As a matter of fact, you can check out a section of the Atkins website where they have printed source material of studies and explanations debunking these myths. Also, the first time someone says something like this to you, ask them where they got their information. ‘What study did you read that supports that theory?’ You’ll quickly understand that they have only heard something through the grapevine and have done no real research themselves. GRRRRRRR, these people irritate me!!”
3. So some of your own research. Go to www.google.com and read about low carb nutrition. Really find out what a carbohydrate is. Find out which carbohydrates are the good ones and which ones are the bad ones. You may be surprised. It will help, I promise. When you understand the rationale behind what you are doing; it all makes a lot more sense that way! You’ll be more enthused about it.
4. Keep some low carb bars, shakes or some ‘legal’ treat around at all times just in case you get a sweet tooth. You’ll have something on hand and be less likely to eat something you shouldn’t. Try out low carb desert recipes. There are tons of them online. Get creative and make your own. This is the fun part for me. My poor spouse is my lab rat, and is always being forced into trying new concoctions of mine.
5. Remember, no one is perfect. You are going to slip up. You are going to ‘be bad’ at some point. It’s important to remember that we cannot be perfect all the time. I allow myself one day a month to go somewhere special for a ‘cheat meal.’ Not a whole day, just one meal, complete with drinks, deserts and all the fixin’s! If you follow this tip, however, it is essential that you get right back on the wagon the very next meal. Don’t let the snowball start up again. We are not infallible, and we need to have a sense of humor kid to ourselves when we exhibit our weaknesses sometimes.
6. Resources……. there are tons of things online to read, buy and people to talk to. Find them, use them, make them your friends.
7. (And the most important!) It is essential for us to understand before beginning any low carb program, that it is not a diet. You have heard the cliche, ‘diets don’t work,’ and it is very true. Only changing your lifestyle works. You cannot expect to diet until you reach your goal weight and then, just because you are now skinny, go on to eat like a ‘normally’ skinny person. (You know the ones: they eat whatever they want. They’re the ones we can’t stand.LOL!) If you do, you’ll certainly gain back all the weight you’ve worked so hard to lose. You have to commit to a low carbohydrate way of life. I know that sounds dramatic, but we really do have to choose, which we desire more.