Health

Low-carb shopping can be hard on the budget, particularly if you are purchasing hard-to-find or specialty items. Where should you look for your groceries, and how can you be sure you're getting the best price?

Alicia from Pennsylvania is 33 years old and 5' 4" tall. Alicia has been following the Atkins program since July 23, 2002, and dropped from a high weight of 234 pounds to 190 pounds. Her dress size has shrunk from a size 20 down to a size 16. Alicia's goals are to weigh 135 pounds and wear a size 10.

Jeff Martell from Ontario, Canada, is 46 years old and 5' 6" tall. He has been following the Atkins program since February of 2002, and has dropped from a high weight of 276 pounds down to just 190 pounds! His waist has shrunk from a size 48 waist to a 40! Jeff's goal weight is 175 pounds, and he's well on his way.

When you first begin low-carbing, it can seem a daunting task to prepare your kitchen. Not only do you have to divest yourself of all those high carbohydrate staples in the pantry and fridge, but you'll quickly discover that many of the more interesting recipes call for ingredients you've never heard of! Xanthan gum? Soy lecithin? Vital wheat gluten flour? Rice protein powder? How are you ever going to know which items you really need and which are so esoteric that they'll take up space in your cupboards forevermore?

I am happy to report to my CarbSmart readers that Cathie from Florida reached her goal size of a 5/6 right before Thanksgiving!

Mary Ann from Pennsylvania is 51 years old and 5' 1" tall. "I don't believe in 'weight.' The scale is the biggest deceiver in the history of dieting and weight loss," Mary Ann told me. "You see 'miracle' potions in a bottle that claim you can loose 10 pounds in a weekend, and you might. But it is not 'fat' you are loosing. You can be a skinny little thing and you might think you are wonderfully healthy, but when you starved yourself to get that way, you actually may have lost muscle mass and even bone because if you do not eat 'right' to loose weight, your body will actually begin to cannibalize itself!"

Paul from Scotland is 34 years old and 6’ 4" tall. Paul calls his low carb program 'PAUL'S LOW CARB DIET!' He combined several aspects from a few different low carb plans to find what worked best for his lifestyle. Paul started his low carbohydrate journey just 11 weeks ago, and he has already dropped from 251 pounds to 210 pounds; he reached his goal weight in a little less than three months! Paul used to wear a (tight!) 40-inch waist, but is now wearing a comfortable 34/36-inch waist.

Barb from Minnesota is 42 years old and 5' 8.5" inches tall. Barb's all time high weight was 225 pounds, which she reduced to 195 pounds through 'conventional dieting and exercise' before she began the Atkins program. "Now," she said, "I am not so 'religious' and simply avoid sugars and starches (for example, rice, potatoes, pasta, and bread)." Barb currently weighs 160 pounds, and has dropped from a size 16 to a size 12 by low carbing.

I'm told that in early December, Portuguese turkey farmers peddle their flocks on the streets of Lisbon. They do this for two reasons: because Lisbon is in Portugal, and is therefore a handy place to sell their turkeys, and because they don't have Thanksgiving in that country.

Sherry from Illinois is 5' 7" tall and "in her 40's." Sherry was uncomfortable about publishing her weight, but did say we could print she has lost 54 pounds to date, doing the Atkins program. She has dropped from a size 2X to a 12. Her goal size is 10, and she is 10 pounds from her goal weight. Sherry started low carbing in April of 2002.

Weight Loss In Clubs & By Drugs: Scams & Gimmicks. We have been talking in the previous half dozen or so articles about diets and dieting. We've looked at plans and paraphernalia, machines and food combination diets, calorie counting and meals in cans. Then came weight loss clubs.

Success Stories Miki from Pennsylvania is 5′ 2″ tall and is 29 years old. Miki follows the Atkins program, and since July of 2002 she has dropped from 130 pounds and a size 8-10 to 119 pounds and a size 4-6. Her goal is to be 110 pounds and a …