CG From California’s Low Carb Success Story

Success Stories

CG from California is 43, and is happily married with two sons. She is 5′ 5 1/2″ tall and currently weighs 165 pounds, down 28 pounds from her starting weight of 193. CG’s goal weight is 150 pounds, so she only has 15 pounds to go! When CG started low carbing, she wore a size 16, and she is now comfortable in a size 10. She would like to wear a size 8.

CG follows Dr. Platt’s individually designed low carb meal plan, which is very similar to Protein Power. She takes two types of thyroid medication and phentermine, and also uses both progesterone and testosterone creams.

“I have struggled, literally, my whole life with my weight,” CG said. “I have been battling this problem since I was six and seven! I remember having to go to the ‘chubby’ section at Sears with my grandmother. While in the dressing room, I would cry and say ‘I look like a clown.’ I’ll never forget it. I even wrote the Easter Bunny a letter one year and asked for diet candy!”

“When I was 15, my parents moved me from California to New York. We were there for one year. I lost 30 pounds, mainly due to depression, I am sure. I kept the weight off until I was about 18. I was not too heavy, but I was always still
battling the bulge.”

“When I married and became pregnant I ate like a real pig. I gained 40 pounds! Once the baby came it took six months just to lose 15 to 20 of those pounds. I never really could get under a size 14, even though I had a very physical job and a baby to tend to. I gained 30 more pounds when the next baby came only 17 months later, and only lost about 20 of them.”

“I just couldn’t get rid of the extra weight on my own. I kept gaining more than I had lost after each attempt at dieting. I was always trying ‘something new’ to continue my hunt to find the solution to my weight problem. I went to a diet clinic to get shots and lost weight, but that lasted only about two months. It was basically low calorie dieting and some kind of shots (horse urine or whatever), along with a drug to curb my cravings.”

“I went to Weight Watchers and got very discouraged because it was such a hassle to weigh my food and keep track of everything. I also went to a center like Jenny Craig that sold prepackaged meals. It worked great, but then when I went back to regular food, I regained all the weight I had lost and felt worse than ever!”

“I bought my wedding dress two sizes too small to be sure I lost weight. (Talk about motivation!) At the weight loss clinic, I only ate 500 calories a day. This was about two months before the wedding. I DID walk down the aisle in that dress! (Pretty gutsy huh?)”

“I have bought treadmills, ab exercisers, Metabolite (which gave me the shakes really bad), and a few of the videos you see on TV. I’ve joined health clubs and dropped out after I would reach plateaus and not be able to get off of them. I’ve done aerobics and weight training, which actually made me feel really good. At that time, scheduling constraints are what stopped me from continuing to weight train, but I have decided I must make the effort to start weight training again. I need schedule at least three days a week for some weight training to firm up now.”

“At first, low carbing was very hard for me. I loved my potatoes, sour dough bread, and pasta. Once I got over the initial 7-10 days, though, I did very well. (When summer comes, it’s a lot tougher with all the socializing and
vacationing, though.)”

“I started low carbing in 2000, trying different plans to see what might work for me and my lifestyle. I heard and read so much about the problems diabetics have, although I am not diabetic, that I could relate to their issues. I decided their way of eating might be helpful, and this led me to research low carbing more thoroughly. I read bulletin boards on the Internet, books, etc., and decided to give it a try.”

“I tried Atkins, but it was too restrictive for me. I tried CALP, the one with the reward meal, but didn’t lose much. Then I tried Suzanne Somers, but it didn’t really give quick results. Finally, I found Protein Power and had great results for some time. While on this eating plan, I hired a personal trainer and worked out for nine full months. But then I hit a plateau and couldn’t lose any more weight. My trainer had no clue what was happening. She told me to cut down on the fat intake!”

“Once you find the right plan for you and it seems to not work as well as for the others that you network with, maybe you should start looking at the internal areas of you body. When did you last have a physical? Have you had your hormones checked? Not just a thyroid panel, a FULL hormonal panel. Be sure to find a doctor who understands hormones, not just a general practitioner. In my opinion, they just don’t have time to care these days and HMOs are
interfering with the way they would like to practice medicine.”

“My ‘angel’ was a local doctor in my area who is a specialist in natural hormone replacement therapy as well as altering metabolism and losing weight. He focuses on a low carbohydrate eating and natural hormone medication. His meal plan is individually given to each patient. Counselors see you one time per week and help with any problems you are having. I truly believe that if you are having trouble, your hormones need to be addressed. He will work with people who cannot get to his office via the Internet. His website is: http://www.drplatt.com.”

“Low carbing certainly takes some self discipline. (Nothing in this world that is worth anything comes easily!) But I am confident I can stick with this. I have made a lot of other attempts to lose weight in my life to compare this with, and this is now my chosen lifestyle.”

“For me, the bad part of this way of life is when I go to social functions. Occasionally there is no food other than the meat they are serving that I can eat. It’s kind of a bummer to be the only one with a pile of meat on your plate and nothing else, but once you learn the basics, you can make proper choices in most instances no matter where you are.

“The benefits of this lifestyle are that I feel absolutely wonderful. I have even more energy. I used to love to sleep till 9 AM, but now pop up fresh at 7 most days, even when I’m on vacation! I feel better about myself, and have more self esteem and confidence.”

“My family and friends are all wondering what I am doing. I remember when I first told a family member that I was going to give this low carbohydrate diet another serious try while going to a natural hormone specialist in my area, she told me I should just go to Weight Watchers, as it was a lot cheaper, etc. I tried to explain that they don’t address the issues people have with carbohydrates and insulin resistance, but that went way over her head. I knew, in my heart, I was doing the right thing for me.”

CG had some advice for new low carbers:

“Be accountable to someone to help you move forward; get a buddy, friend or a group and tell them of your intentions and then JUST DO IT!”

“The most important thing to remember is to be diligent in your search for what works for you. We are all different human beings and what works for one won’t necessarily work for another. Don’t ever give up. I am 43 and searched many, many years before I found low carbing!”