Kellie From Illinois’ Low Carb Success Story

Success Stories

Kellie from Illinois has reached her goal weight of 132 pounds and overcome bulimia while following the Atkins program. Kellie is 5′ 7″ tall and 31 years old.

She describes herself as having broad shoulders, big arms, no waist whatsoever, and small hips. “If it helps any,” Kellie said, “when I do my measurements for the JC Penny catalog, I am a size 4 in the hips, an 8 in the waist, and a 10/12 in the bust, and I have no bust! It’s all rib cage and shoulders! I think I would probably have a great frame if I were a guy,” she laughed.

“I remember weighing 130 pounds in 6th grade and being embarrassed that my mom wrote it in my baby book. In the 8th grade, I saw my hospital chart when I was in for headaches, and it listed me as ‘mildly obese’ at 5′ 7″ tall and 135 pounds!”

“I was very active in high school and involved in lots of sports, which kept me at around 135-140 pounds. But when I went to college, I gained about 10 pounds. When I got married, and by the time I had my first baby, I weighed 165 pounds. I yo-yoed back and forth between my next two pregnancies and ended up weighing 173 pounds six months after my third child was born.”

“I have tried many low fat diets, Richard Simmons, Weight Watchers, Herbalife, but mostly, I followed the ‘binge/purge’ program. This is not a healthy program by any means. I lost 20 pounds twice on Herbalife, but it was always a diet, never a way of life.”

“From the time I was 19 until I found low carbing, I fought a regular battle with overeating, bulimia and anorexia. I would go back and forth between starving myself and eating everything in site, to then get ‘rid’ of it all by purging. I felt hopeless, fat and ugly. I felt like I had a voice inside me, making me eat and then making me purge. I almost felt dead inside, and my whole self worth was tied into my weight and my body. Every person I met was a ‘size’ or a ‘weight’ to me. I would walk through the mall, noticing all the skinny women and girls and experiencing great envy. I thought that my happiness was tied into being thin.”

“In November of 2000, I read an article about low carbing helping with bulimia and anorexia. I was going through a ‘thin’ time and starving myself. I read Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution and started by adding meat to my nonexistent diet. I figured that any food was better than no food. I started taking vitamins and totally cut out all sugars and junk foods. I was absolutely amazed! I felt like a new person! By the end of December, I had lost 10 pounds, and was down to the same weight I was in 6th grade! I had the freedom to eat food, enjoy it and not binge! It was so wonderful to have a healthy relationship with food again – one that wasn’t bad.”

“I absolutely believe I am addicted to carbs. Before low carbing. I would sit and eat half a bag of pretzels almost every night whether I was hungry or not. I would eat, because I had to eat. During my self-starvation periods, I would starve myself because I knew that once I stared eating, there would be no stopping. Self-starvation was the only form of control that I felt that I had at my disposal.”

“The best part of the low carbohydrate lifestyle is the food, and that it is a way of life – not a diet. This is the only time I have lost this much weight and actually maintained the weight loss! With low carbing, I can eat well and keep it off, and I have fewer headaches, fewer stomach problems, and less back pain after losing my excess weight.”

“This way of eating has given me a sense of emotional well being, satisfaction at my ability to get and stay healthy, and to finally have a healthy relationship with myself and the food I eat. It still amazes me to realize that I have honestly gone months without eating sugar of any kind, and that I have no desire to have it!! Wow! I fell that I am so lucky that my body reacts strongly to cheating! I get seriously ill, with any refined flour or sugar in foods, so I am not tempted to cheat. I get sick, so it just isn’t worth it to me.”

“I have yet to experience any bad aspects of low carbing, except possibly for the inconvenience at times. I am disorganized, which makes planning meals difficult for me.”

“My husband and family are supportive, and I have converted three family members to this way of eating! I have had mostly positive feedback from others. Everyone can see my results from low carbing, and they can tell how much healthier I am. How bad can it be that I now take vitamins, eat veggies every day, and have cut out sugar and junk food?” Kellie laughed.