Kelley From Indiana’s Low Carb Success Story

Success Stories

Kelley from Indiana is 50 years old and 5′ 7 1/2″ tall. She is fairly new to the low carbohydrate lifestyle and follows Dana Carpender’s plan for 50 grams of carbs a day as written in her book How I Gave Up My Low Fat Diet and Lost Forty Pounds!

Just starting in September of 2002, Kelley has already has dropped from a size 20W to a 16 Misses! Kelley’s goal is to make it down to a size 12. She began her journey weighing 223 pounds with a weight goal of 160 pounds. She currently weighs 207 pounds.

“I have taken high blood pressure medication for ten years. I also currently have some female issues, i.e., fibroid growths and the start of menopause, which may be contributing to my weight problems,” Kelley told me.

“I have always struggled with weight, ever since I tried my first diet at the age 12. I weighed over 200 pounds in high school, which caused many self-esteem problems to say the least.”

“My first attempt at dieting was at age 12, and was The Cabbage Soup Diet. My mother and I went on it together. She was very petite and didn’t want a fat daughter (sounds nice doesn’t it). It made me sick to my stomach.”

“Next I tried Weight Watchers when I was 17. It took me three years to loose 75 pounds on Weight Watchers, and I followed Weight Watchers most of the time for 10 years. I actually taught Weight Watchers for four years, which was the only ‘thin’ time in life. I thought teaching would help keep the weight off, but it was too hard for me to maintain a weight of 135 pounds on that program.”

“I met my husband when I was thin, and had always made it clear to him that this wasn’t the norm for me. I have gone back and tried Weight Watchers about four times that first times, but I think with the new ‘points system’ gives me too much freedom to eat sweets. I’d loose ten pounds then stop, and the weight would come right back on.”

“Richard Simmons was my next diet attempt. I love to watch Richard on television, and I love his videos. I tried both the ‘old diet’ and the Food Mover. Again, it was too easy to eat sweets and bread.”

“I tried Diet Center for one year and lost 35 pounds. I kept it off for six months. I found it too restrictive and expensive. I loved being thin, though! I think the reason it worked for me was they restricted carbohydrates. However, the supplements they give you were just about all sugar.”

“I tried ‘Thin and Healthy’ for a year. I liked the recipes and I lost inches, but was reprimanded for loosing too slowly, so I quit. I do have a strong personality, and I told the owner that I had to put up with criticism from my spouse and mother, but not someone I was paying,” Kelly laughed.

“I had a go at herbal supplements like Mannatech and others. I wanted something quick and effortless. I found out this way that I can’t take any kind of ephedra and again, the supplements were so expensive!”

“Next, I tried Xenical for about a month under the care of an internist. I had terrible diarrhea and couldn’t leave the house without fear of an accident.”

“I went to a dietitian for three years. It was through her that I tried a 900-calories-per-day diet for two weeks. I lost no weight, but again lost inches. The dietitian actually introduced me to low carbing two years ago. She said she had never met anyone that couldn’t lose weight on low fat. Apparently all the dieting had ruined my metabolism. From her I gained a lot of acceptance about myself, and that really boosted my self esteem. She remains a dear friend and I thank her daily.”

“After going to the dietitian I learned to buy clothing that fits even if it was a 20 and take pride in my other talents rather than looking in the mirror all the time. She left her job for another and we decided there wasn’t really anymore that I could learn. She didn’t know how to help me. I had been through every medical test there was and everything came out ‘normal.'”

“I never did any continuous exercise until January of 2002. I was so self-conscious about my size and embarrassed by the fact that I was so out of shape. Eventually, I owned about ten videos that I never even opened, plus bands and weights.”

“In January of 2002 I started to exercise three days per week. I was so tired of buying 20s, and I refused to start another diet and pay out more money! My husband needed to exercise to keep from having surgery on his legs. I hated it! I had never exercised in my life. By June 2002 I had lost 18 inches and boosted my workout to five days per week. I had not lost one pound during all this time. The fitness instructor was shocked, and I was so frustrated at working so hard and not loosing any weight!”

“Then I ordered the Weight Watchers Home kit for $100. The same thing happened; it became far too easy to eat sweets every day. I started having all these female problems, and after doing research found out that low carbohydrate diets can help.”

“I felt really good when I tried low carbing two years ago. My blood work was good and then became excellent after following this way of eating.”

“I like the food, and I can have my big portions. I find it much easier to eat out, entertain, and travel. (This is important since I am in sales.) My big problem is what to have for snacks, the expense, and having patience. But I love to cook and so does my husband. We both are big eaters and love to try new recipes. I urge everyone to try new low carb recipes and new products.”

“I do lose weight, am never hungry, and don’t feel bloated like I was with other weight loss programs. It’s easier to eat low carbohydrate, and if I can train myself to stay away from the scale, I will be able to stick with it, I’m sure. Sixty pounds, for me, seems so far away. I am really encouraged that now there are so many good things you can get off the web.”

“I have hopes that this will alleviate some of the hot flashes, etc., I am now dealing with. My cholesterol has always been low, but my HDL, LDL and triglycerides are now excellent. I would like more control over my blood pressure, which I am told is genetic. I do sometimes have trouble sleeping when I am on this diet.”

“Most of my friends have tried and quit because they say it’s too hard. A lot of people on low fat diets criticize low carbohydrate eating and say that I am ruining my health. My husband doesn’t care what he eats, so he goes along with it because I eat this way. Since he has gotten older he sees that keeping weight off is a struggle, so he is less critical.”

Kelley offered up her tips for fellow low carbers:

• Cheating? If you choose to, just know it could take more than one day to loose the quick weight gain. Stay off the scale and don’t feel guilty. You made a choice to eat what you shouldn’t, so get over it.
• Stalls? They are a way of life. Take your measurements when you start and take them every week. Don’t get dependent on the scale for your self worth.
• The most important points to remember? Keep food in the house. Don’t bake or do those other things if the results are too tempting for you to resist.

Kelley’s favorite online low carb information and recipe list is:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LowVolALCSS/

We will be updating you on Kelley’s progress!