Linda From Florida’s Low Carb Success Story

Low-Carb Success Stories

Linda from Florida is 57 years old and 5′ 7″ tall. Linda has followed The Schwarzbein Principle since mid-January, 2002, and for four years prior to that followed The Carbohydrate Addict’s Diet. Her pre-low carb weight was 275 pounds; she currently weighs 205 pounds and has dropped from a size 24 to a size 16.

“My earliest recollection is of my mother admitting to “fattening me up” as a baby to the point I could not even stand on my own until I was 18 months old. My poor little legs were so blubbery!”

“I had major open heart surgery at 14. I went into the hospital at 160 pounds and came out at 165. I starved myself in high school and got down to 135 pounds, but I was sick all the time.”

“By age 20, I was bingeing on carbs. A nearby bakery had incredible cupcakes which were the size of large muffins. I’d eat a half dozen at a time, or a dozen sugar doughnuts, or a whole cake. It was disgusting, I still can’t believe I did that.”

“I starved myself again when my daughter was three and I left her father. I went from weighing 225 pounds down to about 190 pounds. I managed to keep my weight there until I remarried, but my weight steadily went up from there no matter what I tried. Diet pills, starvation, liquid protein, low calorie, Weight Watchers – you name it, I tried it.”

“I can’t honestly remember all of my weight loss attempts, but I do remember clearly that my uncle, an MD, gave me amphetamines! I’d take one on a Monday morning, wouldn’t sleep until Thursday, and get sick on Friday and Saturday. He “wondered” why I didn’t like them. I was desperate to get rid of the hated, unhealthy, life-robbing, self-image-degrading FAT. However, I never stayed on anything more than a month before I was sick as a dog, weak, sleepless, and with plagued colds, flu, sore throats – anything having to do with a lowered immune system. Emotionally, I was prone to depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. I had to deal with them being considerably worsened by the attempts to cut calories or fats.”

“I must add, I did lose weight once on Atkins, at the very beginning of his fame. I stayed on it a month and thought I would die from the stench I was giving off being in ketosis. I also had a cousin become ill while she was doing it, so that clinched it for me. I went off. I also had horrible constipation. I believe we need fiber, vegetables, variety, and things to keep the colon clean, for you are only as healthy as the state of your colon.”

***Note From Julie: The original Atkins program advocated a far more restricted carbohydrate consumption, thus fiber and vegetable sources was more limited than newer versions.

“While living in St. Louis, a friend lent me a copy of The Carbohydrate Addicts Diet. I read it and was totally in shock! It was ME the Hellers were talking about! I began following it, but not totally. It still managed to knock about 40 pounds off in around five years. What a breath of fresh air that was! The logic was impeccable and unassailable.”

When I got diagnosed with diabetes

“When I got diagnosed with diabetes in January, I went straight to Diana Schwarzbein’s book, The Schwarzbein Principle. In my health business (I’m an herbalist), I had recommended it to every diabetic and ALL were able to gain mastery of their blood sugars in no time flat. It worked for me, too. In 10 days I went from blood glucose levels of 418 to the 100-120 range!”

“I was taking a tiny bit of meds on a temporary basis until the herbs and other nutrients could kick in. I lost about 22 pounds until I began supplementing with the Malibu Naturals Carb-Lo program. It is a very inexpensive couple of products that have a main goal of suppressing the blood sugar spikes that trigger insulin flows from the pancreas. I am now losing about two pounds a week with this system.”

“Dr.Schwarzbein points out, dramatically, the terrible and deleterious effects that cutting fats and calories have on our bodies and the damage that way of eating can wreak on anyone, not only physically, but mentally, and emotionally as well. I believe everyone needs to read her book, and diabetics most of all!”

“The bad part of low carbing is that it can be very hard to do outside the home if you must depend on fast food places. The world is geared to high carb consumption or drinking deadly neurotoxins (aspartame). The good part is that it WORKS. It is healthful and emotionally satisfying. For me, it is working perfectly because this is how we were DESIGNED to eat. It is the easiest program I’ve ever done in my life, and even though I fully intend to put my diabetes into total remission, I will NEVER go back to the old way of eating. It’s just too dumb and I have already paid a price with major cardiac problems as a result of not knowing the truth.”

“My husband acts more like we are honeymooners after 24 years of marriage this year. He is thrilled out of his mind because he knows that I am finally able to tackle and win over my various health challenges, all of which are an outcome of my former bad eating habits and obesity, along with undiagnosed diabetes.”

“My daughter, who will be 31 in June, has some major hypoglycemic tendencies and is therefore exceedingly cautious about how and what she eats. She is learning from me what to do. Hypoglycemia is simply a precursor to hyperglycemia, aka diabetes. She not only has the genes from me, but my mother was also a diabetic and died as a result of complications arising from the disease. So I feel I am helping save my daughter’s life in the process.”

I asked Linda From Florida for any advice she had to offer other low carbers.

“As far as cheating, you’re only cheating yourself. If you eat the right things, you cannot possibly WANT those things. Eat until you are FULL, stuffed if need be, but don’t leave room for the cheating stuff. Besides, carbs are AN ADDICTION, and addictions can be broken. I did, and believe me, if I did it anyone can. NEVER let yourself feel deprived OR hungry.”

“Stalling happens; welcome it. The body has to take time to get rid of mountains of flesh, miles of capillaries, millions of excess cells. Remember Richard Simmons’ story of losing so fast he had to have plastic surgery to remove all the excess skin? So, if you don’t have stalls once in a while, you’ll end up looking like a Shar Pei puppy! UGH!”

“The most important thing to remember is to eat regularly and don’t skip meals. If you don’t want a full meal, fine, eat a protein bar, shake, some tuna, etc. I always keep at least something ready (chicken, ham, turkey, roast beef, etc.) so I can eat it at odd hours. Cottage cheese works well for me, too. If I REALLY feel the need for some carbs, I take about 1/4 cup of plain Cheerios, dry, eaten one or two Os at a time. It has never had an impact on my blood sugar, plus is quite healthy. I keep my protein bars chopped up in little pieces in a candy dish in the living room so I can grab a piece while my husband is wolfing down brownies, or cookies!”

“EVERYONE SHOULD do this; anyone can! This is NOT just to lose weight. It is to avoid miseries like heart and kidney disease, neuropathy, arthritis, blindness, and about 80% of the diseases that plague us. I also feel there is a cancer connection. Obesity and overeating carbohydrates compromises the immune system, and the key literally to our life is to keep the immune system up and functioning well.

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