Maehing From South Carolina’s Low Carb Success Story

Maehing is from South Carolina and is 32 years old. She has followed the Atkins way of life since November 1, 2000. Maehing has gone from 264 pounds to just 8 pounds from her goal weight, now weighing in at 178. She has dropped from a size 22 to a 12.

“I entered the world weighing 9 pounds, 15 ounces,” she told me, “and I have steadily gained over the past 32 years! I was overweight as a child, youth, and young adult, as well as an adult. I am 5’11 1/2, and have been this tall since my junior year in high school, so I have had my height to help hide my weight.”

Maehing’s past diet experiences included Fit for Life, Herbalife, Fastins, the Cabbage Diet, and the “crazy, lose 10 pounds in 3 day diet where you eat only the things on the list for breakfast, lunch and dinner,” she told me. Maehing tried each to lose weight, wanting quick results in a short amount of time. Her longest attempt was Herbalife, which she followed for four or five months.

“The best I felt on any of these diet attempts was Herbalife because I had more energy,” Maehing said. “The worst was Fastins. I thought my heart was going to explode after taking those pills for a month! I felt deprived, hungry, and had heart palpitations. I love real food, and I did not do well on deprivation diets. If I am following a diet and I am hungry, the diet won’t not last for long. I’ll never try it again.”

“I gained all the weight back from these attempts and then some! I finally came to the realization that I did not get fat overnight, and I will not get skinny overnight either. However, low carb living has made a new me in a short amount of time! Low carb living is for me!”

Maehing knew a few people from work who had good experiences with low carbing. “I actually ‘sat’ on the Atkins’ book for two years before reading it. I am a carbohydrate junkie! I know this now after following the diet and changing my way of eating. You just are not hungry eating this way. If you are creative and like to cook like I do, it makes it really fun to come up with new recipes and ideas. I have more energy now than ever in my life!”

“The weight just seemed to fall off from the beginning. I lost about 14 pounds during the two week induction period. It has steadily fallen off since! I was losing an average of five pounds a week the first few months. It is easy, easy, easy and is definitely something I can stick with the rest of my life. I will never be fat again because thin never looked or felt so good.”

“The bad part is I miss bread every day. However, I have mastered baking my own bread and have it as a treat.”

Maehing has experienced some wonderful health benefits from low carbing beyond weight loss. “My energy level is through the roof!” she said. “I am not a power napper anymore! I use to nap daily, and would get kind of grumpy if I didn’t get my nap. Not any more! My physical in March of this year revealed total cholesterol of 198, sugars 84. I am healthy as a horse! My hair is growing more, and my complexion has cleared up!”

All of Maehing’s family and friends have been very supportive of her. “My brother and sister have both done low carbing. I have many friends, coworkers and acquaintances that have converted after witnessing my success.”

“I have always been a very people-oriented kind of person, no matter how big or small I have been. I love me unconditionally, and I love others unconditionally, but it sure does feel good to know there is a little less of me to love! My younger sister has always been thin. I have had two experiences now when people thought that I was her. I ran into a friend of mine from high school in the grocery store who asked, “Well how is Maehing these days?” When I corrected him and told him that I was Maehing, we laughed. People probably thought that we were nuts! My hairdresser thought that I was my sister just two weeks ago. I had not been in to see her in a few months because she was off work due to surgery. I had my sisters kids with me, so I guess she thought that I was her. She felt really silly too.”

Maehing feels that doing your homework and really learning about low carbohydrate eating is extremely important. “I feel that I have really done my homework with the low carb way of living. I look in the mirror and see the same old Maehing, just a bit smaller. My advice to others is to read the book, read it again, and then once more. Buy Corinne Netzer’s Complete Food Counts; it is heaven sent. Know that dietary fiber can be subtracted out of your daily carbohydrate intake. (I did not know that until a few months ago.) Be creative when cooking. Be prepared when it comes to stocking your kitchen. It is so much easier and less tempting if the kitchen is low carb friendly.”

Maehing also feels that inspiration and self motivation are a key component to successful low carbing. “Have inspirational things all over the house to remind you of how far you have come. I bought a size 14 tall women’s pair of 550 Levis and stuck the size and price tag on the fridge so I see it every day. It really works. Now they are too big. and I am working on the size 10 tall! Keep a journal of weights, measurements and dress sizes through this incredible journey to the new you. Tell everyone “Thank you!” sincerely when they compliment you on your weight loss. Be yourself and have fun with low carbing.”

Maehingcarbing.”

Maehing believes not only in getting help from others, but helping others in turn. “Be someone’s mentor or have one of your own. My mentor is Tony, my boss, and buddy. Tony went from 215 to 165. He is a cute little package of only 5′ 6″ or so, so 215 on him was pretty big. He went from a 40 waist to a 32! Help others who decide to give it a whirl. It helps you too! It’s tough here at the end, getting the last few pounds off, but looking back at the old me……..I have come a long way baby!”

“In closing,” Maehing said, ” I would like to say thank you for all the hard work you, at CarbSmart do in the low carb world. We all need it to combat all of the bad stuff that is said about our way of eating. Keep up the great work!”

Maehing has done some great work herself, don’t you think? Congratulations, Maehing! You have come a long way!