Nancy From Tennessee’s Low Carb Success Story

Success Stories

Nancy from Monterey, Tennessee did not start low carbing for weight loss. Nancy is 69 years old, 5′ 3″ tall, weighed 111 pounds, and wore a size 6 when she began Dr. Richard Bernstein’s program more than six years ago to control her diabetes. Today she still wears a size 6 and now weighs 114 pounds.

“I’m sure this is a different slant on low carbing,” Nancy told me, “but more and more diabetics are switching to low carbohydrate eating because for many people it really works!”

“I had no problem with weight until I was diagnosed with diabetes in 1996. I went on the American Diabetics Association diet for 5 months and lost weight but I also lost all the muscle mass in my thighs and hips, leaving nothing but bone to sit on,” she chuckled.

“I’ve known about low carbing since the early 70s when the Atkins diet book first came out. My daughter tried it and lost weight. I didn’t need to lose any weight, but I supported her.”

“After trying the ADA diet, losing weight I didn’t need to lose and my blood glucose continuing to get higher, I decided I hadto do something to control my diabetes. I decided to go against the advice of the CDE (Certified Diabetic Educator) and dietitian and began low carbing. With support from e-mail friends I started the low carbohydrate way of eating, and within three days my blood glucose had dropped to normal levels! When my doctor saw the results he wholeheartedly supported my diet.”

“Mostly, it’s a very easy diet to follow. It is satisfying and I feel good. Restaurant eating is easy, and cooking at home gives me a vast variety of delicious meals. Once in a while I miss those crusty little rolls, though,” Nancy smiled.

“The disadvantage to low carbohydrate eating shows up when I am trying to eat at someone’s house. It seems that many people really don’t know what ‘carbohydrates’ are! They replace potatoes with applesauce, rice with green noodles, and fix meats with all kinds of thick sauces while assuring me there isn’t any ‘sugar’ in anything. The traditional diabetic diet leaves me starving, but I’ve learned (the hard way) to carry sausage sticks and/or cheese with me. ”

“I can stick with this way of eating for the rest of my life. Sometimes I envy those who are on it just to lose weight. First, if they splurge it only stops their weight loss. Second, they can look forward to the time when they are at their goal weight and can increase their carbohydrate intake level. I’m stuck with my 30 grams of carbohydrates a day for life.”

“The critical benefit of low carbing for me is normal blood sugar levels and the resulting good health that brings. I couldn’t ask for much more than that!”

“Lots of people have told me low carbing isn’t healthy. When I see the CDE in the grocery store, she looks in my cart and says, ‘You can’t keep this up!’ But I have nothing but good, positive support from my husband, my family, and my doctor. Even my dog loves my diet!” Nancy laughed.

“The first 2 weeks are the hardest. That’s when you still have to measure things and look up carbohydrate counts. You still have longings for those fruits and starchy things you’re used to eating. I had another hard time after I’d been low carbing for four years. I just got tired of saying no to fruits, no breads, and no rice. (Rice, in particular, used to be a passion of mine) The difficulty passed in a couple of days, though. If you splurge, just jump right back on the diet. Don’t allow and guilty feelings; just get back to being determined!”

“I don’t fix desserts or sweets at home. I think this just keeps our minds on sweets and makes it harder when we are out somewhere trying to say ‘no’ to that wonderful array of tarts & cakes.”

“Yes, I do splurge, one or twice a year. But I discovered after the first bit of something forbidden, it usually doesn’t taste as good as I thought it would or as my memory of it was. Where we live we have fruit trees that only produce fruit about once every 5 years. This past summer our peach tree had huge peaches on it. As they started to ripen I kept thinking about them. I finally decided eating one wouldn’t kill me, but denying myself would nearly break my heart. I went to the orchard, picked the biggest, ripest peach and stood there under the tree and ate it, juice dripping down my arm and off my elbow. Never have I eaten anything better! Maybe we’ll have peaches again in another 5 years and I’ll do it again. But, only one peach eaten slowly, with sheer enjoyment of every morsel, for memories to last another 5 years.”

“As the years have gone by, more and more products are appearing in the stores to accommodate low carbohydrate eating. It makes it easier to have variety without a lot of slaving over a hot stove,” Nancy concluded.