Low Carb Success Story Leigh Ann Bishop

Low Carb Success Story Leigh Ann Bishop by Amy Dungan in the June 2013 issue of CarbSmart Magazine.

Leigh Ann Bishop Stat Box

• Age: 38
• Start Weight: 221
• Current Weight: 170
• Height: 5′ 11”
• Plan: Low-Carb

Leigh Ann Bishop has been married for 18 years and is the mother of 3 beautiful. Living in South Mississippi, she has an important and busy job as a homemaker. She devotes her time to her family, coaching softball, and her church. She has also devoted time to caring for herself, as you’ll learn in this month’s inspiring success story.

Rock Bottom

At 221 pounds on her 5′ 11” frame, Leigh Ann was miserable and self‑conscious. She lacked the
energy to do the things she enjoyed, and disliked the way she looked. Hitting rock bottom, while hitting a new high on the scale, she was determined to make a change. She’d tried diet pills and other mainstream plans with little success. A classic yo‑yo dieter, she knew she had to make a lifestyle change. She was tired of losing the same 20 pounds over and over.

All In The Family

Seeing success in others is often the first impetus to deciding to try something for yourself. This is how it happened for Leigh Ann. Her aunt, mom and step‑dad had all lost weight with a low carb plan, and while she was originally skeptical, she decided it couldn’t hurt to give it a shot. On September 27, 2010, she enthusiastically jumped in with both feet. She lost close to 10 pounds in the first week, a great motivator to keep at it. Leigh Ann told me “Eating low carb meant I didn’t stay hungry, as I had on all other diets I had been on. I felt full and satisfied, and the weight continued to come off!”

Rise To The Top

Leigh Ann has that story we all wish we could tell. She lost an amazing 51 pounds, reaching her goal weight of 170 in just about 16 weeks! On January 13, 2013, she celebrated two years of maintenance at her ideal weight. She admits that she was scared of regaining, but reminded herself this was a lifestyle change, not a diet. That mode of thinking has served her well!

Now Leigh Ann enjoys vacationing in the mountains and going on simple hikes, things she couldn’t easily do when she was at her heaviest. Coaching her daughter’s ball team, or buying a shirt in a medium instead of an XL, may seem like small things to some, but to Leigh Ann it’s made all the difference in the world. Looking back at older pictures of herself, she is inspired to stay the course. “I just look at that person I don’t even recognize and remember where I came from. I never ever will go back to that. I made myself a promise.” she says.

Encouraging Others

I asked Leigh Ann what she’d say to encourage others just starting, or maybe stuck, on the sometimes rocky path of low-carb living. Her reply was fantastic: “Never sell yourself short on an opportunity to improve your quality of life, and do it for yourself, not for anyone else. You are the only one who can control what you eat.” Leigh Ann says the most valuable lesson she’s learned from low carb living is that eating the right foods will allow you to be full and satisfied, while still losing weight ‑ you don’t have to starve to take care of yourself.

Looking Ahead

Leigh Ann still sticks to low carb ‑ shunning bread, sugars, and starches. She’s found many ways to make healthier versions of her favorite high‑carb foods, which she credits with helping her stay on track. She plans to continue to enjoy the everyday activities with her family that were so difficult just a few short years ago. She’s enjoying the new person she has become and not letting a minute go by without living to the fullest. She’s even considering running a local 5K, which is a big deal for a previously overweight person. “I feel like I can do anything!” she says. I fully believe you can Leigh Ann, and we are all cheering you on.

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