Kathy's Story By Kathy
Vancouver, BC Hi! I am Kathy. I too am very happy with the low-carb way of life. Except for the torture which I will discuss later. Here is my story. 13 years ago I was 18 years old and 115lbs. Now to put that into perspective I am 5'4" and very large boned - right now I have 124lbs of lean muscle mass.. I was thin, skinny, close to unheathy, but did I realize this? No!! Did I see myself with some sort of perspective? No!! I thought I was fat cause I wore size 10 or 12 clothes instead of size 4, 6 or 8 like my sister did. So we enter my life at age 18. At 18 I had just graduated from high school (like most people) but I also moved away from my boyfriend and best friend by moving half way around the world with my parents and sister to live with my grandparents. Grandma's cooking, we could say that was part of the down fall, but I must admit so was not exercising, working graveyard shift and normal human aging and hormones, but in the next year and a half I gained 50 lbs! and so it begins . . . Instead of taking the practical approach and exercising, I joined weightwatchers, with my mother and grandmother, (who were very supportive) and I learnt the word DIET! This was my undoing, within a year another up 25 lbs and I haven't seen the underside of 178 since. I reached 190 a year, and many diets later where I spent the next few years and then up to 200 and a couple years ago up to 220. At this point I stopped dieting as I had never lost more than 7 or 8 lbs but had always gained so I started doing research, The Zone, Eat Right for your Blood Type, Sugarbusters, I have read them all and the studies behind them all, but as I was not dieting - I was trying the exercise only track I remained around 215-220. In June 1999 I was at my highest 224 and I was heading back in December to South Africa for the first time in 12 years to see all the people I had last seen at 18 (or 115lbs as my mind was seeing it). So I pressed even harder with the exercise, I worked out (walking) every day and used weights 3 times a week - in three months I had lost 8 lbs in total I was devastated! So I approached the food tack again I tried the Atkins diet, it made sense psychologically (in the theories) and I liked the foods, so it made sense physically as well, I started September 1st. Thanks giving was a hiccup I fell off for about a week and then I was back on till December 18th. I had by this time lost 40lbs in total. I was down to 184, which I hadn't seen in years, a decade maybe, and happy to be on the beach in South Africa a slimmer me. I did get down to 179 for about a minute but I am still around 184 (I float between 182 and 186) but for the last few months I have been dealing with the Baskin n Robbins torture. Every time I am back on track I loose out to a Ice Cream sundae, but I am happy maintaining and in September I am back in control with one break for thanksgiving dinner and on till Christmas once again. My sister is getting married in May and I want to be down to 144-150 for the wedding. I am happier, healthier and more energetic, when I stick strictly to this WOE but I am happy to take it slowly, my next step is work outs and weight training (I don't want to have flabby arms at the wedding!!!) I will keep you updated, and I look forward to hearing your stories too. Kathy
(224/184/144) |
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