Low-Carb Diet Success Stories

Fern’s Story

By Linda

Growing up I was always the tall, skinny girl. I could eat anything I wanted, and I never gained weight. I was this way all throughout high school. Then, in my senior year, my metabolism started catching up with me. To everyone else, I was still that same old tall, skinny girl. But to myself, I was someone else. Granted, I knew I was still thin but I saw myself gaining weight. I was not happy with the way I looked and it only got worse as I headed to college.

I went away to college on a full basketball scholarship. Well, instead of staying active, I tore a ligament in my knee and couldn’t play for my entire freshman season. You’ve heard of the freshman 15 (the term for the supposed amount of weight every freshman puts on when they get to college)? I gained the freshman 25!! My face, my legs and my stomach got visibly fatter. I drank, smoked and partied every weekend as the fat piled on everywhere!

The summer after my freshman year, I was sick and lost all the weight I had put on. My weight fluctuated during college but when I graduated I was 172 lbs., as compared to 169 when I entered college.

When I graduated in May 2000, I decided it was my time to relax. I had been playing basketball for 11 years and I felt the need to be lazy. Well between last May and this April, my body responded to my relaxation by ballooning back up to 187. That is when I started the CKD, cyclical ketogenic diet.

I have been on low-fat diets before and they do work for me as long as I exercise. However, I had never heard of Atkins, CKD, or any other version of a low-carb way of eating. That is where Dan comes in.

When Dan told me about the CKD he does every summer, I was intrigued. How could you lose weight while eating all this fat? I researched the diet and found that this was something I would be interested in doing. Plus, we would be doing it together. We started in the beginning of April.

The CKD is intense! 20 g of carbs a day Monday through Friday. Friday night through Sunday, the “carb-up” occurs. We lifted weights Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights. We did cardio what felt like all the time! Monday through Friday AM cardio started at 30 mins a day. By the last week, we were doing cardio 60 minutes in the morning and 60 minutes at night Monday through Friday! It was hard work but I got great results from the CKD.

Here are my stats:

When the before pictures were taken, I almost cried! I saw all of the “side-chunk,” and I took one look at my butt and thought, is that what I look like? The pictures made me determined to lose weight! I think everyone should take before/after pictures no matter how you look. They are motivators and to see the difference is unbelievable!

So…here are some things that I have learned because of low-carbing:

• The scale is not as important as everyone makes it out to be. As long as I feel good about the way I look, then I am happy. The measuring tape is my new friend! Hehehe
• Do not be surprised if people are not accepting of low-carbing. Fortunately, those close to me were supportive. I did run into a few people who were totally against it. I tried to print out information for them to read but they wouldn’t even read it. I tuned out those people and told myself they were just uninformed and ignorant!
• Having a low-carb messageboard that accepts people that are doing different versions of low-carbing to come to is a god-send! All of you have played a part in my success because you have been supportive of the low-carb diet that works for me. You are a great bunch of people!
• Having a personal trainer as a boyfriend is a plus! All joking aside, I have Dan to thank for my success. He introduced me to the CKD, and he planned out the cardio and the weightlifting. I was the one doing the CKD but he got me started. Thanks Dan for being my inspiration. Your passion and love for what you do only make me love you more!

So, what now? The CKD has changed my life forever. I will always look at the carbs in everything I eat. The plan now is to follow a less strict CKD. I am going to try and eat a lower-carb diet during the week and only eat treats on the weekend. I also will be doing tons of cardio, abs and also weight-training. Hopefully, this will work for me. Actually, I know it will! With all the support I receive here and in my personal life, I am much more confident in what I can accomplish!

Linda
June, 11th 2001

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