Weight-Loss Story:
Sheila

Age 0, from USA

WEIGHT NOW (AND THE DATE): 110 from 141 (as of today, September 1st, 2003), taking me from a size 10 to a 2-4 (depending on manufacturer).

INCHES LOST: Hips: 3" . . . Waist: 4" . . . Chest: 2"
HOW LONG YOU HAVE MAINTAINED THIS WEIGHT: Since late 2001.
HEIGHT: 5'3"

3 MAINTENANCE TIPS:

1.) No excuses. Just do it. Don't forget how much effort you've put into your new body!

2.) No meals after 8 P.M.! Give your system a break & stick to water or green tea.

3.) Eat plenty of low-glycemic fruits, & make sure your vegetables take up most of your plate at mealtime!

FITNESS ROUTINE: 30 minutes on treadmill (4.4 mph) or recumbent bike, 6 days a week. Total Gym, twice a week. Pilates, 30 minutes, 4 days a week.

TYPICAL DAY'S MENU:

Breakfast: 1 cup cottage cheese with plenty of sliced strawberries.

Lunch: A huge spinach salad with parmesan cheese, olive oil, grilled chicken, cucumber slices, tomatoes, & broccoli.

Snack: ½ cup pumpkin with either a pint of raspberries or an apple.

Dinner: Fish with green beans; macadamia nut butter on celery sticks either for dessert or for a later evening snack.

I make sure to drink lots of water - and I also include 4 squeezed lemons or limes in every 64-ounce jug I consume.

My Before & After photos are attached! :) The After photo was taken yesterday.

My name is Sheila and i'm a full-time student. I'll be obtaining my Bachelors degree in English Literature in just a few months. I've been on the Atkins diet for over 2 years, experiencing a weight loss of 30 pounds in 5 months on my petite 5'3" frame. I recently penned my own low-carb dessert cookbook, Sheila's Super-Simple Low-Carb Desserts, which contains 150 original, all-dessert recipes, and am in efforts to have it published! I am also a monthly columnist for a low-carbohydrate magazine.
I had spent my youth & early adulthood on the heavy side - and I knew a size 8 was probably a little bigger than I should have been for my frame. However, no matter what I did, I just could not drop any weight! I was under the impression that drinking fruit juices, eating plenty of pasta, & eating processed, sugar-laden, fat-free foods was the answer - and once I hit 141 pounds and a size 10, I knew I had to try a different approach. To make matters worse, I had put these last 10 pounds on right before getting married two and a half years ago!

Looking back, I had never in my life been able to take off weight before - ever. I tried vegetarianism for 6 months, exercising more, exercising less, low-calorie dieting, moderate-calorie dieting - every variation imaginable. But the weight positively would not budge. "At least the *yo-yo* dieters are losing in the first place!" I thought, as such a predicament was so incredibly frustrating for me. I was very unhappily stuck at 141 pounds until I came across Atkins, and gave it a wholehearted shot - and when I saw that I'd dropped a tiny amount of weight just by the next morning, I just knew that I had a winner!
I lost 7 pounds of water weight in the first 2 weeks, & approximately a pound and a half a week thereafter - keeping my calories at about 2,100 a day (even more than before!), & maintaining the cardio and weight routine I had always done. Now four dress sizes down, 30 pounds trimmer, and enthused about my weight loss, I feel better than I ever have in my life! The energy is phenomenal! Even my already-low triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels both plummeted - in addition to my increase of HDL levels. As far as my friends & family noticing the changes, I had just moved to Manhattan to get married from my hometown of Dallas in mid-2001, & began the life change 2 months afterward. I saw my family & friends at home that Christmas - for the first time since having lost the weight - and they couldn't believe the difference! My husband is forever praising me on my muscle tone, and I've been so much more motivated to work out now that I truly see the results, having lost all of that extra body fat. I cannot believe that what I used to consider my worst asset, I now consider my best: my abdominals!

I even created an extensive website (SugarFreeSheila.com) devoted to the low-carbohydrate way of life, which includes my story, before & after photos, a grocery list, an original low-carbohydrate recipes page, and even a comprehensive FAQ - all geared specifically towards those considering this way of eating!
I have made it my life's mission to help others inform themselves of the many benefits of a low-carbohydrate lifestyle by simply eliminating table sugars & starches from their diets. (An important fact to remember in eating this way is that it's adequate protein - not "high protein," as many people unfortunately tend to believe; there are also plenty of fruits & vegetables, and yes - daily cardio is vital!) I spend much of my time answering e-mails & doing my best to lead others in the right direction towards health, to help motivate them, and to be a sort of strategist and weight loss coach and friend for them. My goal & calling in life is to help others & get the word out about healthy low-carbohydrate eating!




Based on 13848 votes, this diet story has an overall score of: 6.76

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Comments

(#1) Kat posted on Dec 13, 2005 (IP: 65.1.112.65)

Congratulations! This was a great article and very motivating.

(#2) Anonymous posted on Oct 25, 2005 (IP: 24.71.223.141)

u stole the pic from SELF magazine

(#3) sheila posted on Oct 19, 2004 (IP: 203.127.180.2)

hey ya.. im from singapore.. u look great.. u put alot of effort.. astonish!

(#4) Michael Rhoades posted on Aug 01, 2004 (IP: 198.81.26.39)

WOW I should put a photo of you in front of my treadmill. A beautiful woman is the best motivation for a man like myself !!

(#5) Anonymous posted on Jul 06, 2004 (IP: 211.150.217.79)

i think i will be success on my diet this time!you motivete me so much!

(#6) Chris Higgins posted on Mar 23, 2004 (IP: 198.81.26.39)

My God, you are GORGEOUS!!!

(#7) ChristineBee posted on Mar 03, 2004 (IP: 68.110.198.122)

Great tips, very inspiring. And you really look fanstastic. I think we all know in our hearts what needs to be done to lose weight. The hard part is staying motivated and focused when that bag of chips or cookies is right in front of you! Congratulations, and I hope to follow in your footsteps.

(#8) leespike posted on Dec 22, 2003 (IP: 196.3.191.25)

Wonderful, great going, and thanks for your stories. I am going for it - need to loose 70 pounds

(#9) Heather Fryer posted on Dec 01, 2003 (IP: 12.40.127.69)

What is hardest for me was actually sticking to my diet & motivating myself to excersise. Looking at your story has really boosted my esteme level. I am also 5'3" I weigh 138 and have tried everything (crying does not work either!) I can't even describe how I feel right now after reading your story, I am going to give it another try & really stick to it this time! I hope my results are as good as yours! I'll let you know! If you have any tips you want to email me my address is hfryer@cdtechno.com! Thanks for the motivation!

(#10) De posted on Oct 30, 2003 (IP: 67.23.150.67)

Wow, you look really great. Thanks for sharing your success with us all. Motivation is so important.

(#11) Anonymous posted on Sep 22, 2003 (IP: 24.100.176.201)

You look incredible now! Great job. Very inspiring.