I was one of the 4.68% who answered "to avoid diabetes."

My mom called me in early Feb. to announce, with dread in her voice, "I've been diagnosed with Type II diabetes." We talked for two hours straight, putting together all the things I knew from books and had told her in bits and pieces over the past few years. This time, though, she absorbed the information like a sponge. As they say, when the student is ready, the teacher appears.

Watching her turn her diet around on a dime for two weeks inspired me. The weight was melting off, her lab results were getting better, and she was feeling more energetic and clear-headed. I decided that if my 67-year-old mother could turn her diet and life around on a dime, then, by golly, I could, too. As they say, when the student is ready, the teacher appears.

45 lbs later and tons of energy later, I'm sticking with this WOE. It's obviously good for me, and it gives me a valid reason to indulge my passion for food.

wow, acohn, you lost 45 pounds in three months??!! What is your secret? do you work out? how many carbs per day? do you ever cheat?

I'm curious about how much I will lose in the next two months (so perhaps I can put on a pair of shorts for my summer sea-doo'ing trips...lol). I am 235, so our stats look similar. Please tell me your secrets!

I apologize to the rest of the community for replying in public. Usually, I would reply to GirlGeek's question privately, but she is unable to receive private messages at this time.

I guess I should always include the disclaimer "Results not typical. Individual result will vary." when I post my weight loss. If I am a poster child for low-carb eating, it is because my metabolic type(1) is well-suited for this type of eating, not because I did anything other than adhere to the low-carb guidelines. It's clear that people's results vary greatly on this WOE, and some people even suffer when they try it. Therefore, the particulars of my food and exercise plans may not work well for others.

With those disclaimers out of the way, I don't think I have any secrets. I just follow the dietary guidlines rigorously. I started out following the Eades' Protein Power plan, at intervention level, purist style (except for the occasional protein bar). I did not exercise at all for the first six weeks I was on the plan; I could handle only so much change at once.

I adapted the eating plan to my metabolic type at this point. My diet is now 65-70% fat. A diet this high in fat is probably not appropriate for most low-carb eaters. Even I was uneasy about eating this much fat at first, until I saw the results and I read the metabolic typing book.

I also started walking on a treadmill at the six-week mark, just 20 minutes at 2.5 mph. I've built up the duration and intensity of the treadmill routine since then. I just recently started doing resistance training, and I'm not very far along.

If I have any secrets, it's mostly the inspiring example of my mother and my fear of Type II diabetes. Perhaps another is that I don't feel deprived, hungry, or anxious when I follow this WOE. Those have always been my downfalls before. Those factors make the discipline required -- making practically all of my food at home (from scratch), exercising regularly -- possible for me. I also participate in support forums like these. They help me keep my focus, get support and information, and support others. It just an electronic variation of hanging out with a crowd that supports you and knows what you're going through, based on having been there themselves.

As to cheating on the diet, I do, about once every 10 days. Since I (a) fill up quickly, and (b) have strong, sudden hunger, I usually make sure to have a healthy snack (hard-boiled egg, meatloaf) with me at all times. I also carry gum. Still, when I'm very tired, I still turn to food to cope. But these days, I'll binge on nuts, avocado, and whatever protein is around, not chips and cookies.


(1)Harold Kristal, DDS, and James Haig, NC. The Nutrition Solution: A Guide to Your Metabolic Type.

because nothing else worked for me

I chose low carbing to lose weight. But being a member of these forums have really been changing my mind and causing me to see this as a way of life. I hope I can keep it up.

I'm one of those people who has tried every diet on earth. And , of course, the minute I "went off" of it I gained all back and then some. In fact, everyone I knew who had ever tried diets had the same experience. I knew some people who were on Atkins and they lost weight and generally became more healthy so I thought I would at least read about it. I did and realized it was a lifetime committment but also it was someting I can live with. So here I am almost a year later, 38 pounds lighter and as committed as ever. I don't ever even think of cheating with HC. It doesn't interest me. I do still eat too much at times and am having to learn portion control. But all in all I love this WOE as a committed lifestyle!

Because at 43, the 60 lbs. I want to get rid of seemed to be stuck forever, and starving myself on a lowfat diet had never worked. Because my blood pressure was borderline and it looked like I would have to go on medication (strong family history of HBP and heart disease), and so many people I know were geetting diagnosed diabetic ... I had to do something different.

My sister had given me the Carbohydrate Addicts Lifestyle Plan and what I read made sense, although a little complicated to work with. I bought the DANDER book at Costco and reading the first chapter I said "this is me". Since mid-July I lost 23 lbs, my blood pressure is normal and I feel great. This will be my WOE for life ...

I went LC to lose weight I gained when my hormones got messed up on depo-provera. It was at the suggestion of other depo disaster "survivors". I was willing to give it a shot, but I seriously doubted that it would set my hormones straight. What does sugar and insulin have to do with hormones, I wondered. Well, the proof was in the LC pudding! Everything's running like clockwork now and I'm almost 100% PMS/depression/other-crappy-hormone-symptom FREE!

Because it WORKS!

I started low carb to lose weight for a formal ball in Nov 2002. My son was 20mths and I still had a bit of pregnancy weight on me. My girlfriend, whom I hadnt seen in forever, got in touch with me and she was weighing around 120 but the whole time I knew her she weighed around 160 or so. I had always been much smaller than her and realized how bad I wanted to find a diet that was going to work for me. She suggested Atkins so I dieted 1 mth before the ball and dropped from 167 to 152. Ever since, I have been on the diet, some months more serious than the other months. I hover between 146 and 150 now. Im going to an International Red Cross Ball in February , so just after New Years Im going to get very strict again and drop as much as possible. Theres a dress I wore to our USMC Ball before being pregnant with my son, that I want to wear.

My doctor suggested LCing as a way to lose weight and keep a suspected sugar intolerance at bay. She mentioned several LC plans and said try them all until you find one that suits your lifestyle.

Sugarbusters worked quickly for me (although I had a heck of time keeping up with the rules) but I soon gained back all the weight. Then I found Atkin's. Nothing has worked like this before! :thup:

Hi there!,,, i chose the low carb diet to have healthy body, out of stress and probably look good in my clothes ;)

I started Atkins to avoid diabetes and also to lose weight and feel better. I had gestational diabetes with my last pregnancy and had to give myself insulin shots. I don't want to ever have to do that again! I have a family history of diabetes. My grandmother died from it, and I have an aunt and uncle that are insulin dependent now too.

I have polycystic ovarian syndrom, so unless I want to be 200lbs, I gotta eat this way.

I chose low carb because I've always struggled with my weight and I couldnt bear another low fat slim-fast diet - I would always lose weight on those but I'd hate every minute of it!