This is a photo taken of me this past Saturday (October 5th 2013) out on the boat with my Great Dane named Slim.
I’m 40, by the way, and around 5’5″ (on a good day lol). Probably more accurate to say 5’4.5″. I am approximately 15 pounds from my goal weight – maybe 20. I’ll know when I get there. 😉
In my last post, I talked about my low carb journey a bit, and how bad my eating habits used to be. I started low carb after a horrible binging phase – of serious emotional overeating.
It started with a serious heartbreak, then other circumstances just compounded one after the other. You know how life can be sometimes. We all have our tough phases.
I don’t think words alone do the term “binging” justice. I found this picture the other day while looking through some old Facebook photos…
That was a typical dinner for me. This particular meal was deep fried veal smothered in sauce and cheese, with pasta on the side, and TWO desserts. 😯
Notice the size of the cake on the right. It takes up the WHOLE take-out box. This picture just blows me away. There’s no way in h*ll I could possibly consume that much food in one sitting at this point in my life. I can’t believe I ever could.
But I did. And I paid for it.
Low Carb Diet Before and After Weight Loss Pictures
I wish I had some good “fat pictures” but unfortunately I either deleted them or cropped the heck out of them because I was so embarrassed about the weight I gained. That said, I did manage to find a few floating around the web that at least show the weight in my face and upper body:
I wore huge/loose shirts, to try to cover the “rolls”.
Here’s a side by side contrast of before and after pictures. You can see an obvious difference in my face in the After Picture (left) and the Before Picture (right):
I do wish I had taken more “before pictures” but in all honesty, I was so disgusted with myself at the time that I avoided cameras at all costs – or immediately cropped most of the photo. 😛 This is what I look like now – and this photo was also taken just days ago:
Two years ago I NEVER would have worn such short shorts. At 40, I still wouldn’t – except out on the boat. 😉 I’m just so happy I don’t have dimply goopy-looking thighs bulging out the bottom of those shorts anymore!!! I wouldn’t have worn sleeveless shirts or tanks either. I did my best to hide the fat on and under my upper arms (which was gross). I do still have a little pudge around the waist, but that’s coming off now that I’ve recovered from my abdominal surgery in February of this year – and back to being able to eat Low Carb.
I would love to hear YOUR success story, or see your weight loss before and after pictures. Leave a comment below, and leave a link to your low carb weight loss success pictures if you have them! 😉 *cheers*
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Join us in the Low Carb Challenge! 😀
I don’t have any before and after pics, but I have lost 35# the last 6 months on a very low carb diet. I started low carbing after being diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. It is really easy once you get past the first 3 days.
Congratulations, Barbara!! π And I agree, it definitely gets easy once you get going. I find that eating Low Carb makes me have less of an appetite and also totally changes my food preferences – cutting out usual cravings altogether.
A lot of people worry about giving up this or that, but if they give it a shot and stick it out for 3-4 days, they’ll find they won’t even crave (or want) those things anymore. It works almost like magic! π
Slim needs to have a life vest on Outward Hound has a good one for sale. Oh and you look fabulous!
I have one for him, Olivia. π We were really close to the bank in this picture, it was before we took off for the day. But he actually doesn’t like to swim and doesn’t take any risks about getting in the water, lol. He does love the boat though!! And THANK YOU. I feel AMAZING!! π
Dang girl, you look good! You are an inspiration to me!
Thank you Emma π
I started low carb living in February. Since then I have lost 62 lbs and 20% of my starting body weight. I still want to lose 35 more (started at 240, now 178 goal 135). Love that you are sharing your story!
Wow, congratulations Julie!! That’s a lot of weight to lose, and I bet it feels GREAT, doesn’t it?
You look great, Lynn! Are you trying to steal Slim’s name or something? π
Way to go! Keep going!
LOL π He’s actually plumping up. I keep telling him I’m going to have to change HIS name. haha. I adopted him from a local rescue and he was malnourished and underweight. Obviously not anymore. π
Hi Lynn you look so inspirational, you really do fit the bill. All the best for the last bit. The emotional roller coaster binge eating certainly does pile on the weight.
YES it does. :p Ugh! Talk about regrets. I try to put it behind me, and just keep moving forward in my life. And thank you – this has all been SO worth it!!! *cheers*
I’m glad you cropped me out of the one pic, because that’s a “fat pic” of me as well (I’m pretty sure that’s my hand on your shoulder). I recently was on some new meds that made me bloated and I had to resort to that shirt again. I asked the doctor for something different, so hopefully can put it in the back of the closet again!
Good luck! And yes, it was you. π It was so cool to finally have a chance to meet in person after all these years. We must plan it again soon!
Last year I was on Progesterone for about 7 months, and it totally stalled my weight loss. I’m glad to be off of it, but post-hysterectomy I was told to expect to gain a minimum of 20-25 pounds in the first year. I said “Watch me – I am NOT a statistic!” π I do love a good challenge… π
Looking great girl and you must be feeling great too π
I really am, Jedha – thank you so much. π
Awesome!! Keep on rockin Lynn
Thank you Johnny Mac!! So great to hear from you. How in the world are you?!? π
Doing awesome Lynn, Love your blog for low-carb tips and weight loss. Ty π
Soooo HAPPY to see this!! Thank you so much for sharing!! I have very few before shots too and don’t have my “after” YET π
Thank you Amy! Keep at it – you’ll feel AMAZING!! π
Congratulations! You look fantastic! Any words of wisdom for those of us that have struggled (unsuccessfully) to stay on plan. Any tips?
Thank you Debbie! π This post may help:
http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/3991/how-to-stick-to-a-diet/
Also see: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/4005/how-to-do-low-carb-for-weight-loss-easily/
And be sure to join us at the http://www.90DayLowCarbChallenge.com – we keep each other inspired & motivated! π
I visit your blog all the time…it’s such an inspiration! I was doing low carb before I got pregnant last year – I had my little boy in February but didn’t start low carbing again until June of this year…so far i’m down a total of 40(ish) pounds since Isaak was born. Being a busy new mom plus low carb is a great combo! lol
Thank you Erika!! And congrats on the new baby AND losing 40 pounds! π
awwwww… just hello from one Low Carber.. and Dane owner… love your blog and your ideas.. since we travel a lot.. going to dog shows… … always looking for ideas and tips …
thanks…
Monika
Great to meet you Monika! π
You look absolutely wonderful! Well, my journey is just beginning. I have been over weight for a majority of my life. I remember being a chubby kid, (started by about the age of 7), I just packed on the pounds as I got older, eating whatever I craved. (which was usually always fried, smothered, or breaded)
So growing up I was “chubby”, then I got pregnant in 2001 with my first child and my weight literally went through the flippin’ roof. I gained 112lbs during my pregnancy. (an ENTIRE person!) Well, I did what most pregnant when do, if I craved something I ate it. Problem was I always craved the same thing, PIZZA. I was literally eating it almost daily during my pregnancy. I was at a whopping 305lbs. I stayed at that weight for several years, didn’t gain, didn’t lose- my body plateaued and became “comfortable” at that weight. Then in 2006, I became pregnant again, and this time I only gained 34 lbs. This happened for two reasons, A: I was aware of what I was eating and watching it, and B: with this baby I craved mostly healthy stuff!. After I had my second child, my body reverted back to what it was used to, I lost the baby weight but was still at 305, steadily. In 2007, a couple of months after giving birth the second time, I went to see a new OB doctor. As soon as he walked into the exam room to meet me, he said he thought immediately. “You have PCOS.” He brought PCOS up during the exam. I had no idea what it was, he explained it to me and soon everything started making sense about my weight problem. Did I do it to myself? Absolutely. However, I found out by having the PCOS, it makes it extremely difficult to lose weight once its been gained. It also means that I am a borderline type II diabetic. So I was put on a medication called “Metformin”, saw a nutritionist, was given a list of good and bad foods and went home. For the first couple of days I was strict with myself followed Dr’s orders, etc, but then I went back to my old ways again, eating a lot of packaged foods, read-to-eat meals, I frequented the drive-thru with the kids often and eventually forgot about being on a diet at all. In 2008, I tried the HCG shots and lost 40lbs in a month, but that was short-lived & a VERY grueling 500 calorie per day diet (not to mention ridiculously expensive) and I gained it all back quickly. In 2013 I suffered a major blow. I lost my closest friend of 12 years to Leukemia. It nearly killed me. I went on a binge-eating spree unlike any other and gained an additional 50lbs. So there I was, 350lbs. Depressed, in physical and mental pain and pretty much had lost hope. In 2010 I developed degenerative disc disease in my spine due to carrying around this heavy body for so long. In 2009 I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and put on medication to help keep it in check. In 2013 I was diagnosed with adult on-set asthma. Being fat doesn’t just mean you carry around extra weight, over time you develop many other health issues as well.
I officially hit rock bottom on March 12, 2015. I woke up that morning, went to the bathroom- starting my day as I always do. When I passed by the bathroom mirror, I literally stopped and gasped. Its like for all of those years (12 to be exact), I never really SAW how bad it had gotten until just then. I woke up. I literally WOKE UP. That day I made a promise to myself. A promise I will not break. I am determined to do this. No diet drugs, pills, no HCG needles, no weight loss surgery. I was going to do it for life long results and I was going to do it the healthy way. I did not want to look at this journey as a diet or something I feel forced to do, but rather a life change.
Since starting this journey 3 weeks ago, I have lost a total of 22 lbs. I do not starve myself. If I am hungry, I eat. I just make sure that what I have is on my list of stuff I can eat.
My method? I have daily carb allowance, not to exceed 50 net carb grams per day. I start out every morning with a protein shake, (the premier protein shakes from Sams Club are my favorite as they are recommended by the board of Bariatric Surgeons as well as the best tasting and have the highest protein count (30g in one shake) and least amount of carbs (3 impact carbs) of any I have found.) I am also a big label reader. I use natural sweeteners instead of sugar, (Stevia and Splenda) I eat organic if at all possible, and stay away from foods with unnatural sweeteners and nitrates as these are unnecessary chemicals and hormones that our bodies do NOT need.
My weight loss started off fast (13bs in the first week), but now its slowing down. I average 1-2lbs per day, which is healthy not impulsive sudden weight loss. This is for me! I look forward to getting off the blood pressure and pre-diabetic medications at some point and building up the strength in my back over time so the degenerative disc disease in my back won’t feel so brutal anymore. Did you know that for every pound you lose its like 15 lbs off of your back?
Anyway, thank you for taking the time to read my story. I look forward to reading yours! Best of luck to all of you in your healthy weight loss journeys!
Wow, Mel – what a story! Congratulations on TAKING CONTROL. π It’s very normal for your weight loss to slow down, or even stop / fluctuate, during week 2 and 3 after the initial weight loss, by the way. This is your body adjusting. No worries – it picks right back up soon! π *cheers*