“I gave LCHF time and it’s given me my life back”

Before and after

Jess is a personal trainer, but always struggled with weight, and fell off the Atkins’ wagon back in the 90’s and regained 80 lbs.

Here’s what happened in just eight months when she finally went back to low carb, and lowered her protein intake and increased the fat:

The Email

I felt compelled to write to you first off to thank you for creating such an informative and interactive website and to share my LCHF success story.

I am an LCHF success story and it’s drawn many people to me as I am also a personal trainer and Fitness Director in the Northern suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. My success has raised my profile to the point where I started a blog, Findyourfood.org to share my story, my success and point people in a positive direction of getting away from sugars and starches and literally find the food that will set them free!

You don’t know this, sir, but I have a lot of people from the Atlanta area coming to your site for direction, information and those amazing success stories. Another site that I am thrilled with is Eatthebutter.org with Jenni Calihan. We’ve been talking on the phone and she shared that you recently interviewed her in Vail. In the information age it’s great to have such a clean, clear site to send people to, and yours is brilliant. It’s like being on a diet in IKEA!

My story is like millions of others. I did low carb back in the 90’s (Atkins) and had good success. It was all about eating protein right? Lowering the carbs and eating all that protein. Then came the day where I stepped off plan, for a piece of banana bread. That day the addictive behavior that had been so quieted by low carb came roaring back to life! Over the next 6 years, I regained 80 lbs (36 kg) and was always tired, always hungry, withdrawn, depressed and trying to hide in the middle of working in the Fitness Industry. I was always in pain with no acute injury, just chronic discomfort in joints and my back, oh my back always hurt!

When I finally got back on the “low-carb wagon” it was all I could do to just get the sugars and starches out! After 4 months I’d only lost 10 lbs (4 kg), and as a middle aged post-menopausal woman, I was sure I’d missed the window of opportunity and was now sentenced to post-menopausal obesity! I came across an article that was all about putting butter and coconut oil in coffee and getting in a ketogenic state.

I read everything I could find on all the new approaches with low carb. I learned about fats, and increased my butter intake and reduced my protein intake to a more modified approach. I read all about “adaptation” and realized even though my body could get into ketosis within a week it takes and longer to adapt to utilizing fat for fuel. Soon energy came out of nowhere, appetite diminished, all aches and pains left, even my sleep improved. Over the course of 3 months I dropped 50 lbs (23 kg) and over the course of the next 5 months the last 30 lbs (13.5 kg) came off. I was able to train and participate in triathlons again, as well as many other fitness endeavors. I gave LCHF time and it’s given me my life back.

With my blog Findyourfood.org I am able to reach many people with inspiration, understanding and direction. Your site is an invaluable tool that I not only utilize personal but share so often with others.

Sincerely,
Jess Dudley

Comment

Congratulations on your amazing health and weight journey, Jess!

Try it yourself

Do you want to try a low-carb diet yourself? Use these resources:

• Low Carb for Beginners
• How to Lose Weight

Share your story

Do you have a success story you want to share? Send your information, plus before and after photos, to success@dietdoctor.com. It would also be greatly appreciated if you shared what you eat in a typical day, whether you fast etc. More information: