Low Carb Success Story: Sherri White
By
Sherri White
As
published in CarbHealth Magazine, 2004
My name is Sherri White and I've been on Dr. Atkins WOE since
2/1/3. I live in central Oklahoma on a buffalo ranch with my
husband of 19 years and two boys; Josh 18 yoa and Jeremy, 13
yoa.
As a child and teenager, weight was never a problem for me.
At 2 months pregnant with my oldest son I weighed in at my first
appointment at only 112. I was told to get some weight on. My
husband agreed with the doctors. Boy did I take that too far.
After his birth, I was up to 128 and thought I had a weight
problem. I was then told to exercise and that I was fine. Late
nights with a baby seem to add the pounds on. With my first
one my excuse was, I just had a baby. When he was almost 5 I
delivered my second son. Then I had myself convinced that I
was big boned. Yeah, right.
Last year in January, I went to the Dr. for fatigue. I had been
to several doctors at this point to only be told that nothing
was wrong with me. I knew different because I could feel it.
This Doctor however was different. He ran lots of test on me
and started telling me how this was too high and that was too
high and blah, blah, blah. I say that because I stopped listening
to him after the first sentence. I thought “great, another
quack”. He then began telling me it was all in my diet.
He wrote a prescription that actually read, buy an Atkins book.
Well, I love to prove people wrong so I told him I would give
this a chance until my next appointment in 3 months. More than
proving people wrong, I like to be truthful and didn’t
want to go back to his office to tell him I didn’t try.
He said he would give me the diet pills I wanted if 3 months
of Atkins did not work for me. He grinned and I left for Walmart.
That night I read the book, cleaned out the cabinets of “wrong”
foods and began my journey on February 1st, 2003. Of course
it took me a week to eat all of the food I cleaned out of the
cabinets. Big mistake. I never knew then how much that day would
change my life and so many others since.
My first day was easy and so was the second. By the third day
I was laying fetus style in my bed shaking like a drug attack.
I called my doctor that day and he said not to worry that this
was normal. I didn’t cheat during this time because I
could barely even eat. On day 5 it was all over and I felt energy
like I was 12 again. Couldn’t believe it. I stepped on
the scales about this time and so shocked that I only weighed
216 pounds. At the doctors office I weighed 222 and at home
later that week I was up to 224.
By now the cravings were gone and life was back to normal for
me. I started doing the math of “if I can stick to this
for this long, I will weigh this much,” I was so excited.
By the time I went back to the doctor, I was down to 188. My
doctor was so happy with my blood report. My cholesterol had
dropped from 268 to 140 in only 3 months. I don’t remember
my other counts but my sugar was down to 78. He said that was
excellent.
In July our family went to Hawaii for my sons football game.
I was 176 at the time and thrilled. My goal was 175 by now.
I looked great. I even wore a bathing suit there and was not
too embarrassed about it. My family thought I looked really
nice.
After coming back from Hawaii, I went to another doctor for
a pap smear and learned I had pre-cancer of the uterus. On October
13th, 2003 I had a total hysterectomy. I was told this can cause
weight gain and was put on estrogen. Since the surgery, I have
lost at least another 10 pounds. I am currently down to 153.
My doctors’ goal for me was 160 and mine is 150. I was
wearing a tight 18 and 20 when I started and now in an easy
8. It sure is nice to come home from shopping and not want to
rush to the room and take off the jeans because they are cutting
off the circulation.
I enjoy going on long walks now, playing with my teenage boys
and their friends. I love skipping those afternoon naps and
getting up early and feeling good. I love carbwatch ice cream
from Braums and the new low-carb burgers from Carl Jr.
In August my mom started Dr. Atkins at 287 pounds. She is now
down to 219. She is wearing a size 16 and feeling so much better.
I am so very proud of her. She is very beautiful and gleams
with her own accomplishments. I was so afraid of loosing her
someday due to her weight and complications that come with it.
I guess I was in just as much jeopardy of that as she was. Now
I know we will both be around for years to come.
This past year has been a trying one for me. I have shown myself
that I can do anything and survive anything. My first goal was
to make it to my anniversary start date still on Atkins. I have
done that. My goal for 2004 is to learn to slow down a bit,
give myself a break and find myself at my 2nd anniversary in
as good as or better condition than I am now. I do not look
like a model nor do I want to but I am accepting myself as a
near 40-year-old mother who has no problem keeping up with her
teenage children.
I am very thankful for my supporting husband, parents and boys.
I love them dearly for eating their donuts in their rooms or
for not rubbing foods in my face as some kids might do. I love
them all for all the nights they ask me not to fix starches
for dinner. I have been blessed with my family. I am also grateful
for my Internet support group and all of the people so willing
to give recipes and advise as well as take it.
I don’t know how small I will get or do I care. I know
I have an eating disorder and what I eat now works for me. When
people ask me when I am going to quit my diet now that I am
down to my goal, I tell them, “what diet, this is my WOL”.
One of my biggest pleasures in life now is when I order the
low-carb and have the waitress say you don’t need to eat
low-carb. I just smile and tell them “that’s exactly
why I do eat low-carb”. My pet peeve now are people who
have never read the book or tried this WOE, yet want to lecture
me about how it won’t work eating all that fat. Again
I have to smile and say “look at me”. Yes, just
look at me!
- Monthly shipment