Christin's eye-opening journey to weight loss and better health

City & country: Round Rock, Texas, USA
Age: 28
Weight before diet: 240 lbs.
Weight now: 135 lbs.
Target weight: 140 lbs.

Losing a large amount of weight within a short amount of time isn't necessarily a good thing, as Christin discovered. Here, this low-carber talks about her weight loss journey, including her Kimkins diet experiences, and shares the lessons she's learned about the relationship between health and good eating habits.

-What finally made you decide to start with a weight loss program?
I have always been overweight. Then one day as I was watching my little sister run in a 5K for Breast Cancer Awareness I realized just what I was doing to myself and my family. I wanted to be my sister, I wanted to run like that. I realized that I was not only hurting myself by living the way I was taking precious valuable time away from my children and my family. Not only that, but I was not honoring this precious gift of life the Lord has given me by treating the temple of my body with the respect that it deserves.

-What type of weight loss program did you follow?
I followed a modified low carb program adhering to the principles of moderate low fat, lean proteins, healthy vegetables and low carbohydrate.

-Why did you choose this weight loss program?
I had very specific criteria as I was searching for the best way for me to lose. I did not want anything extreme higher fat and the concept of low carb had always appealed to me.

-How long were you on your weight loss program?
I lost to my initial goal in 5 months (100 pounds). I am still using the a low carb lifestyle however as I incorporate my maintenance lifestyle.

-What kinds of physical activities do you like doing to maintain your weight and to stay fit?
I actually lost the majority of my weight without any type of physical exercise routine. Now that I’m at goal, I enjoy training to run and weight training for toning.

-What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome or are still overcoming?
Learning to read the physical cues that my body sends out was very difficult. I had to learn to pay very close attention as I learned the difference between eating till I was satisfied vs. eating till I was full. It is still hard sometimes resisting those things that I have for the most part permanently removed from my way of eating (refined sugars, white flours, etc.), however the benefits of being slim far outweigh that one moment of “pleasure” that those things might afford me.

-How did you keep yourself motivated?
I look at my children and see how happy they are to have a mother who can actually play with them without getting worn out. I love going shopping with my little sister knowing that we wear about the same size now and she can help me w/ fashion tips! Pulling my nice size 4 jeans out of the drier and knowing that those “little” things fit me!!

-Do you have any weight loss tips for our readers?
Stick with it! I know that it’s hard. And it can be so frustrating when you see the scales not moving or others losing at a faster rate; however, if you stick to your program the weight WILL come off eventually. Much faster than if you give in to temptation. The adage really is true though, that NOTHING tastes as good to me now as being thin feels.

-Do you think it will be easy to fall back into your old lifestyle pattern? How do you prevent this from happening?
I think it would be easy if I allowed myself to. The whole goal of this “new me” however is to get away from those old patterns. It is because of those poor eating decisions that I was in the situation I was in the first place. I prevent sliding back to that by constantly reminding myself of where I came from and recognizing that I have made a lifelong way of eating change. It took a while for me to realize that, but now that I have, it is so comforting for me to know that I have the key to successful loss and living a new healthier, slender life.

-Do you have a favorite Web site or blog that helped or inspired you to lose weight?
My blogs, Finding the New Me (http://mytotaltransformation.blogspot.com), and The Journey (http://the-journey-on.blogspot.com).

(UPDATED 24 September 2007)

In my experience with the Kimkins program, I have learned a vast deal about the right way and the wrong way to lose weight. Unfortunately, I believe now that my use of this program was the wrong way. Yes, I learned good things like how to listen to my body, and what a correct portion size is. However, I also experienced side effects from this way of eating that have caused me to re-think the way that I used (and abused) my body.

Kimkins encourages cutting calories and fat as a method of rapid weight loss. Because of this urging many people, myself included, will consume anywhere from 300-500 calories a day based on their "hunger" level. I now know how extremely unhealthy and even dangerous this is. Towards the end of my journey I began showing various symptoms that often accompany Very Low Calorie Diets; including hair loss and loss of my menstrual cycle which is also a symptom of anorexia.

I have since left the Kimkins program in a step to further my own knowledge of a healthy way of life and although I am still continuing to maintain a low carb lifestyle, I have since learned and implement a much healthier eating routine. Transitioning into a sustainable maintenance program from the Kimkins way of eating was very difficult and took a much longer time than other maintenance transitions. I am still in the process of learning and it will be an ongoing practice of trial and error, but I am determined to learn and maintain my new body and life, now in a much healthier manner. Weight loss is about health, not speed. If I had it to do over again, I know now that while quick weight loss is desirable and attractive, it is not necessarily the best for my body.

I have a new journal which elaborates on my decisions and discoveries since leaving the Kimkins program which can be found here: http://the-journey-on.blogspot.com. I have also found a new online home in which I am working together with others who have joined the low carb lifestyle to learn how to keep the weight off permanently. That forum home is: www.lowcarbdiscussion.com. I welcome any questions regarding my experience with the Kimkins program and what I have learned since through either one of those venues.