Before and After.... My Low Carb Journey!

[Billy Goat]

Wow, That is a insperational story ! brought tears to my eyes as well......

You have done a fantastic job Cheri, congrats.
I hope you know how much we all appriciate all the support and encouragment that you give to us all.......
As Melly said, YOU ROCK CHERI !
Hope everyone gets the chance to make it to the gathering.
Will be the 1st lc gathering of this size for me

[Melsh]

Cheri,

Thanks for posting your story, it brought me to tears! Truly inspiring! Way to go...on the weight loss, keep the focus and we are all here for you whenever you need to vent, rave, or just some listening ears. You are AWESOME and look beautiful!

[gettenthere]

Dearest Cheri,
words fail me hun, you are just awesome , been such an inspiration, and how you find the time to do all you do for others is beyond me. You are truly loved and these boards and chat just wouldn't be the same with out u and your unwavering support. You have touched my heart and brought tears to my eyes may the good Lord always keep you under his care and to your son love you.
gettenthere

[Ntombi]

WOW Cheri! I never saw this thread, so I'm glad it got bumped.

You're doing a great job, and I hope you feel better soon! I totally understand what you mean about not seeing yourself the way you really are. And seeing the effects of our hard work when we're not at goal yet is harder yet, IMO.

KUTGW!

[Bonzi]

Cheri,
I've been seaching for a thread of hope, a glimmer of motivation and I think I have found it reading your story. I had lost 68 lbs on Atkin and thru trials and tribulations at work and at home, I have gained much of it back. As I
try to get back on the low carb lifestyle I cannot "manufacture" the enthusiasm or drive I had the first time. I'm going to pull some pictures as you did and see if that helps. Just reading what you went thru and knowing I'm not alone, will possibly be the single thing that gets my momentum going!
Thanks so much for sharing your story (Im sure it wasn't easy) and helping others thru your example!
Blessings!
Bonzi

[aussieaussie]

Good Job!

[Shirlgirl]

A truly inspirational story good job
You have overcome the worst part thank you for sharing it makes my problems look small in comparison

[Yankee Belle]

It's not always easy to dig deep and share the way you just did. Thank you. You look amazing...but better than that, you seem to FEEL that way now as well.

[pooticus]

girl ur amazing!!!!

[gettingstrength]

What a great story . Thanks for sharing .

[xfatchik]

Thanks for sharing your story. You are so beautiful inside and out!

[Tyrone Bill]

Thanks for sharing Cheri. Very inpirational.

[ladydi59]

Originally Posted by cheri

Before and After

by Cheri


Sometimes we get so caught up in our lives that we no longer see the self we're living in. We see ourselves every day, but we never SEE ourselves. I knew I was overweight, so I never thought myself as thin. I also never thought of myself as THAT big.

But recently, some before and after photos made me understand the story that the day-to-day me never saw. They brought a strong realization of how far I've come by following the Atkins Diet. They helped me take stock in the value of the work I've put into this and the progress I've made. Sometimes I still cringe to think that had I seen that "before" photo eighteen months before, it might of made an awful difference in the outcome of this story.

I first heard of the Atkins Diet from my friend Karen. She and her husband were on it and they were losing a lot of weight. So I decided to give it a try. Faithfully, I read the book, but found myself wanting for food choices. I used an online search page to look for lowcarb products and recipes. I found those, but I also found something far more valuable than lowcarb cookies and new ways to spice up a chicken breast.

Lowcarbfriends.com quickly became the center point of my lowcarb support. For four years, I've turned here for tips, recipes, advice, and friendship. In that first year I lost a whopping 80 pounds! Even when you imagine how proud I must have been, you cannot imagine how proud of myself I truly was. I maintained that 80-pound loss for months. But those months slowly turned into months of wondering when my weight loss journey might be complete. Eventually, it seemed like 80 pounds was all I was ever going to be able to lose.

It turned out that serious illness was the culprit. No, none of the urban legends about lowcarb dieting turned out to be true. Instead, bronchitis, pneumonia, gallbladder attacks, allergies and more were taking an ever-increasing toll on my health. Before I knew it, I was on so many medications that my weight started creeping back up. It didn't take long before I had gained most of the weight back. I fell into a deep depression. I turned into a hermit in my own home. I even stopped going to my support lifeline, Lowcarbfriends. Most of my friends never knew that thoughts of suicide even started to enter my mind.

My turnaround came late one chilly night, far past midnight; past the point of reason, when I was nearly as likely to have gone another direction. Sitting there in the living room, seeing myself, seeing my efforts that had gone so far but been crushed by something so out of my control. I had my eye on a bottle of Darvaset, thinking, "I will just drift off to sleep and the pain will go away."

The trance of that enticing escape was broken by the sleepy footsteps of my 9-year-old son, who wandered into the room looking for his mother. "Mommy, will you lay down with me? I can't sleep!" I realized right then that I could never think of what I had been thinking, ever again!

So I resolved that this would be the year that I will take care of ME. At first, I felt like it was selfish, but I soon came to understand that by taking care of myself, I WAS taking care of the people I love. I was not a happy person and it showed. My friends could sense it. My kids could sense it. It was time to turn that around.

I worked with my doctor to determine what I needed to do to get off my medications. I needed surgery to help me get off the pain medications. As I healed, I was able to discontinue the medications that had kept me from getting into ketosis and losing weight.

In November 2003, less than a month after my surgery, I eagerly returned to Lowcarbfriends.com, re-inducted, and started fresh. I was experiencing some weight loss success, but somehow the sense of accomplishment I felt the first time just wasn't there. Still, I wanted to support others on their weight loss journeys. So despite being rather shy and not very happy with my progress, I packed up and traveled to the annual Lowcarbfriends Pig Roast. There, amid the fun and friends, the laughter and the success stories, someone snapped one of the most important photographs of my life. I just didn't know it at the time.

I came home from seeing all those amazing successes, wondering why I wasn't one of them. All of that effort. All of that dedication. Yet still I felt down. I wanted to feel the elation I felt that first time, when my lowcarb efforts had been so richly rewarded. One of my good friends broke the spell. She told me to put some "before" pictures with one of the "after" pictures from the gathering. As circumstance would have it, I had discovered an old roll of film that contained some photos of me at my absolute heaviest. I had the roll developed and compared the old me to the new me.

I was flabbergasted.

Sometimes we get so caught up in our lives that we no longer see the self we're living in. We see ourselves every day, but we never SEE ourselves. I knew I was losing weight, but I never understood how far I had come. I cannot' describe the feeling of accomplishment I felt.

To date I have lost 90 pounds. Though I am not at goal, I know I will get there. The pictures I have put together will keep me going until I get there. I can SEE myself now. I'm proud of how far I've come, and of the dedication that got me here. To my friends who comprise the center point of my lowcarb support, I say, "Thank you." Your support and friendship mean the world to me!

I am new to this site as of today. I don't even know how to use this site! But I did get to read your testimony and see the difference in your life. I am sure it has affected you in so many ways. I just wanted to say thank you, thank u for being brave enough to show your b4 and after pictures and give you words of encourgement. I hope u get this and can respond back. Good Job!1

[ladydi59]

I hope I did this correct . good job

[cheri]

Wow... I am surprised this thread popped up again! Thank you so so much... you all are so very sweet and I appreciate your kind words.

I tell you what.. its been quite a journey so far... a never ending one, for low carb is not a diet but a way of life.. and if it wasn't for the people around me I am sure I would never have made it this far.

Welcome to the site all you new peoples... you have found a great site for information and support... and with everyone here... I am sure YOUR journey will be a successful one...

Thank you for reading...



cheri

[happytobehome]

Thanks Cheri,
Your story is truly inspiring and it is wonderful to see your pictures. I am new to this board and find it so much help that I look forward to learning more about the people and their personal stories. Keep up the AWESOME work.

[Ginley]

Im going thru a bit of depression myself.... thank you for your story and thank God for the site. My Doctor actualy told me about me about it and I think its going to help me tons

[Dodgerchick]

Originally Posted by cheri

At first, I felt like it was selfish, but I soon came to understand that [COLOR=Navy]by taking care of myself, I WAS taking care of the people I love.[/COLOR]

What a story Cheri, I'm glad I stumbled upon it. The quote noted above is what truly stands out IMO, gratz, you look wonderful!

Keep up the good work

[DirtDiva]

Thank you for the inspiration Cheri. I come here recently and I really get no response to my posts (rarely). It is discouraging, but then I remember who I am doing this for, ME! This was very WELL put! I liked what you said below:

Sometimes we get so caught up in our lives that we no longer see the self we're living in. We see ourselves every day, but we never SEE ourselves. I knew I was losing weight, but I never understood how far I had come. I cannot' describe the feeling of accomplishment I felt.


Heather

[mmorris]

Great testimony!!!!

[cheri]

Originally Posted by countregirl

Thank you for the inspiration Cheri. I come here recently and I really get no response to my posts (rarely). It is discouraging, but then I remember who I am doing this for, ME! This was very WELL put! I liked what you said below:

Sometimes we get so caught up in our lives that we no longer see the self we're living in. We see ourselves every day, but we never SEE ourselves. I knew I was losing weight, but I never understood how far I had come. I cannot' describe the feeling of accomplishment I felt.


Heather

Awwwww Heather... *running to find her posts!*

Don't get discouraged sweetie... you will get responses hun..

cheri

[dantesmom]

Cheri, I just wanted to tell you that your story really touched me, it brought tears to my eyes. Thank you so much for posting it.

sally

[HarleyLady]

hey cheri i found ya again
your story is wondeful as all your threads i follow. this is an amazing site.
i finally got to 145 after being 153 for months, now i just got about 25 to go

[darkandlovely478]

I'm new in here, but I must say your story was very inspirational to me. Keep up the good work and always keep in mind that "YOU ARE WORTH IT."

[Chelle]

Cheri, thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your story. I don't cry easy and I have tears streaming down my face. What a journey you have been through. Thanks again for sharing and you look wonderful, very healthy and happy.

[gotchocolate??]

Congratulations Cheri!!! You have been such a huge inspiration to me and to everyone else on this board. Thank you for sharing your story. I am so happy for you!!
(((hugs)))
Jules

[HarleyLady]

[sammymomma]

wow...very inspiring

[40winks]

Thank you, Cheri, for sharing your story. You help all of us!

[cheri]

Awwww thanks... You all are so sweet to me and I love you tons!!



cheri