A Work In Progress: Summer Ameen Kelly

Several years ago on this very site, I posted my story about my years as a yo-yo dieter.  It was entitled "No Longer a Professional Dieter."  In this lengthy testimony, I revealed my years of struggle with my weight and self-esteem. 

From puberty to age 23, my nutrition was less than stellar.  Skipping meals, living on soda and chips, and inconsistent exercise summed up my dieting style, but (obviously) I couldn't keep this up forever.  Eventually, I knew it would catch up with me and eventually, it did.

With my first pregnancy (at age 23), I gained a sum total of 65 pounds.

Unfortunately, my precious baby girl only made up for about 7 pounds of that.  Immediately, I embarked on a popular & highly advertised weight loss program (rhymes with Penny Leg) and lost all but 15 pounds.  With the return to regular food, however (instead of their pre-packaged stuff), I regained almost all that I had lost.

Thus began my quest to find the "perfect diet."  You name it and I've probably done it:  Vegetarianism, Macrobiotic, Low-Fat, Low-Cal, WW, Blood Type, SlimFast, etc.  I tried exercising and even enlisted the help of a professional weight trainer.  She got me toned and strong (not to mention sleep deprived since we met for 6 am workouts!), but I never could get my eating in synch with my fitness goals.  Either I was eating well and lying around like a slug, or I was exercising daily and eating everything in sight!  Where was the BALANCE???

Finally, a friend turned my attention to the low-carb lifestyle.

I read Protein Power by Drs. Michael and Mary Dan Eades and was amazed by the logic of this way of eating.

Fast forward to 3 years ago... I had been following a low-carb lifestyle and had lost more than 50 pounds and kept it off for several years.  I had encountered a pretty stubborn set-point battle (stall), but was starting to finally break through and had begun losing again when IT happened:

In July of 2005, I was hit & run over by a drunk driver in front of my own house. While the situation could have been SO much worse (by the grace of God, I was not seriously injured), the pain of my injuries and the loss of my sense of security (the driver was never caught) resulted in a spiraling depression. 

When Hurricane Katrina struck a little over a month later, my entire state was sent into turmoil and my depression grew worse.  For more than a year I struggled with trying to get my life "upright" again, but the reality was that I had completely put my health and fitness goals on the back burner.  The result was a weight gain of more than 30 pounds.

Today, I am in a much better place and fully engaged in my low-carb journey once more.  This time, however, it's about more than a number on the scale or a dress size.  For me, the past 2 years have been a time of tremendous growth - mentally and spiritually.  Root problems that have contributed to my weight struggle for years have resurfaced and I have begun to deal with each of them in earnest.  I truly believe that the answer to life-long success in weight and health is achieved by finding a way of eating that works as a lifestyle and by honestly dealing with all of the emotional baggage that comes with years of obesity and dieting.  You cannot have one without the other and achieve true success.

I fully believe that the low-carb lifestyle is the healthiest option for losing weight and for me, it's definitely a lifestyle I can live with for years to come. 

So while I still have not crossed the "finish line" as yet, I consider myself to be a work in progress in this journey toward weight loss and better health - a journey I intend to stick with to the end.

Summer, then and now (back on track)!

Protein Power: The High-Protein/Low-Carbohydrate Way to Lose Weight, Feel Fit, and Boost Your Health--in Just Weeks! author: Michael R. Eades,Mary Dan Eades asin: 0553380788