My Story

My Journey to a Low Carb Life

Hello

     Let me introduce myself, I'm Brandi a 31-year-old Tennessee girl who spent years as a skinny girl trapped in a fat girl's body! I truly believe that women are beautiful in every size, but I never felt comfortable in my own skin. I began the low carb lifestyle in July of 2015. I would like to say it wasn't always easy, but with faith and good friends who continually cheered me on, I got rid of 87 pounds to reveal a thinner, healthier me fairly quickly and I'm still going strong!

Before

      I taught first grade and it often took all the energy I had. I usually needed a nap when I got home and I was very forgetful. At 28 years old my health was declining, my blood pressure was in the danger zone and I suffered from frequent heartburn.  As the scale continually moved up I felt more and more self-conscious. I poured myself into Spanx every day and felt like all eyes were on my rolls everywhere I went. I've always loved beauty products and spending time on my hair and makeup, but when I was so uncomfortable in my own skin I wouldn't go to the gas station without spending an hour contouring and highlighting my face to make it look slimmer.
     I tried to lose weight, but nothing ever stuck. I would cut back on fat or calories for a week or two, lose 5 or 6 pounds, and then find myself mindlessly ordering cheese fries or grabbing a Butterfinger in the checkout line. I would try to exercise, committing to the elliptical, walking, or some workout routine for just enough time to start seeing results and then I would slide back into the routine of heading straight for the couch when I came in in the afternoon. The truth is I was a stress eater who was addicted to sugar. When things started to get tough, I would reach for food that was terrible for me, without even thinking about it. I can honestly remember thinking while shoving down some sweet, carby, reward, " Wait, I was supposed to be on a diet. "

I can still remember thinking, " I can't really look that bad" when looking at this picture from Easter 2015, but knowing I really did.

The Ranch Factor

      Everything changed with a phone call from my mom one day. She had been to her hairdresser and who had lost 25 pounds with the Atkins diet. I didn't know much about the Atkins diet, only that you had to cut out bread and potatoes, which were my two main food groups at the time. My mom then began to explain that on this diet you could have "real ranch" and "real cheese". Something about being able to enjoy the delicious full-fat versions of foods I'd always thought a diet required me to exchange for tasteless, sour, fat-free versions peaked my interest.
    I wasn't all in yet, I had a lot to learn before  I could start on this journey. I spent two days (in bed) reading all that I could about the Atkins diet, what I could eat on induction, and how it was supposed to work. I was still a little skeptical, but I decided to give it a try. This time, I changed one other thing compared to the countless other times I had attempted to lose weight. I decided to give my weight battle to God. I prayed, " Lord, I've tried everything with no success, I need you to take this and empower me to lose the weight ." I didn't weigh the first day, but I did decide I had to weigh after about a week. I started at 228 pounds. I was shocked that I had allowed my 5'6 frame to put on that much weight and resolved to continue this "diet" another week to see the results.

Hooked

     That week passed, I followed the Atkins induction diet with diligence and when I weighed in I had lost 8 pounds!!! I can still remember how good I felt and that I finally had the hope of getting some of the weight off! I set a goal of losing 43 pounds from my initial weigh-in.  This would put me at 185. The weight I was when I got married and the last time I could remember being comfortable in my own skin. This goal wouldn't lead to being skinny or even having a healthy BMI, but it seemed obtainable to me. And so I kept that number of 185 in my mind as I weighed in each week. I cheated a few times, but the "diet" was easy to stick to. I noticed my taste changing and soon I didn't crave carbs. By February of 2016, I weighed in and surpassed my goal. At 184 I had lost 44 pounds and I was hooked. I was ready to make a new goal.

My IG post from Feb. 2016

The Rest Is......a Lifestyle Change

     It's often said that the rest is history, but for me, the rest of my story came with the realization that I couldn't see the Atkins diet as a diet. I had to see it as a lifestyle change. I've embraced that change and my life is so much richer because of it. Today, I'm 87 pounds lighter. My blood pressure is under control and I haven't had heartburn in a couple of years. I have a sharp mental focus and the confidence and drive to set my career goals higher. I never cheat and have been "off sugar" since Oct. 2016 when I ate real ice cream and got terribly sick to my stomach. I love the life low carb has given me!

Healthy and confident in my Easter 2018 photo!