My Low Carb Weight Loss Success is in Fitness and Women’s Health Mags! I’m Celebrating With an Atkins Giveaway and Discount! #AtkinsAllDay #Sponsored

This post is sponsored by Atkins but the story I’m about to share is my real, personal story! Keep reading for your chance to win some Atkins goodies in either my Atkins giveaway or one that Atkins is hosting! Before I get to that, here’s a little background on my weight loss success story.

I’ve lost more than 175 pounds since I started following the Atkins Low Carb lifestyle two and a half years ago. It’s a big deal for me personally, of course, but now my low carb weight loss success is showing up in places like Fitness and Women’s Health online magazines and a few other huge things coming down the pipeline. 

I can’t believe that this is real life. I mean, wow! I’ve been sharing my story on my blog and in social media partly to keep myself accountable, and partly because I hope that my story will help inspire and motivate others who might feel like I did – completely and utterly helpless, resigned to a life of being plus-sized and obese with frequent doctor’s visits  and a medicine cabinet full of prescription medications. I never thought it could be different. In fact, I believed that it couldn’t change, that I couldn’t change, and that it was impossible for me to lose the weight.

I was diagnosed with PCOS almost 20 years ago, insulin resistance 15 years ago, I had high blood pressure for the majority of my teen and adult years as well as chronically low Vitamin D levels, I was honestly depressed and I was taking medication for all of this. In fact, I was taking two different blood pressure medications daily to try and combat my often 200/100 blood pressure readings. I wasn’t just unhealthy, I was slowly killing myself with an already existing heart valve defect, an incredibly strong family history of heart disease and numerous episodes of health scares. I was also exceptionally lazy. I didn’t want to do anything at all.

At over 300 pounds, the weight made physical activity difficult, and coupled with the anxiety and depression and general low self esteem, I wanted to stay at home on my couch or in front of my computer and just avoid the outside world entirely. Looking back now I’m literally so ashamed of the example I was setting for my kids and forever in morning for the missed opportunities for truly living my life. I can’t get that wasted time back, but I can live every single day to it’s fullest and continue to be the best me as I continue to grow from the inside out now that I’ve shrunk more than half my size from the outside in. 

If you’re interested, one great way to see my journey is by following me on Instagram! I post a lot of my favorite low carb meals, transformation pictures and more there. It’s fun to scroll back through and see the ways in which my body has changed over the last couple of years. While I don’t always see the full picture when I look into the mirror, reviewing the journey through pictures really reminds me of just how far I’ve come. And, it’s taken a long time for me to be able to say this, but for the first time in my life I am truly proud of myself! And, my medicine cabinet is completely empty!! Whoohoo! 

How Atkins Helped Me Lose the Weight

I can remember back when I was a preteen my dad’s twin brother and his girlfriend experimented with Atkins and had some success. The details are vague but back then they said no more cakes and candies and I wasn’t interested even if I was already overweight years prior – I can even remember being weighed by the nurse at my elementary school a couple of times per week to try and get me on track. She meant well, that sweet school nurse. Anyway, one day when I weighed myself for the first time in years, and saw the numbers on the scale, I was shocked. Beyond shocked, I was devastated.

My weight had hovered around 250 pounds for most of my adult life but after my hysterectomy I’d let it get out of control, topping out at about 325 pounds and because I’d stop looking at the scale at the doctor’s office I had no idea. I blamed my dryer for my clothes being too tight and had finally reached a point where it was becoming impossible to not only fit into my size 24 pants, but to find bigger clothes in any of the stores. I had to try something, so I tried Atkins. That first week I lost 11 pounds. Eleven pounds! And, I was hooked. I’ve never looked back. I don’t cheat and I just keep going! I find new ways to prepare foods I love without the carbs – I use things like Swerve sweeteners containing erythritol and almond and/or coconut flours if I’m craving some baked good or another – and, to tell you the truth, I’ve gotten pretty creative in the kitchen. I use Atkins products because they taste amazing and save me a ton of time. 

New Atkins Meal Kits

I really, really love the new Atkins Meal Kits, my last shipment is pictured above. I basically live in a food desert and a lot of the yummy Atkins products just aren’t available here. Now, I can get them cheaper and with more variety by purchasing online. I even get free shipping and you can to. Even cooler, Atkins loves my fans so much they gave me a discount code to share with you all! 

Enter the Atkins #AtkinsAllDay Contest! 

 

Click the Image below to see me in Women’s Health! 

Click the Image to Read my Story in Fitness!