My Story:
Heather Knight, a stay-at-home mom whose weight ballooned to 215 pounds at one point, lost 30 pounds with Atkins before getting pregnant with her fourth child. At that point she gave up the Atkins lifestyle and gained all the weight back, plus more. She chose to return to Atkins during one of the most stressful and emotional times of her life. “My son had just been diagnosed with a brain tumor,” she says. “I felt like everything in my life was spinning out of control. I so desperately wanted to gain control of something. I had wanted to improve my own health and lose weight for a long time but never had the strength and/or determination. I realized that this was my chance to gain control of something and, in return, I was improving my health.”
Since March 2012, she has been able to lose 75 pounds, and she has learned to control her cravings for the sweets and carbs that she would turn to during emotional or stressful times in the past. “The weight loss has changed my life dramatically,” she says. “Not only have my eating and exercise habits changed, but I feel so much better! I’m happier, more confident and healthy. Before Atkins, I had several health issues including, high blood pressure (that I took medication for), asthma and joint inflammation. I truly believe that the change in my diet improved my health. My blood pressure is within normal range now and medication is no longer needed. My flare-ups with joint inflammation are much more manageable.”
This lifestyle change has also made a positive impact on her family and the way they eat. “I think that my whole family has benefited from the change,” she says. “I have really cut down on how much my family eats refined sugars, starchy vegetables and white bread. This has been a beneficial change for everyone.”
For Heather, this second chance with Atkins has become a permanent way of life. “Atkins is a lifestyle because it’s not temporary,” she says. “You can’t do it for a while, lose weight and then go back to eating the way you did before. You need to eliminate those foods from your diet and not go back. Not only change your food but the way you think.”
