The side effect of losing weight

A lot of people equate losing weight with wearing a smaller dress size. While that’s a fun gauge of one’s progress, I’d like to tell you about my personal side effects that have equal importance to my health and well being.


Yes, I’m getting smaller. My winter coat from last year, that didn’t quite get all the way around me, overlaps halfway around me now… my wedding rings fall off me with just a shake of my left hand… and I am thrilled…
When I started LDL in July 2009, I noticed SIGNIFICANT bodily changes very quickly, within days of starting. Summer was always a killer time for me… being overweight in the summer is not pleasant. My feet, hands and ankles swelled to enormous sizes. I got cranky, I was always thirsty, and craved salt, and when I ate anything with a speck of salt, my body swelled with up to 10 lbs of extra water weight. I always said it feels like walking on hard jello all the time… my shoes never fit, my rings never went on in the summer.

Last summer was different. JUST THREE DAYS of LDL’s eating plan, and my cankles were ankles, my wedding rings fit, and I was starting to notice my feet weren’t swollen, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS OVER 105 DEGREES OUTSIDE! Why? Why was this happening? I was thrilled, but was curious too. It was the fruit. I was eating my weight in watermelon for dinner every night, and the next morning, I eliminated all of it, and ate more fruit in the morning. MY BODY was thanking me, and rewarding me for not eating salty, fatty foods.

I felt so good, I purged my entire pantry, that weekend, of anything processed. Boxes of crackers, bags of tortilla chips, pretzels, cake boxes, canned soups, dry soup mixes, virtually everything that had preservatives and unpronouncable ingredients in the lists… I drink only coffee, tea, and water now… EVERY single packet of Equal, Truvia, Splenda, etc… has been thrown out, it’s chemical garbage in my book, and I haven’t looked back.

Just a month after starting, my blood pressure was down 20 points, I had lost almost 20 lbs, my shoes were slipping off my feet, I was sleeping better, I had tons of energy, I wasn’t tired except at night, my hypoglycemia symptoms were gone, my hair grew faster and my skin looked healthier. It was a miracle. I spent one full day kicking myself for not doing something like this years sooner. It was SO SIMPLE! Fruit for breakfast, huge protein lunch and loads of veggies, fruit for dinner… I COULD DO THIS FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE… no problem!!!

My ankles haven’t been swollen since July 2009. I’ve been famished exactly one time on this plan, and that’s because I forgot to eat breakfast, otherwise, I never get ravenous anymore.

I used to dread going to the doctor, and now… I CAN’T WAIT! I know my numbers are all in the healthy range, and I just need to keep losing weight. He used to tell me my only option was to have surgery, now, he loves this plan I’m on, and says it is very sensible. My Mom had {weight loss surgery}, and my little brother recently had it done 6 months ago… It’s just was never an option for myself. Ever. Nothing about it interested me. My Mom will tell people it was the best thing she ever did, but she won’t tell people all the complications she’s had from it, and how horrendous the first 6 months was for her. I am happy she is happy, but it’s not for me… ever. That surgery changes the size of the stomach, but it doesn’t really change the mind.

This plan, changes everything, mind, body and soul. I’ve made modifications for myself and my family. {NO processed foods of ANY kind, and my hubby and kids eat bread once a day, not me, I eat no bread, dairy or rice at all, ever} My Mom is now on plan, as is my MIL, SIL, Aunts, friends and neighbors. There have been positive changes for everyone…

What a blessing… to find a way of eating that meets the needs of so many…