Reader Realized Her Sugar Addiction, Began Atkins, Started Sleeping Better Than Ever

I just love receiving e-mails from people telling me how livin' la vida low-carb has changed their life. This one from new low-carbert Laurie in response to this blog post from earlier in the week inspires me to keep doing what I'm doing here at this blog:

Dear Jimmy:
 
I wanted to first off mention congratulations on the weight loss but more important lifestyle change.  I wanted to briefly discuss some of the things you had brought up in your August 29th post.
 
First off, I started Atkins on August 22, 2005.  I might have tried it years ago but don't really remember.  For the first three days it was very hard. I have a particular friend who was getting on my nerves and we were talking on IM and I did snap at her.  I think she was out of line but I had been curious if it was because it was the first three days I was going through sugar withdrawal.  Still, my anger was genuine and I was not really in a rage and I know what it is like to be "crazy" cause i had been taking ephedra for a few years and that totally messed up my head and I kept gaining and losing the same 25 lbs over and over again.
 
I love this program.  I started noticing that I didn't need to take Melatonin to get to bed at night. I used to take it every night but since I don't eat the sugar my sleeping schedule just works and my body gives me the right about of sleep each night.
 
I have not yet given up the caffeine (I take a caffeine pill once or twice a day) but I notice that I the cravings are gone, some mood swings are gone, dips in blood pressure are gone, it is wonderful.
 
I have a lot of literature from Overeaters Anonymous.  I used to use the literature and do a low-fat diet but now when I think about how much sugar I was eating EVEN in the diet products it is just comical to think I could have a little of it and be okay for the rest of the day.
 
On my second day on the Atkins program I received a phone call from a person in OA and since I hadn't been in the meetings in a while it was wild that someone found my name on the list and called me.  Basically, I took that as a wonderful sign that this is what I should be on and that I wasn't going to go off it and I wasn't doing it for an Event or a party I was doing it for life.
 
I have been so happy. I exercise, I love that I don't need appetite suppressants anymore, I don't eat late and night cause I'm full, I don't need to worry about going out to eat cause most places are so accomodating nowadays.  It really is a sheer joy and I can't tell anyone cause they probably won't understand but I'm so glad you are walking proof that this works and that my cholesterol won't go up.
 
I never realized how addicted I was to sugar until this program.  Recently I had some sugar-free Tang and I thought it was real cause I had missed the taste of fruit since I'm on Induction. Well, it just made me aware of how much sugar is in original drinks and normal food.  It really makes one think.  I look forward to your book coming out and plan to read it and recommend it to everyone I know.
 
Beause of you, others will be turned on to the low-carb lifestyle and you might help others get their lives back. 
 
God bless you and your family and I will think of you when I continue with my journey.
 
Love
Laurie

Here is how I responded to Laurie's e-mail:

Hey Laurie,

Wanna see a grown man start to cry? THANK YOU SO MUCH for your incredibly inspiring story. Your example just provides even more proof that livin' la vida low-carb really works when it is given a chance and the person stays committed to doing it forever.

My upcoming book talks in detail about the struggle I went through during the first few days of Atkins. I have always tried to be very open and honest about my personal experiences so people can judge for themselves whether they think this is something worth pursuing. No sugarcoating here (too many carbs!). :-)

I too have slept like a baby since starting my low-carb lifestyle because my body does not need as much sleep as I used to get
when I was drowning myself in sugar. It's amazing and so easy to implement in our lives. People who tell me they could never give up sugar completely have no idea what they're talking about. It can, should and MUST be done. Can I get a witness? :-O

I am so glad to see the improvements you have experienced and I am proud of you for recognizing the failures of those other diet
programs. Too many people convince themselves that as long as they eat some kind of "diet" food (low-fat, low-carb, whatever) that they will be fine. That's a very dangerous rationale to take because mixing those foods won't help you one bit. As you correctly state, too many low-fat foods have tons of sugar in them. Definitely NOT good for your body for a myriad of reason. That's why I devote an entire chapter to this subject in my book, too.

I can sense your joy and happiness in your e-mail to me and I encourage you to never lose sight of how good you feel. Livin' la
vida low-carb is the best thing that could have happened to me not only physically, but also mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
Everything about my life has been enhanced as a result of my 180-pound weight loss and newfound lifestyle change.
 
Thanks for spurring me on in my efforts with the blog and my upcoming book. Obesity is just too serious an issue for me to sit on the sidelines and watch others destroy themselves without sharing with them what the low-carb lifestyle has done for me.

May God bless you and your family as you keep on livin' la vida low-carb. Take care and thanks again for writing!

Jimmy Moore, "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Man"
livinlowcarbman@charter.net
http://livinlavidalocarb.blogspot.com

If you have a low-carb story you'd like to share with me and my readers, then I'd love to hear from you. You WILL get a personal response from me and it may appear here on "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb." Send it to livinlowcarbman@charter.net. I can't wait to hear how livin' la vida low-carb has changed your life forever.