MY STATS & ATKINS STORY - AT AN IDEAL-WEIGHT GOAL SINCE LATE 2001
Before - Summer 2001 Now - Summer 2010
Height: 5'3" (1.6m) Height: 5'3" (1.6m)
Dress size: 10 (a U.K. 14) Dress size: 0's or 1's (a U.K. 4-6 or Euro 34) - or anywhere from a 0, 1, or 2 in jeans
Measurements: 39-30-39 (99-76.2-99 cm) Measurements: 36-23½-35½ (or 90-60-90 cm)
Weight: 141 (63.9kg / 10 stone) Weight: 110 (49.9 kg / 7.86 stone)
Shoe Size: 6 (Euro 36 / 3½ U.K.) Shoe Size: 4½-5 (Euro 35 / U.K. 2-2½)
Body Fat: Not measured until making goal. Body fat: 13.92%
BMI Before: 25 ("Overweight" Range) BMI After: 19 ("Normal" Range)
My name is Sheila - otherwise known in the low-carb world as "Sugar Free Sheila." You've heard about what I do, and here is where you can read a bit about
who I am and what I'm about. I've been at this SFS.com thing for close to a decade!
After living in NYC (Manhattan's Upper-West Side) for a while and graduating university there with honors and Phi Beta Kappa, I relocated back to my
hometown of Dallas, Texas where I have lived ever since.
Never was I able to lose weight by restricting calories and/or fat grams - even with regular treadmill-walking exercise, which I have done consistently since the
age of 10. I had attempted a multitude of programs, each for months at a time; every possible variation of calories under 2,000 with every possible variation of
cardio yielded no results for me. I gave SlimFast a shot, as well as the Blood Type Diet (which recommended vegetarian, high-carbohydrate eating for my blood
type of A positive), and even tried the vague "everything in moderation"/portion-control method. None of these programs or techniques took an ounce or an
inch off my medium-boned 5'3" frame (my doctor refers to me as "moderately petite") - and even with all of my struggling and dedication, I never had anything
to show for my stringent efforts. In fact, I was almost envious of the yo-yo dieters ... because at least they had a taste of weight loss success to begin with!
Having said this, I must illustrate here that motivation has never been something I lacked - I possess drive and ambition in all areas of my life like no one else I
know. But up until 2001, I didn't find what worked for me. As I entered the second decade of my life, I felt that I was doomed to carry around extra weight
forever: maybe I was just meant to be this way.
Though I had maintained a weight of approximately 130 & a size 8 (still a bit too heavy for someone so short), I settled at around 140 by 2001. I was suddenly up
to a size 10/12! Well, since I'd discovered through the years that pasta rather bloated me, it suddenly occurred to me to start eliminating it, along with bread with
dinner, crackers, and to eat mostly vegetables with the same amount of meat I had always consumed (I've never been a big meat eater). By as soon as the very
next morning, I immediately felt better & more energetic. I ran out & bought the book, read it from cover to cover, and started Atkins that very night. It must
have been a sign from God Himself, because I was a half a pound lighter by the next morning, and I couldn't believe my eyes when I stepped on the scale. That
was over 30 pounds ago! Amazingly enough, I found on Atkins that I actually almost doubled my caloric intake - while keeping the same treadmill-walking
exercise regime I had always done - and that it ultimately took only the elimination of unhealthy starches and sugars to finally get the 30+ pounds and 5 dress
sizes off 5 months later that inflicted me with stubborn drumstick arms, back fat, upper-inner-thigh rub, those loathsome tummy rolls, and kept me forever in
one-piece swimsuits. After a trip to Century 21 in downtown Manhattan January 2002, I wore my first bikini ever on a cruise in Aruba. So emancipating that was
to have finally found my ace in the hole through Atkins.
I love eating this way - and most importantly? My mission in life 8½ years ago became sharing my story about Atkins and showing others looking for a way to
get healthy and slim that losing weight successfully, safely, and keeping it off permanently can be done without the nuisance of calorie and fat-restriction. So, if
you are attempting Atkins, and have read the Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution book as well as through my Atkins FAQ & User Agreement, I am happy to help you
in whatever way I can. As always, everything I do through my website, as well as the assistance I offer to people who contact me via e-mail, IM's, and
phone/text messages (972-999-5237) from around the world, is free. !NOTE!: If you also have a BlackBerry, did you know that you can text me unlimited via
BlackBerry Messenger? This is great if you are in the U.S. but do not have an Unlimited text plan, or - and this is even cooler - are outside the U.S. & wish to text
me without any insane fees. I most recently added someone from South Africa, for example. So, how to do this? Well, you need my BlackBerry Messenger PIN:
30F7DC36 - please make sure to introduce yourself. More info here.
So, who's paying me to do all of this? Nobody. Not only that, I pay to keep this website up myself. I have no affiliations, I have no endorsements, and I am not
paid a red cent by any organization or company. SFS.com is my way of paying it forward. Every aspect of this website is courtesy of me and me alone. No
contributors, no webmaster, I have no HTML savvy - which explains why SFS.com doesn't look like the Apple website. It shouldn't! Additionally, I cannot put
into words the thrill I get when hearing from all of you from all around the world - the Commonwealth Realm, Africa, Europe, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean,
Canada - and I love hearing from all over the U.S., too. But wherever you are around the globe: if you need help with anything this website covers, scroll down
to the form at the bottom of this page or e-mail me: sheila@sugarfreesheila.com All I ask is that you are already sold on the program, have read Dr. Atkins' New
Diet Revolution, my full Atkins FAQ, and User Agreement. I've been helping people on the house via my website since late 2001 - that's where we start.
BUT . . . IS ATKINS UNHEALTHY?
Thrilled you asked. Check out my cholesterol profile. Now have I gotten your attention?
Believe it or not, I used to be adamantly anti-Atkins. Like most people who have not read the book, I foolishly assumed it was all about not exercising and
eating nothing but meats and cheeses - and boy, am I eating my words now! Because YES, you eat tons of vegetables (just not starchy ones like peas, corn, and
potatoes), YES, you do eat low-glycemic fruits, and YES, you even eat some whole grains (just be choosy and eat the most fibrous ones). As far as the tired - and
most importantly, unfounded - "kidney disease" & "elevated cholesterol" arguments and accusations go, this only applies to those who go about the way of
eating incorrectly - and if one is not following Atkins, then it is essential to acknowledge the fact that Atkins could not possibly be to blame for their folly. What
many unfortunately do not understand about Atkins is that it is not a high-protein diet, but a low-carbohydrate way of life. Those who gorge on protein do so
entirely of their own accord. (I consume meat only once or twice a day as I also enjoy yogurt, nut butters, etc., and vegetables are the mainstay of my diet.) Just
being able to eat at any restaurant with complete ease and comfort is such a delight with the Atkins lifestyle. As you inch closer toward your personal goal
weight, you will find that there are all sorts of vitamin-enriched, low-carb shake mixes to enjoy on the run, low-carb cheesecakes and desserts to bake, low-carb
pastas (e.g., Shirataki noodles) . . . the list of goodies to enjoy on occasion is endless. The truth is: anything and everything can be duplicated into low carb.
Interested in losing weight by doing low-carb, but don't know where to start? Well, click here to check out my extensive Atkins FAQ, which covers a lot of
preliminary issues which might be keeping you on the fence. Also, feel free to examine some food staples via a handy printout low-carb grocery list I have
compiled. Consider trying out a few of my original low-carb recipes I created myself along the way. The Atkins Startup Package is also available. Allow me to be
a relatable guide to get you started - I'll help you out! Once you have already read the book and through my FAQ, feel free to e-mail , IM (username is
"SugarFreeSheila" for pretty much everything!), or text me for help anytime. Oh, and I'm also on Facebook! Active members only, please, and this private
account is available only to those who've already taken the time to read Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, my full FAQ, & User Agreement. That's where we start.
I look very forward to hearing from you. Happy Low-Carbing!
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