PROVIDA SUPPORT COMMUNITY

For probably 40 of my 52 years I have battled my weight. My mom and I went on the "Mayo Clinic" diet when I was in 7th grade. This actually had nothing to do with the Mayo Clinic, but was the infamous grapefruit diet. You could eat up to 12 eggs and 12 pieces of bacon, as long as you ate half a grapefruit first! From there, I began drinking diet soda and trying to be disciplined about eating bread, "starches," and "sweets." My dad was concerned about my weight and I heard about it a lot, and I was teased and called names by my brother and his friends. When I was in high school I dropped all the baby fat and was actually almost skinny for my junior and senior years. I was a gymnast and rode my bicycle all the time and could eat anything and not gain weight.

I married at age 20 and my son was born 9 months later. I began to put on weight when I was pregnant, but lost it fairly quickly after he was born. This is when I taught myself anorexia. I didn't even know that other gals had this ideology, but I knew that I was a newlywed and needed to get my figure back somehow.

In order to shed some light on this dynamic of my story I need to say that my husband is one of the kindest, most supportive men in the world and he would love me no matter what my size or demeanor...he just straight-up loves me and doesn't challenge my silly ideas or my odd notions, so when he saw me "dieting" and losing weight he didn't question me about what I was eating (or in this case, not eating!). At this time in my life I had bouts of starving, followed by weeks of binging so that my weight stayed pretty much the same, although I was forging a pattern of starvation/binging that would plague me for 3 decades. After my daughter was born 3 years later I became seriously anorexic, even fasting for weeks at a time while breast feeding her! At one point I looked almost like a skeleton. My mind was also playing tricks on me and I even had the notion that my dear friend (who was always my partner in dieting) was sitting in my backyard at all hours watching in my windows to see if I was eating something I shouldn't! That is pure craziness! I found myself looking over my shoulder all the time, trying to catch her watching me. This made the anorexia even worse, as I was determined that she would never see me eating anything.....ever!

Anorexia is a serious mental condition, and if anyone reading this is suffering from this malady, you need to get sound help for it. Anorexia clouds your judgment and your perspective. It can be lethal if not recognized and dealt with. In my case I was brought to my senses after a real scare. We had been at a week long conference and I had not eaten anything the entire week. When I stood up to leave at the end of the week I could not stand or walk without help. I was so weak that I could not even get to the car. My husband had to carry me. This really scared me and I quit going weeks on end without food, but I still had the mixed up thinking that starvation was the only way to lose weight.

Because of this mentality I was always a good target for diets like Herbalife, where I was supposed to substitute 2 shakes for 2 meals...but in my case, I would only have ONE shake a day and no meals. Or I would go on diets that included days of fasting. After all, I could fast for 2 weeks without hunger, so what a perfect scenario for me! I systematically shut my metabolism down with every diet I tried. I was successful on a lot of them, too! But as soon as I began to eat ‘normally' the pounds would come back faster than ever. I would be so discouraged by my failure that I would essentially give up, eating more candy and junk and then start the starvation pattern again.

On one diet that I paid a lot of money for I was supposed to eat 3 times a day, journal my food plan, and weigh in every week. I was constantly in trouble for skipping meals, and although I lost 108 pounds, I never learned the secret of firing up my metabolism with food. I have done nearly every diet that has been invented (except prescription diet pills) and have stuck to them perfectly and lost a lot of weight. If dieting could help you or teach you how to correctly feed your body, I would be the poster girl. BUT...dieting will never teach you a thing except how to shut down your metabolism and be a yo-yo. A fat, miserable yo-yo, I might add! I dieted my way to almost 300 pounds! As a Christian woman I have been so discouraged over the years by my lack of self control and inability to conquer this food thing spiritually. One day a light came on that I have to say was a direct answer to prayer.

Now we get to the exciting, life-changing part of my story! Enter Provida Life Sciences and the 6 Week Body Makeover!

I had been researching Atkins again for the 3rd time in my life and had made a decision to try it again. I was praying for direction because I wanted this to be the last diet I was ever going to be subject to. This was in November of 2003. I was going to start Atkins on January 2, 2004 and whatever it took I was resolved to make this the last diet! I had bought into the health ideas put forth in the new revised edition of the Atkins book and I was a woman on a mission! One day I was half-heartedly channel surfing on a Saturday afternoon. I saw the tail-end of an infomercial that looked pretty interesting. I watched as the guy talked about this "book" you would get, and how it was geared to your own metabolism or body type, and all the foods you got to eat on his plan, and how you could shape your body with some bands. I was really interested and almost wrote down the phone number, but then I decided that I already knew how to do Atkins and this "infomercial plan" looked too complicated. Plus, it didn't look like I would get to fill up on cheese and fat, which my ‘wanter' was already anticipating being satiated with on Atkins. So, I turned off the TV and didn't write down the information.

As scheduled, I started Atkins after the first of the year and began losing. Shortly after the New Year I watched a TV program called Extreme Makeover. It was a gruesome show filled with plastic surgeries and all, and I was intrigued by what would prompt someone to go to those extremes to change their body. I was addicted to tuning in every week!

(Now if some of you don't believe in answered prayer, or if you think that God always uses conventional methods to get our attention, or if you don't think that He will persevere to give you an answer even when you ignore His first prompting, then you need to rethink your concept of how important you are to Him and to what lengths He will go to tackle you and make you see what He's trying to show you. For me, I never would have thought that the most monumental, life changing answer to my prayer for direction would come through a TV program that resembled the biology class I avoided in high school. Nor would I have believed that it would take two years for Him to finally get through to me with the answer!)

While watching Extreme Makeover through my fingers each week and wincing through most of it, one night my hands dropped to my sides and my mouth popped open in shock as I recognized that guy from the infomercial I'd seen a few months earlier! I sat mesmerized as he actually got 40 pounds off the "victim" in 6 weeks so she could have her plastic surgery or whatever. I told my husband that I'd seen this guy before and thought his diet was sensible, but I didn't know how to find out about it. By now I was not doing Atkins anymore, but working on gaining back the 65 pounds I had lost in the months I was on it.

Week after week I tuned in to that show and some weeks I saw Michael Thurmond and some weeks I didn't. Every time I saw him I was more and more interested in his program and more and more mad at myself for not writing down the information when I'd had the chance. I didn't watch the credits to see if his plan was advertised at the end of the show, but I knew that if I ever saw that infomercial again I was definitely going to call for the info!

2 years after watching the infomercial the first time, my husband and I sat down to watch TV at 2 AM at the end of a hectic day before Christmas 2005. The only thing on TV at that hour is infomercials.....take your pick; shoe inserts, diets, or money making schemes! I was tuned to the diet one, which seemed oddly familiar, but not the same as the one I'd seen before. This one featured people who had lost over 100 pounds and I was enthralled. My husband came in and told me to change the channel. I sneered at him that we could watch one about feet or one about selling real estate, but I wanted to watch this one because I thought I recognized it. He patiently backed down and nibbled his TV food and let me watch for about 5 more minutes when he asked again, "Seen enough yet?" This time I was really agitated and told him no, that I wanted to see this and see if it was still the same price as it was 2 years ago. He quit asking me to change the channel and watched the remainder of the show with me. When it was over he looked at me and said, "This plan really looks like it will work. It makes sense. Do you want to order it?" I was already on my way up the stairs to call.

So at 2:30 in the morning I was on the phone with Provida ordering one for myself and one for my mom, who I always drag into all my weight loss schemes. As a side note, my mom has lost 55 pounds and agrees with me that this is the best decision we have ever made for our health.

My kit came before Christmas and I decided that I would begin after the first of the year. Two years after my decision to make Atkins my last diet, I fulfilled that commitment by beginning the Provida WAY OF LIFE.

I weighed 292 pounds the morning of January 9, 2006. After the first week on the 6WBMO I had lost 17 pounds! I still had my anorexic mentality of starvation being the only way to peel off the pounds, so I needed to weigh myself every day in order to believe that I could eat the amount of food that was prescribed on the plan and lose weight. I was amazed by my first week's loss but secretly thought that it would slow down the next week or two, as with every other diet I've been on. The second week I lost another 6 and the third week I lost another 5. I consistently lost 3 to 5 pounds each week from there on.

I need to say here that I have never been a cheater. If I am going to do something I do it whole heartedly and don't deviate. I credit my success in part to this fact, and I want to say to anyone who is just starting that if you will not cheat and do this 100% you will do yourself the biggest favor in the long run because you will squelch future cravings as you get through the almost "detox" that your body goes through at first.

I will not say that the first 3 to 4 weeks were a picnic, either. I believe that we are equipped with a real rebellious "wanter" which tries to dictate to us what we like and don't like and what we "need" and what we "can't abide to eat." Getting control of this internal voice is one of the biggest challenges, but it's the sweetest victory in the journey. At first you think that you can't live without cheese or something that your spoiled wanter thinks it will die without. Let me tell you.......killing your wanter is not a bad thing. Once you can dictate and chose for yourself rather than your spoiled wanter getting in on the action and whispering that you "need" sugar or salt or cheese or fat or salad dressing or whatever it is that you are addicted to, you will begin to see that foods taste great in their natural state and that you actually can live without some things and don't miss them.

At one point during the first 3 weeks I was telling myself that as soon as I was through with the 6 weeks I'd committed to I was going back on Atkins. This was purely my wanter in the death throes, making a final big scene, because merely days later, at about the 4 week mark, I woke up one morning and thought, "I can do this for the rest of my life!" Suddenly my wanter had moved out or died or something and I took a good, hard, serious look at the foods I was eating and the things I was doing differently this time. I realized that I was completely satisfied and feeling terrific and the pounds were flying off of me...and I was eating! In fact, after years of starving I felt actual hunger pains for the first time since childhood! The Black Book told me that this was proof that my metabolism had kicked in and I was beginning to function like a normal person!

5 months after starting the plan I had lost 100 pounds! I was able to wear a size 16 and I could latch the bracelet that my son had given me the Christmas before, which was ¾" too small when I received it. One year after beginning the program I weighed 136! I have lost 123.5 inches and have gone from a size 26/28 to a size 6/8. I have lost another 2 pounds since my one year anniversary and am holding steady there, which makes my total weight loss 158 pounds in one year!

I have also gained....I have gained a wealth of understanding about how my body functions and what foods make my metabolism work like it's supposed to. I have gained confidence that I am in control of what I eat and how it affects me, and I have gained security knowing that I never have to gain back those unhealthy pounds. I have gained a new enthusiasm for living as a thin person and not a yo-yo. I have gained many, many new friends from the support forums, too!

I didn't get online until I'd been on the plan for a month, so the forums opened up a whole new world to me. As a gal with an anorexic mentality about dieting, breakfast has always been my hardest meal. I don't even "think" in terms of breakfast.....I am used to waking up and hitting the pavement running. I might slow down and think about food sometime after noon, so getting used to eating breakfast was a tough one. But I found a recipe for Pumpkin Muffins in the Recipe Exchange that were a complete Body Type A breakfast meal! Now I make muffins weekly and keep them in the refrigerator so I can have one for breakfast every morning. I can state proudly that I now "think" breakfast! I am even sometimes awakened by a growling tummy!

One huge key to success is preparation. We can prepare to succeed and we can also prepare to fail. I have seen some people set themselves up for failure by not thinking ahead and getting caught without any on-plan food to eat or time to make it. Then they eat what is on hand and use it as an excuse for going off plan. Sometimes this has devastating consequences, in that it takes them weeks to get back on track and then they find it easier the next time they are tempted to go off plan. You must keep a shopping list and you must think through at least the next meal. You must also sometimes call ahead before dining out to make sure there is something for you on the menu. If not, go prepared with whatever you need to stay on plan. My son races motorcycles and I have had to take several days meals in the cooler in order to stay on plan. It is a little inconvenient at times, but aren't the results worth a little inconvenience?

Another key is being committed to success one meal at a time. Don't get caught up in thinking about how long it will take you to lose the desired amount, just think about the fact that you are going to be POP right now.....for this meal. At the next meal commit to being POP for that meal. Before you know it you will have a string of successes behind you and you won't even think about how long of a commitment you have in front of you. I made a commitment to the 6 original weeks of the plan. I knew that I would be unbending for that initial commitment. But sometimes we need mini goals to reach the 6 weeks. I see Michael Thurmond's wisdom in making it a 6 week program. Something happens before the 6 weeks are up. By following the program as it is written and not deviating, I turned the corner in my thinking at about 4 weeks. Almost overnight I realized that what I was doing was good for my body, not hard, and really satisfying. My "wanter" stopped rebelling and my taste buds woke up so that they could actually taste what I was eating. It was almost miraculous!

I am a really good example of "eat more, exercise less" because for months I was not able to use the exercise bands, not having a single doorway in my house that would accommodate them. I did walk daily and bought a bicycle after losing 100 pounds (in 5 months!) and began riding it. I had joined Curves 2 years before 6WBMO entered my life and I went back there in March. I have followed Michael Thurmond's advice about only working out till my heart is in the target range and then keeping it there, so I don't work out as hard as they want me to. It is absolutely the right thing to do, for I have consistently been on the "Top Loser" board since going back....right up until reaching goal! I am regularly asked how I am losing so much weight and now am joined by several gals doing the 6WBMO that I met at Curves! You can't deny results.

I am happy to report that after a home remodel I am now using the bands...finally! The ideal thing is to used them in conjunction with the plan, but don't let that be a deterrent to starting the plan if you don't have the means to use them. Get started anyway, like I did, and you will see dramatic results. Almost everyone can walk, so if nothing else, get moving!

One year ago I didn't think that I'd be sitting here typing out a success story. I knew that I would be "sort of successful" as I have been on lots of diets. But I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be sitting here 158 pounds lighter telling you that I don't have cravings for foods that used to tempt me, or that I am not looking forward to the day when I'm "finished" with the plan. I am sitting here telling you that I will do this plan for the rest of my life. I am completely satisfied with the foods I eat and the quantity. I don't miss anything. I will thank God for Michael Thurmond every day for the rest of my life and pray for His blessings on him for sharing this lifesaving message with me.

Some revelations to me over the past year are that I actually LIKE plain baked potatoes (who knew that they are good that way?) and I can eat naked lettuce and not go into spasms (I thought God invented lettuce to go with dressing). I can go into a restaurant and order what I need to eat and find most of them happy to fix what I ask for, even if it isn't on their menu. I am not at their mercy. I can take my rice cakes to even a fancy restaurant and have them for my carb without getting escorted out. I have found that the carb is the most difficult part of the plan when eating out. A lot of places will serve an acceptable protein and veggie, but the carb is usually fried or wheat or floating in sauce....so I keep rice cakes in my car for those occasions. The funniest part of eating out is when the waiter or waitress brings your food and comments about how good it looks and remarks that it should be on the menu....or when those eating with you see your plate and tell you that they should have let you order for them too, since your food looks so much better than theirs!

Getting to goal quickly has been fun in a lot of ways, as well as optimizing my health in rapid fashion. I know that there will be adjustments to make for some time, like realizing that I fit comfortably in a booth at a restaurant now, or the seat at the movies, or learning how to shop in other than the plus size department. Reaching the brake pedal in my car without my tummy rubbing on the steering wheel was a tearful moment, as was trying on size 12 jeans for the first time and standing in the fitting room bawling.

I am so appreciative of the forums where we can share our "moments" and ask questions and get feedback from others who have been there too; who understand with an empathy that isn't found elsewhere, and so graciously reach for our hand when we need a shoulder or an ear or just a companion on the journey. The Recipe Exchange is a "plan saver" when you get weary of planning meals or just want to find something new and exciting, and the BMOS's are prompt in answering a question or clarifying the plan. To sum up, the 6 Week Body Makeover is truly a complete package...it is something worth committing to for life...and I will be forever grateful for that late-night infomercial that was my direct answer to prayer!

Karol, CONGRATULATIONS! You look absolutely awesome! How inspiring to see with all you have struggled through that you've reached your goal! How wonderful that must feel!

Your story not only brought tears to my eyes but has strengthened my resolve and belief in this program. Like you I am looking at losing such an unthinkable amount of weight. You reached your goal and I will continue to fight untill I reach mine!

Your pictures are BEAUTIFUL!! May you find continued success while Living Lean!!

Absolutely PHENOMINAL results Karol! Congrats on your success. You are a true inspiration.

Chris and Cindy: Thank you for the kind words! I am still amazed by the results I've had with this program. After being on every diet imaginable you never really think anything will work like it's purported to. This program is the most incredible blessing because it does work...just like it's supposed to...when we do it with resolve. I am pulling for you both as you head for the goal line!

Congratulations, you look GREAT!!! What an inspiration.
Annie

WOW , Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you look fantastic .

kpeat-------------- i can totally relate to your story and im glad that staying op pays off i have been op since day one i dont want to fall off and try to start again ive done that enough in the past i can understand life emergencys but just saying i wanted a piece of cake is weak to me i love hearing stories like yours that let me know there is someone that is ready to change thier life and not have excuses for fallen off the wagon congratulations girl im so happy for you

Karol~ Woohoo, awesome, awesome, your pictures speak volumes. Thanks so much for sharing your journey, you already know how many people you have touched and will continue touch. It's so great isn't to have control. You hit the nail on the head with so many things, instead of thinking I can't to this, I can't do, that, you made it work for you. Looks like we share of love of animals, folk art, americana, primitives, and just plain taking something and revamping it. I too am a Curves member, and it's not whether you have a membership or not, or use the equipment, it's how you use the equipment that gets you the results.
Bravo, on getting 100's of new wonderful changes in your life, physically, emotionally.
You did, you've done it, and you are living it, and so many people out there can do the same thing too. Continued success!

Karol~

Wow, what an AWESOME story!!!! There are so many things about your story that I can relate to, and to see you successful just encourages me so much. There are times I struggle being on plan. It is not the plan, but it is my mentality and how I respond to the whole weight loss thing. But, reading your story lets me see and relate to the success the 6WBMO plan offers!!! Thank you for your honest and revealing success story and congratulations on being the February Success Story!!!!!!!

Karol - First I must say congratulations - you are truly an inspiration. Even though our paths to finding Provida were different - OMG - so many things you said were like reading my own journey on the 6WBMO. There were a few exceptions - I was bawling in the Kohl's dressing room when I tried on size 14's and they were already big, which meant that 12's were right around the corner!!

I completely agree that giving this way of life 100% is the best way to succeed!!! Enjoy your success and those little treats. It still amazes me when I can fit into airline seats and movie chairs & noone gives me strange looks if I'm sitting next to them.

Enjoy your month in the limelight - you have certainly earned it!!!!

WOO HOO KAROL!!! YOU DID IT! YOU WROTE YOUR SUCCESS STORY!!

I have no doubt that it won't be long before we see your picture up as a success story of the month. I am sooo proud of you!

So far, I have only been partially successful as you mention in your story that you believed you would have been before starting the plan. I am one of those people who tends to set myself up for failure that you mentioned, too.

However, it is the online forum and people like you who keep me trying and one day I hope to have my success story up here as well.

Thanks for letting me share in your journey and for all the motivation and humor you have provided along the way.

Nancy

Karol, I am so happy you have posted your success story! This will be such a blessing to many people! I am proud to be your friend and part of the encouragement team that has helped you stay motivated to get to your goal and beyond. I can relate so much to many elements of your story, although I was NEVER too thin, I did some fasting-type diets, and so I had killed my metabolism too before I found this new healthy eating and exercising lifestyle! LOL!

Keep on, sweetie!

Robin

Karol, your success is AMAZING!!! I'm so happy for you! I remember checking out your gallery a few months ago....but I didn't realize it was you until about halfway through the pictures! CONGRATULATIONS on making goal!!!!

Thanks, your story was just the inspiration I needed to get my head back in the game. Incredible weight loss story. You look great!

GREAT STORY AND GREAT JOB. YOU LOOK FABULOUS!!

Wow! I am so blessed by all of the glowing encouragement and love I'm finding here. I was gone almost all day and when I got on here this afternoon I was almost overwhelmed by the gracious and uplifting remarks.

What is most incredible and humbling to me is all the avitars represented next to every name! As of this posting right now you all represent 1020 pounds of "gone forever" fat! That brings tears to my eyes and makes my heart swell even more with gratitude for this plan. What an awesome testimony!

Annie, I have read your story many times since I started, and have loved your advice that I've found on other threads. Thank you for the help and wisdom you have shared with me without even knowing it!

Susana, Jane, Susan, Jane and Darlene, you all are so kind. Thank you for your encouraging words and congratulations! I feel wrapped in hugs!

Judy, I'd like to throw my arms around you and congratulate you for not cheating! You go, girl! I believe that staying POP kills those cravings and makes the "emergencies" easier to deal with food-wise and then get right back OP.

Donna, We DO share the love of those things! LOL I guess you see all my Victorian "dog" prints hanging everywhere in my house! Not to mention the primitive clutter that is impossible to dust. I have a sign that says "dust protects furniture" just in case anyone notices a cobweb here or there! Thank you for the uplifting words about my story. I have read yours before and feel so blessed to be LL in such great company!

Sharron, I am so proud of you and how far you have come. Your honesty about the struggle is half the battle, I think. In my case, the mental thing was probably the hardest hurdle. Speaking the truth to ourselves is a great gift, and as we progress in the food part of the journey the thought part gets in line. Keep going, sister. I'm waiting at the goal line for you.

Sheri, What a hoot! It was Kohl's dressing room I was bawling in, too!! I wonder if they have to mop the floor a lot? LOL Thank you for the encouragement and the chuckle for the day!

Nancy, you guys have hounded me for soooooo long to post my story. ROFLOL! Thank you for being a constant source of encouragement, thought provoking dialogue and silliness. I love all you guys on our thread and feel like you share this success with me. I have a bone to pick with you, though (maybe I will win if I do it in public)....I am still waiting for that visit!!

Robin, my prayer partner, sister in Christ, and treasured friend. Your journal was one of the first things I read on the forums and I could relate to so much of what you wrote. I had to search you out and communicate with you regularly. I am so glad I did. Thank you for all the times you lift me up or just let me vent or be the crazy woman that I am. Your success and willingness to share is a major contribution to me sitting here 158 pounds lighter and I will always be grateful. Again, thank YOU! I love you guys.

Let me just say...You look amazing!! and GOOD JOB. Love your house too

Karol . I am just so surprised, a few weeks ago I was surfing Provida and I came across a group you are a member of and I thought about asking you all if you would mind me joining in because I noticed that your group had some really huge losses and that I am the same body type, but I didn't. Is that group still taking new members? I need to get my rear in gear because I want to have the rest of my weight off by my next birthday because I will be 40 and I promised myself I would. Your an inspiration and thanks for sharing your story.

Karol-MY BUDDY!!!MY MENTOR!!! I love the success story. It's great. It hit home so many times as I read it. You look absolutely wonderful. I hope, no, I will be there some day. I am not far now. Thank you for all your support.

Karol~ YOU LOOK MAHHHHVOLOUSSSSSSSSSSSS!! Fantastic job Lady!!! Congratulations!!!!!!