Colorado woman says she is walking, talking long-term study for low carb diets

Four years ago, Karen Rysavy started a low carb diet after her husband announced his intention to start the Atkins diet. Initially concerned about his safety, the research she did on his behalf ultimately made a believer out of both of them. One year later, she was ten sizes and sixty five pounds lighter, and her husband had lost an equal amount of weight.

(PRWEB) January 15, 2004 --Four years ago, Karen Rysavy started a low carb diet after her husband announced his intention to start the Atkins diet. Initially concerned about his safety, the research she did on his behalf ultimately made a believer out of both of them. One year later, she was ten sizes and sixty five pounds lighter, and her husband had lost an equal amount of weight. Only a year later, Karen broke her back in a sledding accident. Surprisingly, she was able to maintain her full weight loss throughout the long recovery period - and whats more, she claims it was easy. "This is no longer a diet" she says. "This is lifestyle that I will never change."

Whats even more shocking than my weight loss success are the improvements in my overall health" said Rysavy when questioned. Those myths about kidney damage and how all the saturated fat is going to clog my arteries just make me laugh now. Not only have I seen plenty of research to disprove that, I have four years of lab tests that prove unquestionably just how healthy this Way of Life is for me!"

Rysavy is not exaggerating. When she fractured her spine in January 2002, she had x-rays taken and they revealed more than a fractured vertebrae – clearly visible to even her untrained, naked eye were several large kidney stones. Too big to have formed in just the two years since shed started low carbing, she blames years of low fat and yo-yo dieting instead, a theory her urologist goes along with, which was substantiated by a September 2003 follow-up that showed her to be stone-free a full year after multiple lithotripsy surgeries to remove the old stones. My doctor wants to see me again in another two years before he will declare me cured", but I am sure that will happen."

Rysavy also has lab tests that show a steady improvement in her blood cholesterol over the last four years. I had tried low fat diets and even medication designed to lower cholesterol, but my cholesterol and weight only continued to go up" she said. My cholesterol was off the charts and low carbing is the first and only thing that helped. And in addition to the things Ive already told you about, theres the fact that I am never hungry, I truly enjoy all my food, I am eating more fruits and vegetables than most people I know who eat a so-called balanced" diet, and I never have energy slumps. I started exercising just because of how darn good I feel! Before I changed my eating habits, I never had any energy, period. Now I never stop moving – or smiling!"

Karen believes in her new eating plan so strongly that she's self-published not one but two low carb cookbooks already, while building a popular and extensive internet site (http://www.trulylowcarb.com). She publishes a free online monthly newsletter and is a regular columnist for CarbHealth magazine. The late Dr. Robert Atkins, M.D. recognized her in October 2001 by making her a success story on the atkinscenter website, and later quoted her in his last diet book, Atkins for Life. Rysavys cookbooks were reviewed very favorably in the January 2004 edition of the brand new Low Carb Living magazine, so theres a good chance we havent heard the last of this determined Coloradoan.

I am making it my mission in life to let people know that low carb does not have to equal high protein, and that I dont live on red meat and bacon - nor should anyone on a low carb diet!"

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