[Spot The Difference]

My Story

Hi, my name is Dave Mills. I live in Hertfordshire with my family and work in East London as an Automotive Diagnostic Technician. In August 2001 I had my 44th birthday which has turned out to be one of my most significant birthdays as an adult. Although I didn’t know it then, I was just two days into a whole new way of eating which would have a dramatic effect on every aspect of my life.

On the 26th August 2001 I chanced upon a small magazine article about the various low carbohydrate diets. Despite several earlier attempts at losing weight I was then 23 stone and was gradually getting bigger. The increased weight brought with it decreasing health and a constant lack of energy. I decided to give a low carbohydrate diet a try and settled on the plan by Dr.Atkins as this seemed the most popular. Having purchased the ‘New Diet Revolution’ book, I began reading. The science in the early chapters was so convincing I must admit I started there and then. I soon finished the book and set about fine-tuning my menus to provide me with an adequate intake of nutrients whilst still in line with the simple rules.

Like most diets I began by expecting failure and decided to ignore the scales. However, the changes were spectacular. I was accustomed to getting out of breath climbing the stairs but suddenly I had the urge to run everywhere, and I did. This fantastic surge of energy and lack of hunger kicked in within the first week and has remained ever since. Next I noticed that my clothes were getting very baggy and people began to spot the difference. At the end of the third week I felt confident enough to step onto the scales. As I glanced down at the dial I was stunned to see the needle resting just below 20 stone. I screamed, I laughed, I cried and then I checked again but it was true, I had actually lost three stones in three weeks.

The following few weeks were a bit of a worry, as I lost no more weight as my body adjusted. But the loss soon continued again with the fantastic support and encouragement of everyone at the Carblife forum. The rate of loss was gentler now but by April 2002 I was pleased to record a total loss of 8 stone along with 10” missing from my waist. That’s eight stone in eight months with no side effects. This has all been achieved by simply taking control of my carbohydrate intake and increasing the amount of fats eaten. Based initially on the Atkins plan and then later on my own research and experimentation I have now found a way of eating that I am confident can be maintained for life. Many of the exaggerated side-effects and reported long term negative effects on health associated with the other low carbohydrate plans have been investigated and addressed using a ‘belt & braces’ approach. As an example, I now eat more fruit and vegetables than at any time before without exceeding my daily ceiling on carbohydrate intake.

If I can do it, I am sure anybody can. But don’t take my word for it, give it a try. You have nothing to lose but weight.

What next? For me, I will stick with this way of life, continue my research and try to spread the word so that as many people as possible can feel as great as I feel now.

To get a better idea of the way a selective way of life has changed me you might want to have a look at the Spot The Difference pages.