FC Low Carb Challenge: Week 11 – You Did It!

We started with an idea. An idea to help women find a healthy way of eating and maybe lose a few pounds while we’re at it. It was a call to arms for all of us to work together and challenge ourselves to a new way of looking at food. Now three months later, we as a collective, have learned so much about eating healthy, and we really did lose a lot of weight in the process. While many women and men, were following us online with the challenge, we also had a little group I was running on Facebook; The Summer Challenge Group. These women were from all walks and stages of life, willing to take three months out of their busy lives to try a new way of eating and thinking. I was astonished by them each week. Watching them pull together, work as a team, share recipes, motivate and support each other. They worked for 11 weeks, taking risks and basically learning the low carb lifestyle. As a collective whole, our little group lost over 200 pounds. That’s the same amount of weight as two or three toddlers, lost from their respective bodies in just our little group alone. All from taking a chance and trying a new low carb lifestyle.

I am proud and inspired by everyone that participated in the challenge with us. From the emails and tweets that I received to the messages on Facebook telling me how they are successfully losing and feeling great doing it. You guys did amazing, and I can’t thank you enough for low carbing along with me.

But you know… it doesn’t have to end. I eat low carb year around and so can you. Keep doing what you’re doing and keep losing the weight. Once you have gotten to where you would like to be, and are happy in your skin, then you can start maintaining. It’s easy. You just add a few more carbs in each day. Taking it slow, not to add too many too quickly. Be sure to keep weighing yourself while you’re adding back in a few extra carbs a day. When you get to a spot where you are no longer losing but aren’t gaining either, you have found your individual carb total. This is the perfect carb amount for your body. The place where you can eat a certain amount of carbs that you found to work for you daily, and not lose but not gain either. Now you’re maintaining. Remember to keep to that number, but allow yourself something special weekly. You’ve earned it!

Good luck everyone and thank you for being a part of our Low Carb Challenge. Remember low carbing is a lifestyle and not a diet. Be healthy and keep going!

Week 1 – The Rules
Week 2 – Getting Started
Week 3 – Favorite Things
Week 4 – Screwing Up
Week 5 – I Want Candy
Week 6 – Taking Care of You
Week 7 – You Can Do It!
Week 8 – Wine, Beer, Tequila? Definitely!
Week 9 – Carb Creep
Week 10 – Hollywood Eats Low Carb. You Can Too!
Week 11 – Wow! You Did it!

Photo Credit: CarlosMendozaPhoto via Compfight cc