72 Pounds Down on the GI Diet

The Glycemic Impact Diet

By Carolina Diaz-Bordon
The eDiets Staff Writer

Elizabeth D. was less than thrilled that she had to buy size-20 shorts to go on a family vacation, but when she saw the pictures of herself in them she was shocked. At 5 foot 6, her weight had skyrocketed to an uncomfortable 225 pounds.

The young 29-year-old music teacher wasn't about to sit around singing the blues, instead she joined forces with eDiets and The Glycemic Impact Diet plan. Now she's singing a much happier tune in her slim and sexy size-10 figure.

"I needed to make a change and really commit to altering my present lifestyle. I liked the accessibility of eDiets . I can stay at home and work on it on my computer. The program is really complete,” Elizabeth tells eDiets .

"I like that there's a great deal of support available without having to go to a meeting. The Glycemic Impact plan appealed to me right off the bat. It limits carbohydrates but still allows me to eat them. I was really just looking for a change, and it looked like something for me to try."

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Turns out the The Glycemic Impact Diet was exactly what her body, mind and spirit needed. The plan, which is built around eating the right combination of protein, carbohydrates and fat at every meal, helped her achieve optimal metabolic balance every time she ate. In return, she started losing weight, her hunger pangs and her unhealthy cravings began fading, and her energy level increased.

"Since it was the summertime, I was off of work. I had time to really do the recipe-based plan and try out a variety of different foods. I like cooking, so that appealed to me because I could actually make lots of different things on the plan. Pretty much as soon as I started I noticed I had much more energy within the first week. I felt like my energy was through the roof," she says.

"That immediate change motivated me to start working out and to really stick with the plan so I could really start seeing some progress."

Once she started on her health journey, the motivated music teacher from Maryland was eager to learn more.

"My eating habits in the past were not good. I was never really into the fast-food thing but I was very lazy with my cooking habits. Dinner would be a big plate of pasta. If we went out, I would order chicken fingers, French fries and ice cream. I had fallen into what was quick and convenient and not what was good for me," admits Elizabeth.

"I am much more aware of what I eat. I enjoy everything I eat but limit the amount I consume. I try to eat as many healthy things that I can that will benefit my body. I don't want to eat something just because it's there or it looks good. I try to think about the long run. I ask myself if this is going help me be a healthier person."

While the archive meetings, meal plan and shopping lists have been helpful tools, the eDiets support boards have been the most helpful diet tool for Elizabeth.

"I've been part of the Life Odyssey Challenge since I started eDiets , and it has really just given me so much support and encouragement. I honestly, don't think I could have gotten this far without the help of my teammates. I am actually a captain for my team now."

There's no doubt she's come a long way since she first linked up with eDiets Glycemic Impact plan.

Fitness makeover
Elizabeth took advantage of the fitness plan available to members and got ideas on how to get started revving up her physical lifestyle. Gradually the super slimmer started becoming more active. Nowadays, it's become part of her weekly routine.

"As a music teacher, I teach elementary school. All day I am singing and dancing and playing around with my kids. I can do that now. I can play around with them and be silly and dance and not be winded, gasping for air. It's just really improved my life and the way that I feel and in the things that I want to do. I think I'm just a happier person all around.

In addition to the amazing support she's received from her fellow teammates at eDiets.com, she's also received worlds of encouragement from those closest to her.

"Anytime I go to visit my parents, my mom calls to see what kind of food I want to have available to make my life easier for me. My fiancé has been extremely supportive. We don't keep junk food in the house anymore.

"I've also gotten tons of encouragement from the people I work with. It means so much to hear people tell me that I'm melting away and getting so skinny. I never thought I would hear those kinds of things."

One look at her after pictures and it's easy to see why this music maker's fit and flattering 153-pound figure is making such a commotion. She looks and feels better than she has in years, and she plans on making sure that continues for the rest of her life.

"I've always struggled with my self-image, and I haven't been really confident in the past. Just having the confidence within myself to know that I am taking care of myself and taking the necessary steps to be a healthy person, it sort of roles over into everything else," she said.

"My original goal was to lose 80 pounds. At this point, I am about 8 pounds away from that. I would like to get to that point and then just maintain. I'd like to continue working out and increasing my cardio and overall level of fitness."

Now that you've read what the GI plan can do, why not get your own personalized meal plan from eDiets? Click here to get started.

Carolina Diaz-Bordon is a writer specializing in health, beauty and relationships