Hello Atkins, Goodbye 66 Pounds! :

A dying wish gave Barton L. back her life.

Between obesity and alcoholism, the 40-year-old was a mess. At 201 pounds, she was caught up in a cycle of binge drinking and overeating. Her unhealthy habits didn’t go unnoticed. Family and friends were concerned that the former bodybuilder from Las Vegas was no longer taking care of herself.

It wasn’t uncommon for her to down a bottle of tequila a day. She would also consume an entire pizza by herself. Beer, chocolate and ice cream were staples in her diet. Barton knew she needed to change and a promise to her dying stepfather was just the incentive she needed. Before he passed away, she vowed to get her life together.

And she kept her word.

Instead of tackling one vice at a time, Barton quit drinking and overeating cold turkey. But, she didn’t go it alone. After hearing about the Atkins plan from her aunt, she decided to test the eating approach. She had her doubts about a plan that promised to improve her health despite a menu of bacon, eggs and other tempting foods.

“I loved the food,” she tells eDiets . “I felt like I was cheating. I did the traditional scrambled eggs and bacon in the morning. For lunch I would have salad with chicken or turkey. At night I would have a burger without a bun.

“A lot of times I would have the same thing every day. It made it a lot simpler.”

Barton has discovered it’s easy to diversify the menu. In addition to low-carb cookbooks, there are a lot of new low-carb products on the market. She's currently sweet on Fiber One cereal and tuna fish with cantaloupe.

When it came to following the Atkins approach , self-discipline kept Barton from getting off track. She ate the recommended foods, drank plenty of water and began her own exercise regimen.

The hardest part for Barton was learning the amount of carbohydrates in foods. Giving up bread and pasta didn’t seem like much of a sacrifice as the pounds began to melt away like butter. The loss was slow and steady for our 5'7" featured dieter. Over 18 months, she shed an incredible 66 pounds. Today, her weight has steadied at 138 pounds. She’s traded the size 18 clothes she used to wear for slender size 7s (and can even fit into a size 6 at times).

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