As I've read the success stories on this site, I see lots of people who have gone from size 16 to 6 or from an 18 to a 4. And, it seems that most of them made these changes in their 30s or 40s. That's not my story and yet, I believe that I have been very successful in using low carb, specifically the Atkins Diet. I've gone from a size 20 or 22 to a 12 or 14, and I'm thrilled. So is my family, particularly my husband since I now weigh only about six pounds more on the day we said our "I dos" more than 40 years ago.

That's right, I'll be 65 in May, and I have serious back problems so all except very mild exercises are prohibited. (I do have an appointment with my orthopedic surgeon this week to ask if there are some a bit more strenuous that I can try without causing myself serious problems.) I've spinal fusion once on three vertebrae and already know that I will need a second surgery sometime in the future when the pain gets too awful for me to handle it with mild prescription pain killers.

I've been on diets ever since I was a teenager, but until about 15 years ago, I was able to stay in the size 12-14 range, although yo-yo dieting was a part of my life. It was also a part of my mother's life for all of her 80 years. It was when she was dying that I gave up the dieting. She died from Parkinson's disease, which can and often does affect the mind, and yet, when she could hardly talk, couldn't walk, read or write or even use utensils to feed herself, she knew she was thinner than she had been in years and she struggled to tell me that "I told you I'd be a size 12 before I died." That did it for me. I left her apartment saying that I would never diet again. No one should think about how exciting it is to be thin when they have lost all their other faculties.

But, in recent years, I've realized what a problem my weight was for me. I started having problems with my knees, sitting on an airplane was difficult, especially when we went to Europe, and I was always tired. I was known for my energy, so apparently that wasn't affected too badly. I've always had twice the energy my husband has, but now I have three times the energy.

I started Atkins with a goal of losing 20 lbs. so I could fit into some clothes that didn't fit any more in mid-January 2004. Two weeks later, I was told that my job as a public relations manager in a major Fortune 500 company was being eliminated. (That's a story of age discrimination, but not important here.) What is important is that in spite of my life-long habit of eating more when I was depressed or upset, I didn't do that this time. I stuck with Atkins, and I kept losing. Once the 20 lbs. were gone, I decided that I'd keep going, because it wasn't really painful, sometimes boring, but I was never hungry. Within six months, I'd lost 65 lbs. Since then my weight has varied a little, but never more than a few pounds over that weight, and I stick to low carb most of the time. Recently I lost the last five lbs. to reach my new goal weight, and I'm continuing to lose, so that when we go on a two-week vacation (a cruise on the Queen Mary II and a week in London and Edinburgh before we fly back), I can splurge a bit and still fit in my clothes.

Meanwhile, my old working wardrobe has been donated to an agency that dresses poor women who are looking for jobs ... and size 20s and 22s were what they needed. I've bought a new wardrobe, more than half of it at Consignment shops ... a good tip for anyone who is looking for clothing in a new size. Most of them only accept clothing in excellent condition and they price it at 30-50 percent of retail. (I have some branded clothing that I would never have purchased new because it would have been beyond my budget.)

My husband keeps telling me how great I look; friends rave about my new figure; and on occasion when I meet someone I haven't seen in a long time, they hardly recognize me. I've lost 12 inches in my waist; 10 in my bust; 11 in my hips and 7 on each thigh.

I'm retired now and enjoying my 16-month old granddaughter. I doubt I'd have the energy to get down and up from the floor where she likes to play without this weight loss and I know that alone was worth the struggle.

While I was on low carb, my husband didn't stick to it like I did, but stuck to most of it, so he took off 25 lbs. too. His all came off the middle and he looks great at age 70.

So, I'm not a size 6. I don't need to be one. For me a size 12-14 is great and it's particularly nice since I'm much older than most of the people who write on this forum. I know there are other people out there dieting who think that once they get older, it's impossible. I'm living proof that it isn't.

I have pictures of after, and probably even before, but unfortunately, do not have a scanner. If I get one, I'll be sure to post them.

Your success story is a great motivator! Congratulations on reaching your goal! Thanks for posting. You have made me look forward to today and all of my low carb days! Have a good day
Lisa