First, I love this site so much! All the recipes are WONDERFUL.
My name is Jennifer, and I'm a medical student who has started to move over to the chunkier side of life. I'm 24, and I have about 25 lbs that I could stand to lose. Because of school, I've traditionally found it hard to diet but this time I'm loving that I'm getting to learn to cook (for the first time ever... that's so awful to admit!) and do so in a way that's healthy and maximizes what my body can do for itself. I'm at the end of week 1, phase 1, and I'm feeling great. My energy level is good, and my cravings are starting to subside with the help of my sugar free hard candy friends, the LifeSavers. I'm not weighing myself until the end of phase 1. I'm in the market for a lifestyle change, not a quick fix, so I don't want to get discouraged if my weight loss isn't where I want it.
On a side note, another part of the reason I'm doing this diet is to better counsel my patients. I want to be able to tell them that there is hope out there for metabolism correction based solely on diet and exercise, and know that I'm not just spouting off something I have no personal experience with. We are taught exactly how important diet is in preventing heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers, but doctors are some of the worst eaters out there!
So, I think patients will respect what their doctors are willing to model.
That's about it. I have a dog, a cat, and a horse. I live with my sister. I spend a lot of time studying! That's me in a nutshell.
Jenn