We are so proud of this young lady!

In the last 10 years, I have struggled with my weight going up and down, having cravings, eating out of boredom, and just dealing with the issues of yo-yo dieting. Being diagnosed with endometriosis and needing hernia repair led me to having Laparoscopy surgery in April 2015. Even after a successful surgery, I continued to eat unhealthy. I was eating plenty of bad carbohydrates and gaining more weight, which in turn lead to me being even more unhappy with myself and my appearance. I finally decided after talking with Dr. Paschall about my weight gaining issues that something had to change. I finally made my mind up that the only person that could change my situation was myself and if I was going to do something different with my health I would have to become committed. I started to follow a low carbohydrate lifestyle on July 21st, 2015. My starting weight was 216 lbs.!
I also started walking and getting involved in local 5k events, which I believe was also a very good way to keep myself motivated and on track with my
new healthier lifestyle.

I have felt so much better since completely weaning myself from the addictive feelings that bad carbohydrates can make you feel, physically and mentally. As of now December 2015, I have lost a total of 43 lbs and I am only 8 lbs from my target weight. Yes, there are times that I still eat something that is not considered a good choice, but I continually tell myself that it is okay to mess up sometimes. However, I’m never going to quit.

I actually want to dress up now and I feel so good about myself. I just feel so revived and like a new person. I thank God every day that I received the opportunity to work with Jacksonville Center for Reproductive Medicine and meet the awesome physicians here at the practice. Dr. Paschall and Dr. Fox have helped me more than they will ever know and in turn it has made me a new person. A person that has wanted to make a change and wanted to help herself.

Sincerely, Heather

No more noticeable symptoms????. It’s been a few years on this way of eating and the beginning was pretty rocky. But the farther I have gotten from carbage the less I miss it. I love that our doctors took the care and the time to do more than medicate me, they educated me. I am deeply grateful to be in control of my health quite literally. Maybe these can help some struggling with the beginning. Kate

Just wanted to thank JCRM, this is the before and after 5 months of the pcos diet. It works!

Thank you, Katie!

When I came to see you on November 30, 2012 my Husband and I had been trying to get pregnant for 3 years with no success. While my diagnosis of PCOS shook up my world, coming to see you has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. While I am not pregnant or had a baby yet, your continued encouragement and reassurance helps me confirm I am on the right track and that you are “not concerned with my ability to get pregnant now”.  Even the day we met and I was diagnosed you stated that you weren’t worried about my ability to be pregnant we just had to treat my PCOS. On December 17, 2012, you placed me on the most strict diet I have ever been on. I kept to it religiously thereafter. I was loosing between 15 and 20 pounds a month because I was strict on myself. My motivation was having a baby. I continued to think that if this is what will make me get pregnant, then I have to do it no matter the level of difficulty. In June, my Husband and I had our third unsuccessful cycle treatment and decided we needed a break from the cycles. Your staff was supportive in our decision. They continue to make appointments to see me to maintain my diet. It was a relief to me when I was told that my chances of pregnancy are now in the “normal” percentage range, when I came my chances were less than 4%. I know I am continuing to do the right thing by staying on the diet. Your staff also rewarded me with a cheat a week. Even with the cheat I am continuing to loose weight and work toward my goal. In October 2012 I weighed around 230-240 lbs. I believe in December when I started the diet I weighed around 225-230 lbs. I weighed on October 9, 2013 at home and weighed 149. I have lost over 90 lbs since beginning the diet. I have more self confidence then ever and I feel amazing. I no longer criticize myself when I look in the mirror, I celebrate myself. I feel good, I look good and now, thanks to your help, I know it! While I may not have my child yet, I know it will happen. I have, at the very least, discovered self confidence and am lucky enough to have found such a wonderful and understanding support system in Dr. Fox and his team.
Thank you for all you have done and will do!
-AS

At 29 years old, I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia and put on a low carb diet. At 42 years old, I was told I was pre-diabetic! At 49 years old, I got sick – lost 30lbs, got a yeast infection that would not go away and suddenly had high blood pressure! I was now DIABETIC!!!I got with the program – lowered my blood sugar by lowering my carbs, started exercising, started taking metformin, went on statins for high cholesterol and meds for high blood pressure. I did everything they told me! At first, I was better – held things together for about 5 years and then things just got worse. I finally ended up on 2 insulins – 5 shots a day of industrial doses of insulin and STILL my blood sugar was 170 to 250 all day. Now, I have been diabetic for 10 years and there is no hope in sight!I started a diet according to Dr. Richard Bernstein (Diabetes Solutions) – meat, fish, fowl, veggies and fats! No bread, no pasta, no desserts, no fruit, no fruit juices! In one week, I cut the insulin dose in half and by the end of the next week, I cut the insulin again in half. Then I had to find a local doctor to help me adjust my meds correctly! I found Dr. Fox on the internet and when I called his office he agreed to see me. It was love at first sight! He understood exactly what I was trying to accomplish and he followed the same diet himself which really impressed me! So, we began in November of 2010. I had already lost 10lbs and greatly improved my blood sugar. By May of 2011, I was down 30lbs and he took me off my insulin completely. He also stopped my blood pressure medicine and the statin drug for my cholesterol. I was TERRIFIED but he had such confidence that I followed his plan and now I’m down 50lbs, have normal blood pressure and cholesterol and only take pills to control my blood sugar. No More Insulin – No More Fat – I FEEL FABULOUS!!! Dr. Fox was my savior. He took time with me every month, going over my food diary, giving me great advice – basically “holding my hand” – and showing me great compassion and confidence. I could never have done this without him! Now, he has released me and again, I am TERRIFIED but now, I have a lifestyle – my blood sugar holds me hostage to the diet. I have started exercising regularly and am enjoying my new wardrobe. I feel that this is just how I should eat and am enjoying it. I converted my husband and though not diabetic, he has also lost 50lbs. Dr. Fox runs a beautiful office – organized, friendly and always the same – another good confidence builder for successful treatment. I am so grateful for this change in my health and so grateful to Dr. Fox for his help in my health journey.  Also, kudos to Susan Baker for her help in organizing my hormones and encouraging me with my weight loss! I leave you with this – before this diet, I always felt hungry and agitated. Without the sugar in my food, I have a calmness that really sustains me in my everyday life.

Pam Pounds, 61 years old and counting

After Sarah won the IVF cycle at our infertility seminar, we talked to her about improving her metabolic system prior to IVF. She had already lost about 60-70lbs using traditional methods of low-calorie / low-fat, with drug assistance, but had never been able to keep going or keep all of the weight off. Since she switched to the low-carb / high-fat nutrition plan we recommend to our patients, she now eats plenty of calories and doesn’t feel hungry. Despite the fat intake, she has lost an additional 35-40lbs, to put her total weight loss now over 100lbs, and she continues to see weight loss. We will be starting her IVF cycle soon with anticipation of great results. Congrats to you, Sarah!Nutritional Management of Hyperemesis Gravidarum
Dear Dr.  Fox,Last year I communicated with you regarding using your VLC diet for the prevention of hyperemesis gravidarum, and you were so kind as to send me your diet sheets. I wanted to write to you to let you know how it turned out!Unfortunately, my results are mixed – partially due to my own error, as you will see. This turned into an extremely confusing pregnancy, with a lot of unknowns!I kept detailed notes throughout this pregnancy, which I will condense into the main points:

  • I began the diet in April 2011.
  • I found out that I was pregnant on Day 40 of being on the diet (during which time I lost 20 pounds).  I did Stage 2 strictly during those 40 days – the entire time, no cheating.
  • Here is how the pregnancy progressed (and you’ll see why it turned so confusing):
  • 3w6d – I started to feel nauseated during the evening.
  • 4w0d – I continued to feel more and more nauseated, and started Unisom/B6 and Zofran. That night I woke up at midnight dry heaving. I also got a weak positive pregnancy test.
  • 4w1d – I woke up nauseated and was getting very, very sick – losing the ability to swallow. However, during the late morning I mysteriously started to feel better. Over the next hours and days, I continued to feel better and better.
  • 4w2d – Felt better and better. That evening, I started to experience menstrual-type cramping and blood-tinged cervical fluid, so with that and the weak test and resolving symptoms, I concluded that a miscarriage was on the way.
  • 4w3d – Felt well enough to discontinue medications. By the next day I was feeling mostly fine, with just occasional twinges of nausea.
  • 5w2d – Still felt fine. And this is where I have to confess – I started cheating on the diet, figuring that I was just waiting for a miscarriage to complete. (I’m sorry!)
  • 5w5d – In the evening, I very suddenly started to feel awful again. I immediately repented and reformed (i.e. went back on the diet), as well as starting Unisom and Zofran again, and started slowly to feel better over the next week. However, the pregnancy nausea did give me a bad four months, and continued in lessening amounts until the birth.
  • After my several days of straying, I stayed strictly on the diet through about week 11, and then gradually tapered off. I kept a strict eye on how carbohydrates made me feel, and I noticed that they always made me feel worse – that is, better for a short time and then worse. You are absolutely right about the low-carb diet being helpful for pregnancy nausea.
  • Baby Giles Edward was born on February 12, 2012 (40w5d) – our third home-birth and another water-birth! He was our biggest baby ever, at 9#9oz, and is growing and thriving.

Here’s the summary: This was the easiest pregnancy that I have ever experienced. My first pregnancy was uncontrolled hyperemesis. My second was controlled with drugs, and was much better. This, my third, was controlled with drugs and the VLC diet, and was much better even than the last. The nausea did put me out of commission for 3-4 months, but nothing like either of the previous times. Had I stayed faithfully on the diet, who knows what could have happened for the better? The main unsolved mysteries are: (1) What happened during the beginning weeks, when I experienced sudden and severe nausea that resolved (mostly) 36 hours later, and (2) Would I have had an even better experience had I not strayed from the diet those three days. I wonder if I even could have avoided having to use medication?I send you many, many, MANY thanks for your communications last year, and for all of the help. I have shared this experience with many HG mothers, and I hope that the information can get out there to help other women. Many thanks!D.J.

Update: We welcomed Baby Margaret in November 2014!