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Nancy Moshier, RN, had a lifelong struggle with her
weight. She would try different diets, lose a few pounds
and then ultimately regain the weight.
Moshier still remembers the day she and her husband,
Ron, ran into an old friend who once had been overweight.
At first, they didn’t recognize him.
“He was 70 years old and he had lost 65 pounds,”
Moshier said. “He used to have a huge abdomen
and now he has a flat stomach. He looked like a completely
different person.”
Moshier asked about his weight loss secret and discovered
her friend had quickly and safely lost the weight by
adhering to the Atkins diet plan.
Feeling that she had nothing left to lose, except excess
pounds, Moshier and her husband embarked on a low-carb
lifestyle change. Today, she is more than 130 pounds
lighter, feels better than ever and has a new career
as the author of a series of low-carb cookbooks.
Like many nurses, Moshier often started off the new
year with intentions to make a dramatic lifestyle change.
Although most people who undertake such efforts are
sincere, it’s not uncommon for people to revert
to their bad habits by Super Bowl weekend.
“I think my secret was that I didn’t look
at this as a diet, but as a complete lifestyle change,”
said Moshier, who dropped the weight over two years
and has kept it off for almost six.
A former critical care nurse, Moshier initially had
concerns about the Atkins diet. She had heard rumors
that the diet caused kidney problems, but after intense
research was unable to find any solid information to
back the rumors.
“After I had been on the Atkins plan for four
years, I made an appointment to undergo kidney function
tests to prove the rumors weren’t true,”
Moshier said. “The test showed that my kidneys
are in perfect condition.”
Moshier also lowered her cholesterol, cut her blood
pressure medication in half and now boasts the energy
of a teenager.
Although it took her two years to meet her weight-loss
goal, Moshier never considered giving up.
“At one point, I had a plateau where I only lost
three pounds over the course of five months,”
Moshier said. “I did drop two dress sizes during
that time, and I knew that if I stayed on track, the
pounds would ultimately disappear.”
A gourmet cook, Moshier created many of her own low-carb
recipes while she was losing the weight. A friend encouraged
her to turn the recipes into a cookbook, which resulted
in Eat Yourself Thin Like I Did: A Quick and Easy Low
Carb Cookbook. She later wrote Eat Yourself Thin With
Fabulous Desserts.
“The dessert cookbook is a tribute to my husband,
Ron, who didn’t think he could eat anything sweet
on a low-carb diet,” Moshier said. “He lost
80 pounds and was relieved that he didn’t have
to give up his sweet tooth.”
Today, Moshier’s low-carb lifestyle has become
a lucrative career. Her books are sold in major bookstores,
and she will appear on the QVC shopping network Feb.
21 at midnight (EST) to introduce her products to viewers
across the country. She is also in the process of writing
another cookbook that will include low-carb, make-ahead
recipes for busy people.
She believes her cookbooks are successful because they
appeal to everyday people with average cooking skills.
“They feature the kinds of meals that people
are used to eating,” Moshier said. “All
of the recipes are quick, easy, down-home recipes that
readers can make with their family and friends.”
Kicking the habit
Joan Wiley, RN, had smoked cigarettes since age 16.
Although she had tried many times to quit, she had never
been successful.
In 1985, after resolving to kick her habit for good,
she found herself smoking her husband’s cigarette
butts.
“I remember thinking how pathetic this was and
how I really needed to quit for good,” Wiley said.
That day, she quit cold turkey and, while admitting
it wasn’t easy, she hasn’t picked up a cigarette
in 20 years.
“Quitting smoking was the hardest thing I’ve
ever done, but I knew I had to do it for my health,”
said Wiley, who works at The James Cancer Hospital at
Ohio State University.
Today, she draws upon her experiences as she talks
to patients who would like to kick the tobacco habit.
“Patients can relate to me as a former smoker
so it doesn’t come across as a lecture,”
Wiley said. “I tell them how much better I feel
and how much better food tastes.”
Wiley credits her success with lifestyle modifications.
Because she used to smoke while chatting on the phone,
she limited her phone conversations. She also smoked
late in the evening, so for the first several months
after quitting, she went to bed early.
She also motivated her husband to quit smoking, and
admits she hasn’t craved a cigarette in years.
“I find the odor of cigarettes nauseating,”
Wiley said. “I no longer have any desire to smoke.”
Getting fit
Like many nurses, Stacey Kelly, LPN, wanted to incorporate
exercise into her busy lifestyle and lose some pounds.
But after a long shift working in the oncology unit
of Scottsdale (Ariz.) Healthcare Osborn, it was often
just easier to go home and spend the evening relaxing.
Last spring, nurses at her hospital were required to
attend a workshop that offered tips on how to alleviate
stress and improve overall health.
The content of the seminar inspired Kelly and several
of her colleagues to join a local Curves gym. They agreed
that the gym’s 30-minute workouts were doable
even with a busy schedule. Kelly now exercises two to
three times a week.
“I think that since we all joined Curves, we
help motivate each other,” she said. “We
check in with each other on a regular basis and offer
encouragement.”
Kelly now looks forward to her workouts, and thinks
that adopting a regular exercise regimen has helped
her to become a better nurse.
“I think that if nurses take better care of themselves,
they are better prepared to care for their patients,”
Kelly said. “I know I handle stress better and
have more a lot more energy.”
Eat right
Nancy Moshier’s cookbooks can be found at local
and online booksellers. You also can sample recipes
at her Web site, www.low-carb-cookbooks.com.
Maple Pecan Pie
Nancy serves this dessert frequently to company, mostly
non-low-carbers, and they are crazy about it. It’s
great topped with sweetened whipped cream—just
be sure to count the extra carbs.
1 Vanilla Cookie Crust, baked 10 minutes and cooled
Filling:
1 cup Splenda sweetener
1 cup sugar-free maple syrup (0 carbs, be sure to read
the label, some say sugar-free but have a lot of carbs)
2 tbl butter, softened
1½ tsp liquid Sweet’N Low sweetener
1½ tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup pecan halves
In a medium saucepan mix Splenda, syrup, butter, and
Sweet’N Low until thoroughly combined. Bring to
a boil over medium high heat, remove from heat, pour
into a plastic bowl and cool until barely warm. You
can speed this step up by placing in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. When syrup mixture is barely
warm add eggs and vanilla extract and mix thoroughly.
Sprinkle pecans evenly in the bottom of the crust. Pour
filling carefully over pecans. Bake about 30 minutes
or until set. Cool in pan on a rack. When completely
cool, refrigerate at least 2 hours. Cut into 8 equal
servings. Store covered in the refrigerator.
Note: Sweetened whipped cream. Make sure to count the
added carbs. Eight servings at 6.8 grams carbs each.
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