6 QUESTIONS for Irma

What do you eat on a typical day? I don’t eat breakfast – this is where people go, ‘Oh, she really is on a diet.’ People think the reason I’m losing weight is because I eat less. But why am I able to eat less? People who are on normal diets are constantly ravenous. With this lifestyle you don’t feel hungry all the time because you eat the foods your body actually needs.

Do you drink alcohol? I do drink on occasion. And drinking does slow down weight loss.

Do you encourage family members and friends to eat low carb too? Oh, yes. Everyone wants to know how I did it – but not everyone follows through. You have to be committed; doing it halfway doesn’t work. My husband doesn’t believe in low carb. He claims it isn’t sustainable. I don’t prepare separate dishes for him; I usually add rice or potatoes to his meal, as I don’t think people should be forced to diet. He is, however, noticing that my pants are a bit looser!

What has been the highlight of your low-carb journey? My daughter’s wedding! Everyone was so surprised to see the weight I’d lost. It was so much fun to see that! A lot of people had been saying that I’d get fat on this diet, but they found that that wasn’t true. It’s been two years and I still haven’t gained weight.

Have you ever tried any other weight loss methods? Not seriously, no. I always say that I don’t believe in ‘diets’, and now I have proof that they don’t work. Once you find something that works, why try anything else? I don’t see myself doing that – ever.

Do you have any goto low-carb staples? Eggs are definitely my go-to food. There’s a joke going around on the message boards: ‘Other people take a multivitamin every day. I call it eggs.’