Laura Martin leaves her husband, Al, notes about where she is.

"He's like, Where is she now? " she said.

That may not seem like a big deal to many people, but about two years ago Martin wasn't even able to walk to her mailbox. Going somewhere outside her home was virtually out of the question.

She was a prisoner in her home when her weight ballooned to 650 pounds. The Atkins diet helped her drop about 250 pounds, but she still had to use a walker to get from room to room in her small home. Even that left her breathless.

So in March 2004 she had a panniculectomy to remove excess skin and tissue around her abdomen as a result from her extreme weight loss from the diet. That surgery removed 50 pounds worth of skin.

Read an Atkins Diet success story at http://www.siouxcityjournal.com.