Hi, Guys!

[LosingBig]

I'm 44 and this morning I am 183 lbs. I have a goal weight of 145--I am 5'8" tall. I remember being that weight in college, and smokin' hott, as my kids would say But now, I'm far more interested in my health--diabetes and high blood pressure run in my family.

I decided to try low carb because it made sense to me. The first 6 lbs came off very quickly, but I am a bit stalled now--and I have noticed in the past that 183-184 seems to be a "set point" for me, for some reason--I tend to stall there whenever I lose weight. (I've been losing the same ten pounds for about three years now, after a 40-lb weight loss after pregnancy.)

So, that's about it, to introduce myself--and I hope to read and see what everyone else is doing, too! By the way, I am using the Ketostix and am staying in the dark pink to light purple range--so the stall doesn't bother me as much as it might. I love low carb, because the meats and having cream in my coffee keeps me totally satisfied (I was never much of a candy/sugar/cookie eater--although I love starches!)

Thanks for posting--I hope I can learn a lot and give some encouragement, too!

[Aradasky]

Hi! I have said hi to you three times now! It is good to see you here. I don't know how long you have been dieting, but sort of stalled at the third week. Yea on your first 6 lbs!!!! It is so much fun to se them come off. I am also having to reset thinking. this way of eating may not allow the weight to come off as quickly as other diets, but it will! And as long as you are not gaining, that is a bonus! LOL

I am so glad you are taking proactive steps. If I had been told about this diet, it affecct on diabetes and blood sugar long ago, I would have been much happier. Thank goodness I have kept it under control, no meds, by exercise and finally stopping my weight gain. You are setting a great example for your kids and will be so much happier!

[LosingBig]

Thanks for the encouragement and the welcome Yes, it's amazing how much better I feel. I realize that much of my tiredness and irritability came from sugar highs and lows--and now that I've basically eliminated most carbs, especially simple sugars and starches, I just feel full all the time and don't have that "empty" feeling. Even though I've only lost 6 lbs on the scale, my clothes are fitting better, and yesterday I had two people ask, "Have you lost weight?" Music to the ears!

[LosingBig]

Well, scale news wasn't great this morning, but what's incredible is that I am not nearly as upset as I have been in the past . . . I know I need more water, and am probably retaining some, so it's not that big a deal. I do know that my pants fit better and I feel a whole lot better with this new way of eating. What I love is that I can keep this up forever if I need to! Just getting rid of processed carbs has worked miracles in my whole way of feeling, whether I ever lost any more weight or not--but I will!

I also love that I am not dreading Thanksgiving and Christmas. I love the dressing, of course, but I can skip that . . . turkey, gravy, and vegetables will be enough. I also spend one day baking with my kids to make little gifts for friends, so I will have to get ready not to "taste" . . . but I can do that, too.

So glad to be here and looking forward to the day when the scale starts to move again!

[Aradasky]

Oh yes! We finally have our heads screwed on right! Lol. I add a bit of crystal light to my water a few times a day, I can dilute it way down' just to get the taste and it helps get it down. I also love it with ice or really cold. Later, when it gets colder outside, I warm it in the micro a bit. Water really is a big part of this way of life. Ad oh yes, I am looking forward to the holidays as well. There are a lot of treats we can make ourselves for when everyone else is eating pumpkin pie! Lol