Hey, big guys!!

[tamarian]

Hey guys,

Recently, more men have de-lurked and started participating in our low-carb discussion and support :thup:

I've had several emails and PM's in the past suggesting that we creat a sub-forum dedicate for men. I normally go ahead and create a sub-forum when there is demand for it.

But the interesting thing, which made me hesitate, is that all the requests so far have come from women and I have no clue why.

So I thought I'll bring it up here, and see what you guys think? Good idea, bad idea, any advantages, disadvantages, do we need it......

Wa'il

[PJ in Miam]

If there are a decent number of men who feel they can't really address certain topics in this general forum and really need some kind of dedicated area, then sure, sounds good. To be honest I don't usually see enough men in these areas to support a whole board area, but if there are, and that's what they want, why not.

If there are women (I'm curious it'd be the women making the request?!) that are not comfortable with men on the same board for whatever reason, it would be more logical to create some kind of 'women's issues' forum (that could be used by everyone, then it'd be more than just 100+) than parse out the men, that is almost... um... biased a little, you know, like "I'm not comfortable, so all the men should leave" or something like that. ;)

Personally I really like having a diversity of gender, age, and personality on a message board. In fact, I've run or managed message boards myself since the early 90's (when they were BBS's) and in my experience, those that are healthiest (in every way) are those with real diversity among the members.

So I'd vote to keep things as they are (it's not like there is tons of post volume here already after all)... unless someone wants to come forward with whatever good reasons there might be for doing otherwise, which of course I might never have thought of.

PJ

[DWRolfe]

I'd be happy to participate in a men's only group from time to time if there were topics raised specifically for men. But I enjoy the diversity of the group. I agree with the earlier post that if there are women who want to discuss things more privately, maybe those issues could be seperated out.

Either way, I plan to participate rather than lurking! :wave:

[Karen]

If there are women (I'm curious it'd be the women making the request?!) that are not comfortable with men on the same board for whatever reason,
I'll act as the spokesperson!

The reason is that the women folk have noticed that men come to the board and don't stick around. We were wondering if it was because of the large amount of women here. It might scare them off. Men also seem to approach the WOL a bit differently and they lose weight differently.

Our common ground is low carbing and I completely agree with you:
Personally I really like having a diversity of gender, age, and personality on a message board. In fact, I've run or managed message boards myself since the early 90's (when they were BBS's) and in my experience, those that are healthiest (in every way) are those with real diversity among the members.

We just don't want anyone to feel uncomfortable because they can't find others in the same situation - or gender! - to relate to.

Karen

[Victoria]

To me, I like having the men here. It's good to see a well rounded group of folks. It's fun to have people from all different countries, different ages and both genders. I have male friends and family dealing with the same issues, so for me it's good to see the men here succeeding. If there are MEN that want to have their own place, then I think it would be something to consider. I think their presence would be missed though. :( Victoria

[golemShed]

I'm not a very active part of this forum. I used to be. Thinking about it, i wasn't sure why i've been not visiting as much. But then i realized.

I'm doing really well in my diet and things are happening pretty much on their own, and i haven't seen too much to keep me coming back, so i've been straying a bit. It's not like i'm too good for this place, far from it, but things are taking care of themselves and i'm kind of falling out of practice with coming here each day.

Now that i made this realization, i'm going to be coming around a lot more, maybe ecery day again. I don't want this forum to be something that i just quit doing, like the other diets i've been on. I hope that i can help anyone out who needs it. I can always learn from others and still take inspiration away from what i read here. So i'm going to try and stay.

bill

oh, p.s. i don't think men need their own section (look at me calling myself a man). We can just title our threads something with men in it if we need that kind of help. Unless women are uncomfortable with us around. Like those gyms for just the ladies. I suppose that would mean a big change around here, and it's probably not likely that's the dase anyway.

[Karen]

I hope that i can help anyone out who needs it. I can always learn from others and still take inspiration away from what i read here. So i'm going to try and stay.

That would be wonderful golemShed. We need diversity - people different experiences with their WOE. It is the differences that keep it interesting! We need people who are successful as well as those who struggle so we can always be learning why.

Karen

[bluViolets]

I agree with karen ,
Bill..... I certainly hope you keep up with your journal , I have so enjoyed reading it! :thup:

for those of us that have a lot to lose, we need to keep in mind that this is going to be a longer journey for us than most to reach our goal, [ I'm figuring a couple years myself ] and even tho things are going just great for us in the beginning- we are bound to hit some plateaus and stalls along the way, that we will need to hang tough through. Remaining a part of the support group could be what keeps us from just giving up when we otherwise might. :rheart:

[allisonm]

Originally posted by PJ in Miam
If there are women (I'm curious it'd be the women making the request?!) that are not comfortable with men on the same board for whatever reason
I have to chime in with Karen -- it's not that at all. We love the company of men! Haven't you noticed how nearly every post by a man is followed by a reply saying how great it is to get a man's opinion? I didn't make the request, but thought of it. (I didn't know others had till now.) I was just afraid we might be a bit overwhelming with all the talk of TOM, etc.

Of course, I suspect a men's forum wouldn't be entirely private ... umm ... it would be so intriguing ... so hard to resist ... it would probably end up as the most heavily visited forum on the site! :D

Allison

[DWRolfe]

From this man's point of view, I definately do not mind discussion of TOM or any other topics. My sister has also joined this WOE, and I share with her everything I read and learn here. ;)

[texas-newf]

Im fairly new to this WOL and personally, I enjoy the diversity of support on these forums. I don't see the need for having a separate forum for men. We all share common goals and we need to get over our shyness and DO something about it !
Thanks to everyone who's provided support during the last 6 weeks. My family is very supportive but it's good to know that others going through similar issues are "there for you".Even if you only lose a pound or two - to those here it's very important where your freinds may say "that's all you lost ?"
Thanks again everyone for your support,
Craig

[Sh'ra]

Cast my vote for diversity :D I think these guys (and gals) are great!

Sh'ra

[LC_Dave]

I'm pretty new here, but it seems to me that having a mens issue forum is not something that will kill diversity, but rather add to it. I mean thats why we have all these different forums in the first place?

Men loose weight differently and unfortunately most of the diet industry advice is aimed at women. This is because most of the Weight loss industry is Big Business (he he pun) and Women are 95% of the customers.

Here in Australia, statisticaly there are more obese men than there are women (I hear it's te other way round in the US). But if you look at who is dieting - 95% is women.

Men need to be encouraged more - thats why I think a forum on mens issues would be good - to encourage the men that aren't necessarily intertested in TOM posts :)

personally I like diversity - but my vote is for a Men's forum

[L. Denniso]

:hyper:

I think the men should be part of this support group. My husband is on this plan with me and I imagine there are a lot of other woman who's spouses are too and the feed back we can give each other is very important I think.

We are both doing well and enjoy hearing how everyone else is doing as well.

So Men join us and we will help each other on this adventure! :thup:

Linda

[Snoopy]

I love it here with or without a separate 'guys' board. I'd be checking in more often, except there just aren't enough hours in a day (plus I'm a painfully slow typist). I've never felt shy about chiming in (though I worry sometimes that some might not appreciate my general flippancy--I'm not rude; just shallow & glib :D ). I've taken 'guy' slanted questions to the Atkins or Health boards, & had great responses; I've never felt excluded.

Maybe guys don't last long enough (there's a party joke waiting to happen) because of that guy metabolism thing that seems to let them lose on most plans faster than ladies, and upon reaching goal weight (& being guys) they lose focus, & wander off to 'the next thing'

I'm here 'cuz of a lot of reasons, silly to dead serious, but one of them is my 14 yr. old daughter. I mean, not just that sappy (but true) stuff about wanting to be there with her, but I'm remembering what a cruel time of life adolescence can be, & while I know she'd never say anything about it, I'll bet she kind of shudders inwardly when we're all together at a parent/student function. I've always been a part of her world, sometimes just another 'big kid', & while it's natural for teens to draw apart emotionally a bit from their parents at this age, I don't want my size to exacerbate the problem.

Regardless, I'll keep posting, & I've got to tell you, I kind of enjoy being part of the general population. We're all in the same boat here, and given the visual 'anonymity' of posting, we get to shine for our wit, or our earnestness, or all the human things about us that the world at large( :D ) doesn't get to see when we're out there in person. Being one of a small population of guys in a predominantly female population is kind of fun (No, DW, I'm not flirting online!!) :D

[LC_Dave]

What has been said is very thoughtful and I can understand where people are coming from.

However, the issue has gone off on a tangent.

The original idea was to set up a board dedicated to Men's issues. Like the Diabetes secion, or the Triple digits club. This was to centralise discussion on mens issues.

I think this would be a good idea. In fact you could start a Women's issue section as well. People are not excluded from these sections, but everyone is invited to talk on these issues. In the men's section all the threads about men can be centralised, easier to find.

Nobody is suggesting that we open all sections, dismantle the diabetes and triple digits etc, because to seperate means seperateness? NO, no one is saying that

I found the Australian/Nz section extremely helpful, and actually the reason why I joined. A mens thread could encourage more men to join!

Have a second think about it, think of the advantages!

LC_Dave ;)

[DWRolfe]

Well, now I'm curious...what subjects would a men's only group address that can not be discussed in an open forum?

Don't get me wrong, I would no doubt participate as I do in many groups here. But I guess I'm wondering which "men's" issues we're holding back from discussing in this forum. :confused:

Can anyone throw a topic or two out there as examples??

Thanks!

Donald :wave:

[Gator]

I certainly can't think of anything that can't be discussed in an open forum of men and women.

Fat is Fat. Regardless of what gender you are.

I guess there could be a difference in what we look forward to as we get thinner. I look forward to the day I can look down and some things I haven't seen in a while (unless I stand on a mirror).

Other than that, what's the diff?

http://www.donriddle.com/art2.gif

[DWRolfe]

:lol:

Thank you for cutting to the chase....

Donald :wave:

[stilldeb]

I'm a newbie around here, but I think it's refreshing to have these guys around. And I agree with Sh'ra...the image of Donald cooking up "yummy" recipes in his kitchen is just toooooooo cute!

AND, it's very inspiring to see how the guys handle temptation, too...like Gator heading out in his boat while the family is away.

Gives us a perspective maybe we don't see enough of.

We love the guys!

:roll:

[John2001]

I agree with Donald. What would we discuss in a "men's" thread, that we couldn't discuss here?

It don't bother me to see the rare talk of women's "TOM" .
I like to read and talk with both men and women, seeing the differences in the thoughts on all these LC subjects is very informative.
Do we really need frat houses for LC? We're all going to the same school.
Either way it goes, I'll visit both.

Cheers, John

[cimart]

Hello everyone, Just putting in my two cents worth! I think most of us are comfortable talking with each other. I know I like to get both sides opinions on things. Anyway, I think everybody is going to read it anyway, and offer our opinions, even if we are girls! :eek:

Take care,
cimart

p.s. I agree with Sh'ra and stilldeb, I love the image of Donald cooking "yummy" recipes in his kitchen too! :D

[Andy Davies]

OK, I'll put my hands up. I am one of the people who has had extensive off-line discussions with Wa'il about this issue. I was beginning to feel rather cocky, in that virtually every reaction expressed in the above posts was what I had already predicted (Including the likelihood that a "men's room" would be like a magnet to women). And then along came LC_Dave. My own,oft-expressed, view had been exactly that voiced so succinctly by D. W. Rolfe, Gator, and John 2001.

The contrary view of LC_Dave proves that wa'il is wiser than me, because it indicates a possible take-up I had not anticipated.

But I still have to echo the question: which issues are there that need discussing in a separate thread for men, which cannot be aired openly on the forum? And wouldn't establishing a "men's room" provoke female members to demand a "women's room" in the interests of fairness?

At the heart of this is a desire to encourage more men to join this forum, and then having done so, encourage them to stay and actively participate.

It is my view that if all people visiting this site for the first time were given a short questionnaire to reply to, we would be able to ask prospective male members what they are looking for in such a forum, and if it corresponded with our aims and operating guidelines, incorporate it. What does anyone else think? I feel this would be more effective than setting up a men's room. But the person I want to hear from most is LC_Dave, who holds the views I did not predict.

Andy

[John2001]

Copyed from "Andy Davies"

At the heart of this is a desire to encourage more men to join this forum, and then having done so, encourage them to stay and actively participate.

Thinking back, I do remember saying to myself, gee...this site has a lot of women on it. I did tend to "lurk" for a while, till I was comfortable with posting a message.

Humm..... maybe to attract "more men" to the site, the idea of a "mens issues" or a tread on the main page might make most guys more comfortable on their first visit to the site? I'm really trying to ponder this in my mind, would I have spoke sooner if there was a "men's" thread ?
Hard to say. Maybe having "Men's Introductions" and "Womens Introductions" might be a good ice breaker? Then from there both men / women would float around to other interests anyway.

Ok, I'm now confusing myself :daze: , I'll stop now.
Guess the only way to find out is to take a vote / poll or just try it.

Cheers, John

[Andy Davies]

OK John, you're making progress. Now what would we put in a Men's Introduction? Are you maybe thinking along the lines of "Well, there's not many of us here, but all new men are very welcome...!"

Please keep the ideas coming.

Andy

[John2001]

Ok, your on to something here Andy.

Something to interest a man surfing the net, stops by and at first, reads the "mens" thread. Get's comfortable with the chat in that room. Of course, there will be ladys posting there too, as we all have said, we will go thru all the threads and visit both. (men/women)

Maybe seeing more men talking openly about weight problems, sharing information amongest ourselves, freely talking about issues that concern them, , and seeing their successes, will make a guy more interested in joining up with us more?

It's hard to ponder this, outside of the box. Maybe something of simple as "Men's Chat" or "Beginners - Men's Forum", would sound interesting to
a newbe male. Could be a sub-heading, within the "Introduction" thread. You would be able to read it right on the main page, at the top.

Taking this one step more :
Perhaps include those "key words" also, in the search engines, along with LC, weight loss, etc, to help more men out there, find this site.

Ok, running out of ideas for now. I'll ponder a little more.

Cheers, John
PS: I kind of little the ratios here anyways. Lot's more ladys to talk too!!
:daze: ;)

[Andy Davies]

John,

The only legitimate thing I can think of to include was inspired by your own good self, because you have such a devillish sense of humour! We could perhaps include a small section for jokes of the kind that women would not usually want to see (substituting asterisks where necessary, of course). Otherwise, I cannot think of anything else that could not apply equally well to women.

Andy

[nolly]

O.K. here I go:lol: I believe that maybe the keyword search should say that this is for men AND women, however, this is not the 1950's.
I do not think that a man would join simply because there was a men's forum. What would be the difference? Women can read it. Women can reply. Maybe I'm missing some point? I was surprised to hear that menstration could even be an issue. However John2001 & DWRolfe restored my faith in the maturity of men :lol: I absolutely love reading about men's issues.
Are the genders so different in weight loss that we have to separate them? My mother lost similarily to a man. She lost more like my brother did than myself. I'm just thinking about what having separate forums would say to newcomers. I also think it would discourage some men from replying to the rest of the forums. As the other women have stated, they would be missed. I enjoy diversity.
:wave: Nolly

P.S. there are few jokes that some people DON"T take offense to. Personally, as long as it is not misogynistic or racial I am not offended by anything. My mom has told a few that have bugged my eyes out!

[ernie]

Here's my opinion as a man. It's not going to make a difference if you have a separate column for men. There aren't as many men looking for support groups. Most men are fat and happy with it. Society doesn't put as much pressure on men as they do women to lose weight So if there are 5 women to 1 man dieting, that will reflect on message boards.

Guys generally have nothing to hide from women. Women are more likely the ones who would want a womens only board.
I'm still not sure if women fart! I sure know guys do and I'm sure the ladies know too.

Just my opinion,
Ernie

[nolly]

That is exactly what I was talking about!!!:lol:

-Nolly :wave:


P.S. women fart...ladies' "don't"

[John2001]

Ernie has settled it with this comment :

I'm still not sure if women fart! I sure know guys do and I'm sure the ladies know too.

There you have it! Settled, no need for seperate forums!

LMAO!

John

[tonytiger]

Originally posted by DWRolfe
Well, now I'm curious...what subjects would a men's only group address that can not be discussed in an open forum?

Don't get me wrong, I would no doubt participate as I do in many groups here. But I guess I'm wondering which "men's" issues we're holding back from discussing in this forum. :confused:

Can anyone throw a topic or two out there as examples??

Thanks!

Donald :wave:

Maybe it could be that some of us guys want to look like the models in the covers of Men´s Health or the like, and some girls are more realistic and dont get interested in having those megabodies (you know we the guys are so cocky and always want to achieve those physiques...)

Hehe well just my $.02

Thanks!
Antonio

[XRMIMO]

:confused: I am new here, can use all the support I can get, at the edge of
giving up on the low carb way and going with low fat need some
some :( encouragement fast... :confused: :confused:

[Victoria]

Hi XRMIMO,
Don't give up! This is probably not the thread to do this. But didn't want you to lose hope. We are all here to help and support each other. Look through out the forum, there is so much to learn. Why are you considering low fat, instead of low carb? :wave: Victoria

[XRMIMO]

Because I have been on for 3 weeks and am not losing any more
weight..7-8 lbs up and down. I miss the fruit and am getting a little tired of the meat and also the bad breath :(

[tamarian]

Hi XRMIMO,

Please click on the "Home" icon or "Forum Supoort" from the orange menu. Head to the introductions section and newbies forums.

Give us more details there, and I'm sure you'll get plenty of support.

Your discussion now resides into a topic unrelated to your question :) It's about voting on weather to open up a new mens forum or not.

Wa'il

[Karen]

When you low-carb, you don't fart, so, low-carbing becomes the great equalizer in that sense. ;)

Karen

[ldypgmr]

Well Guys....

My mom always told me that men only talked about three things:

cars
women (sex)
and farting..

The farting has been covered so...... maybe you need a over 100 pounds to loose sex board rofl

Dee

:wave:

[alan]

I don't think so. Heck, you gals have all those years of experience when it comes to making a low carb dish pass the taste test. I know I would continue lurking on female boards as it would allow me to pick up great tips on new dishes.

[captxray]

:rolleyes:

"When you low-carb, you don't fart, so, low-carbing becomes the great equalizer in that sense. "

I've been LCing for over five months. When do the farts stop? I think we've run into a "Man Thing," now!!! My wife has reported that my farting has increased...that's a lot, because I'm not one to generally "hold back" when I'm at home...of course, that's because my farts don't stink....My wife won't ever admit that, but I know it's true...One of the things I've noticed on this WOE is that about twenty minutes after I eat, I get the tummy rumbles. Not long after that come the gaseous emmissions, and I must excuse myself into the back yard with the dog. We rather enjoy that little bit of "male bonding," he and I. Here we are of different species, but we can still be MALES, together!! It sort of makes us both realize just how similar we really are. I've noticed that women often think of us males as a bunch of "dogs," anyway. Another thing...sort of another "male" thingy...his farts have increased, too since he was put on a straight LC WOE, WOL. No more corn, no more wheat, no more kibble with nasty grains in it for him! Now, it's bones, and good red meat. He really likes it, but my wife has noticed that the two of us are rather stinky since this diet started. We know she's imagining it, of course, and we look, knowingly at each other when one of us "lets go," as it were, to see if she notices...Amazingly, she always seems to notice. How can this be, when our farts don't stink? Some sort of sixth sense, I think.
As you can see, there are differences between males and females...across species lines..so Rover and I vote for a male forum...of course, if it's alright with you ladies....OOOPPS! There goes another one! Does anybody notice?

[DWRolfe]

Hmmmm... :confused:

As I was drifting off to sleep last night, I reflected upon the positive changes in my life since I started LCing on January 5th.

For me, there is no more upset stomach, no heartburn, virtually no gas (silent, scentless or otherwise), I breath easier, have heaps more energy, sleep like a log and have hardly any UMS (ugly mood swings).

Color me gasless...

Donald :lol:

[nolly]

I only get gas when I eat the legal cruciferous veggies-broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, radish, ect. Also with string beans. :devil:
I find that if I eat only salad veggies, it stops(much to the delight of my family!!!).

-Nolly :wave:

[Gator]

I too have become one of the "Fortunate Fartless Few", since I started LC'ing January 2. I don't have a dog, so I never did have anyone to share those moments with anyway, and I never have heard a gator fart.

I think they have been LC'ing for millions of years, and we're just now catching up with them.

Being void of all gaseous emissions almost seems unnatural, and really takes some getting used to. There are times when it was a statement of sorts, a way of expressing an opinion without really having to say anything. We were literally talking out our a__. I guess you could say we are now "tongue tied".

Everyone have a wonderful day!

http://www.donriddle.com/art2.jpg

[ldypgmr]

Well, at least your dog stays with you...mine start whining and go to the door scratching like the house was on fire!

Darn green veggies <g>

Dee

[BigDogTimC]

Captxray

I almost split a gut reading your post. You are quite the comic.

The only time I get gas is when I'm eating things I "shouldn't" (either by choice, or by mistake). Gas, generally, is caused by undigested CARBOHYDRATES. This is not speculation, it's fact. What are the undigested carbohydrates in an LC WOE diet?

- Fiber
- Some of the sugar alcohols and the other -ols (mannitol, maltitol, etc) that some "LC-advertised" foods are sweetened with
- anything you decide to eat in a quantity that lets some carbs make it thru your digestive tract undigested. This is why beans cause problems for so many people -- some of the carbs in beans are fiber and, ergo, indigestible. Result: Wind. And sometimes cramps. When I eat a non-LC meal (esp. after being strictly LC for some time) I will invariably get gas.

Tummy rumbles are another issue. Those seem to come (to me) when I've had several meals in a row that were quite high-fat (as opposed to high-protein) and my digestive track is just "well oiled". The result there is a rather urgent and unhappy trip to the restroom which (i think) most LC WOE'rs are familiar with.

Well now that we've discussed bathroom habits in front of "the girls" I guess there really isn't much point left in a "Men's Forum".

Best to you

BigDog

[ldypgmr]

Well, guys, I can truely say that I now know more about the "vapors" than I ever wanted to know.

You of course know that women never fart, we simply release a little light aire. AND it is always sweet smelling.

:rolleyes:

Just a fact I thought I'd share <lol>. Thanks for the education.

Dee

[LC_Dave]

Hi everyone, I ignored this thread for a while, and have only just come back to it. I just plain forgot :P

I'll try and bring it back to the original topic, even tho, I the FART KING, am no longer emitting the offending gas! Hurrah for LC!

Seperate Men's forum.
I know plenty of men and have spoken to them, that feel victimized because of their weight. Men do have different expectations of their body, and have different bodies.

Some blokes don't like to talk about things that women do because they feel that would make them 'wussy' or 'feminine'. This is the real barrier for communication - which would explain why a lot more men are lurking.

This is not the case for me, in fact I am probably more comfortable around women than men - prolly because they look and smell better :P

Everyone has heard of multiculturalism and equal rights etc etc. I am a big supporter of this. Equality for races and sexes.
But this doesn't make us the same. It just means we are striving towards equality of 'power', and mutual acceptance.

I feel, because we are fundamentally different - that this is not bad, but exciting and interesting.

Sometimes men aren't as muture as women in some areas. But guess what - sometimes women aren't as mature as men.
Some men do have problems discussing TOM issues etc etc. That doesn't mean we should exclude them.

I think a Mens Issue forum (which is not excluding female posters) could be a positive thing. Discussing the role of the father, the traditional breadwinner role, impotency, hair on the back, dating etc etc.

But to be fair we could have the womens forum right next to it. Pregnancy, Hot flushes, change of life, Motherhood, gaining respect in the workforce - issues that face a lot of women.

It's still my belief that these specific forums would be a positive thing.

LC_Dave

[captxray]

:p
Why not call it, "The Men's Room." After all, look what it quickly degraded into just tallking about it...real man stuff...restroom humor.

[mary nappi]

i myself enjoy having some men in here with us women. i feel we all who are overweight can talk to each other no matter if you are male or female. we still have something in common and thats our goal to lose weight.
i also like to talk to others from all parts of our country and in other countries to.
so i welcome the men in here with us...

[captxray]

My last post was in March...seems this thread is pretty deserted. Too bad. We guys must have some things in common, just like the women...I wonder why nobody uses this thread? HMMMMM? I for one, sure do like the New Me. I'm doing 200 inclined push ups a day, 60 curls with 18 pounds on each arm, sit ups and other waist exercises, 32 stories of stair climbing and decending, Tai Chi and Chi Gong...I hiked over 160 miles in the Cascades and Sierras last summer, and plan to do over 500 this summer...all, thanks to low carb...I was dying of high blood pressure, and just plain couch potatoism until I started Neanderthin 15 months ago. Dr. Atkins saved my life with his reintroduction of Low Carb eating.

[cdawg]

Wow, Captxray, you certainly seem to be making up for lost time with the excerises and physical activity. Congrats. I need to go read your journal and follow some of your advise as I travel through the next few months. You have certainly got it going on.

As far as a mens only room I really don't mind being in with a mixed group since like mary nappi said, we are all overweight and working toward the same goal. If a men's only room were set up I would visit it and still visit the general rooms also

[captxray]

Hi cdawg!

Sorry, I don't have a journal posted. I don't really keep track of anything but my weight loss and my BFI. I don't count carbs, becasue I don't eat carbs...I don't count anything. that's the beauty of Neanderthin and other "Paleo Diets." Overall, I find it much easier than Atkins because I don't spend time counting and trying to figure out what works...very very simple. Although, it appears that most people just can't part with, at least, SOME carbs...like potatoes, or bread, or something. It was hard for the first twi weeks. Now, I have no cravings for that kind of thing, at all. But, whatever works is whatever works for YOU. Good luck. You can do this.