Hello! I'm new here.

[~Bri~]

My name is Bridgette and I've been overweight all my life! I'm 32 and have tried and succeeded at pretty much every diet I've ever done. My best has been Atkins, about 3 years ago. I lost around 50 pounds and felt so much better! Unfortunately, I reverted to my old habits because I viewed it as a "diet" and not a new lifestyle. Needless to say I regained those pounds and then some.

I recently did some research into the Lap Band procedure and have quickly realized that at this point in my life, I'm more determined to be successful than ever before. Having said that, I feel I at least owe it to myself to try a new lifestyle without surgery and see how I do. I know that's an option if absolutely necessary, but I'm planning to make necessary changes without the surgery.

I've been making better choices recently and just decided the other day to really pursue the Low-Carb lifestyle again. I gave up sugar sodas in January and lost 10 pounds. Then last week I gave up all sodas and started drinking an Atkins shake (in preparation for the possible surgery) every morning along with starting to take a multi-vitamin and I actually lost 4 pounds last week. :D I didn't really change any of my eating habits, just those little changes and I have seen a difference. It's quite encouraging. I'm also starting to pay attention to my body and when I feel full versus wanting to eat just because....

I just thought I'd introduce myself and tell you all where I'm coming from. I'm looking forward to sharing with you all and learning from you! I know that having adequate support when changing a lifestyle is half of the battle! Thanks!!!

[LiveWell]

Hi and welcome! :)

The trick to keeping weight off is definitly to stick to an eating plan that you can live with for life. Reverting back to junk/overeating carbs definitly leads to dissapointment on the scales.

Glad to have you!

[erinleigh]

Hey Bridgette!!!

Welcome!!! You will definelty find all your support needs here!!!!

I am so happy that you opt'd to try before doing anything medical!!! I believe that you can do it and together we will succeed!!!

First thing first i'd start a journal so people like me can come and give you a visit. I like to just talk about my day or the night, post my menu, talk about successs and my food issues!! It does help! Gives you the venting tool that you can't express to the people around you cause they just might not get it!!! Here everyone understands cause they are dealing with the same things!!!

Hope you have a great day and congrats on the 14lbs loss you have already experiance! I've got high hops for you and know you are a success story waiting!!!

Welcome again! I can't wait to see your journey continue!!!

Erin

[ValerieL]

Welcome!

The thing I loved about doing Atkins was that it did feel like something I could maintain forever. Once I got used to the changes in how I ate, and really *got* that bread, pasta & potatoes were not good for me, they were equivalent to sugar & dessert and couldn't be eaten on a daily basis, then this really did just become how I ate everyday and it seemed relatively easy.

Not that losing weight is easy, but it's much easier on the low-carb path than it was any other way, at least for me.

I hope you have great success!

Val

[diemde]

Welcome to the TDC! And congrats on your success so far. I sort of did the same thing when I started... just cut back here and there, basically weaned myself off carbs. That's worked well for me.

It definitely has to become a way of life, which I learned the hard way. :D

Do'overs work! Good luck!

[Charran]

Hi Bridgette! Welcome to the TDC! You'll get lots of great support along the way here and we're glad to have you join us!

[Sallie]

Hi Bridgette :wave: Welcome

Sounds like you're on your way to a healthier, fitter you :thup:

Best wishes on your weightloss journey,
Sallie :rose:

[~Bri~]

Thank you! You all are awesome! I'm looking forward to this journey! I didn't know about this group when I did this last time. Thanks for all of the kind words of encouragement!

[katwoman]

It's wonderful to meet you Bridgette. Glad you've found our little corner of the world.

[kathleen24]

My name is Bridgette and I've been overweight all my life! I'm 32 and have tried and succeeded at pretty much every diet I've ever done. <snip>.

I recently did some research into the Lap Band procedure and have quickly realized that at this point in my life, I'm more determined to be successful than ever before. Having said that, I feel I at least owe it to myself to try a new lifestyle without surgery and see how I do. I know that's an option if absolutely necessary, but I'm planning to make necessary changes without the surgery.

<snip>
I know that having adequate support when changing a lifestyle is half of the battle! Thanks!!!

Hi Bridgette,

You sound like you are at the beginning of a story that ends, " . . . and she lived happily LC ever after." You've got it! and right you are about the support. It makes a huge difference.

I think most of us here have experienced the loss-regain cycle more times than we can count, until we found something that finally worked--and even then, the habits of a lifetime took some re-educating. That's what this is all about, learning and doing and tweaking 'til we get it right. And many of us, too, got to the point where we realized it was this or surgery--and that we'd need to change the way we ate if we did the surgery anyway. Some of us have already been through it, and some are going to do it--and we're all in it together.

Each newbie that comes is a blessing to this board--hope the lurkers know that and come out to play sometime--because we are definitely greater than the sum of our parts. I woke up every morning for years determined to do SOMETHING about my weight and eating that day--and until I found LC, I simply lacked the tools to succeed. It was like being stuck in a cavern with no tools to get out, just a dim memory that blue sky and sweet water were waiting somewhere out there. LC doesn't do the work for me, but it gives me the tools to make success possible. I'm happy for you that you discovered this at the ripe young age of 32.

Welcome, can't wait to watch your success.

[Kisal]

Welcome to the TDC, Bri! Happy to see you here! :)

[callmedoc]

Welcome! Good to have you here with us! This is a very supportive group of folks, you have came to the right place!

[Scented1]

Welcome Bridgette !!!


It is great to have you here!

[amy411]

welcome :)

good luck on your journey.

[SRabbit]

Bri---I lost 85 lbs 3 years ago, and put it back on because I wasn't serious about making this a lifestyle--this time I am approaching it differently and having a much better time of it.

I've had a few spots here and there where I haven't been perfect, but overall I am really doing well and finding it so much easier this time.

Welcome to the forum--

Ruth

[erinleigh]

Hey Bri! Just checking in on you! Hope things are going great!!!

Talk to you soon,
Erin

[OtherCher2]

So glad you found this website at the beginning of your journey. I had been LCing for about 9 months before I discovered it. I love the encouragement I get here and am amazed that people like JudyNY have reached their goal and still come back to share their experience. There are so many BIG LOSERS and that gives me inspiration. If they can do it, we all can do it!

[bob2112]

Welcome to the TDC. Glad to have you onboard with us. Wishing you all the best on reaching your goals.

[Rissa6247]

Welcome and good luck. :D

[erinleigh]

Mornin'! Hope you are having a great morning!!!!!!!!!!!!

KEEP ON SHRINKING!!!! :)

Erin

[deborah c]

Hello Bri: Decided to stop lurking today and say HI! I come here whenever I need to....which is often! Part of my 'new' habits. When you feel weak log on and feel the 'love and understanding'. One of my best friends had the lap surgery a month after I started lc, she had more to lose then I did and has lost 10 lbs or more then I have to date - I thought we could go through this weight loss journey together, however I'm sad to say that there is such tension from her about it (all the money she has spent and the physical changes to her body) I feel anger from her (due to the fact that I'm doing almost as well) and have decided the only way we can remain friends is to not even discuss weight loss at all. (: Oh well, I for one need this forum and have had many ups and downs as do we all. The trick is to keep coming back here - lurk if you must - vent if you must - wishing you total success! And I guess I just wanted to also say - you can do it without surgery, it will just take longer but you'll have all the healthy habits in place and hopefully we'll never yo yo again. (: AND congrats on your success so far!

[ppuffy3859]

Hi! I am a newbie too! Welcome, and I look forward to reaching our goals together! We can do it!

[OtherCher2]

Deborah.....
Thanks for posting that comment about your friend being mad at you for successfully losing weight without a medical procedure. I have a friend that I can't hang out with any longer because I've lost weight. For a long time, she would try to discourage me by telling me how poisonous artificial sweetners are (while she was pouring a cup of sugar into a glass of iced tea), or how I was damaging my kidneys by eating a high protein diet (while she ate the same amount of meat as me, but then she added the potatoes and bread and dessert). Now when I do see her, she tells me how bad my hair looks (!?!).

[~Bri~]

Thank you so much for the support!

Deborah: I really needed to read your post today! ((hugs)) It brought tears to my eyes. Thank you!

Deborah and OtherCher2: Keep up the good work! Anytime we make changes in our lives and our friends see us moving while they aren't, it's difficult for them to adjust to the changes. They want us the way they expect us to be, it makes it easier for us to maintain our "roles" in the relationship. But you gotta do what's best for you and don't let your friend get you down!