I am 23 and have not done any exercise, and the weight is coming off. Now I'm in the "last ten pounds" phase which takes the loooongest. You can call me the world's laziest dieter.

You might try flipping through Taubes' book Why We Get Fat:
http://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Get-Fa...t/dp/0307272702

He talks about exercise and how it's ineffective for fat loss. I mean if you're doing it to feel good, then that's a different thing. But if it feels like torture and you're doing it for the specific purpose to lose weight, it's perfectly okay to hold off until you're close to your goal weight.

I don't eat nitrate-free bacon...just the regular kind. Here's a post relating to nitrates:

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...ghlight=nitrate

The thing on nitrates is blown waaay out of proportion.

I'm not following the Atkins book to the T. I'm simply limiting my intake to 30-40 grams of carbs a day. The longer you eat this way, the more you will want to eat this way. People on here will tell you that after they have a cheat day and eat something like candy, they feel like crap. For most of us, we get inflammation and stomach sickness. Refined carbs, I think, are actually toxic and make us sick.