Hi, I'm kind of new here, which means I used to hang around here, but gradually drifted and when I began Schwartzbein I wanted to talk to other people who do this. Sounds like there hasn't been huge activity, but I hope there will be some. I agree with all those who feel frustrated because there is no such thing as fast progress on this diet, but considering that I have just spent 55 years getting myself into this fix through up-and-down gaining, losing, weird diets, starving and binging, to say nothing of my adventures with sugar, it doesn't seem realistic that I could immediately lose all this weight as I was able to in my 20s. That knowledge doesn't make it any easier, but here are a few things that does: I've been sick and tired of being sick and tired for at least 7 years now, and after two weeks on this diet, I started to feel like a new person. It's cool that I don't have to be hungry, and what's coolest of all is that it makes me feel enough better that I find I don't WANT to goof off. Occasionally I will have "a moment," and eat something sinful, but on Weight Watchers and the like, that would always start a landslide. Here, it tastes good, but feeling good tastes better, and I find it's not that hard to go back to the straight and narrow. I lost some 17 pounds right off the bat, and now I haven't lost any for weeks...but I'm keeping the faith and working on getting off the artificial sweetners, which I now see I'm addicted to, and I continue to feel better. I'm pretty sick with fibromyalgia and severe arthritis, and getting some kind of exercise program going is difficult....but it seems to me that if it takes me five years to get well, it's still going to be worth it. So hello to you all, and please do write sometimes. http://forum.lowcarber.org/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=6759126#