Just thought I'd stop in and introduce myself. I'm from the UK, always struggled with my weight until I found low carbing. It looks like I've found my solution!

I've got well over 100 to get rid of which doesn't seem so daunting when I'm down 18 lbs in my first month.

I'm planning to start my journal on here today, probably more for writing down my thoughts than counting carbs. I've already got a spreadsheet I've tailored for myself and my personal preferences. How do you use the journal?

So glad I found this forum

Welcome and big congrats on your progress.

Here is the Journal Section. You just start a thread and journal away.

http://forum.lowcarber.org/forumdisplay.php?f=36

Thanks Maori, much appreciated. Your stats are amazing!

Welcome! You are off to a wonderful start. I wish you all the best in reaching your goal. I found the first 3 months to be the hardest. After that, I seem to have found my LC groove and I'm liking what I'm doing more every day. This is a great place to learn and it always helps to have a little support. There are some great role models here. I'm just trying to do what Maori is doing. He is a great example to follow. My inspiration, for sure.

Thanks khrussva, much appreciated. I'm not finding it difficult to stick to plan at all, I just need to plan meals more so I don't get bored eating the same things.

I agree, there are some really good role models here - I hope to emulate their success.

Thanks again!

The "food boredom" thing was my biggest obstacle - at about 2 months into this WOE. Just heating up meat & veggies - or eating tuna out of the can gets pretty old after a while. Mix in that longing for things you no longer eat and it can be a struggle not to cheat. It was at that time that I really started learning how to cook. The food we eat does not have to be boring. We just have to make it ourselves (like Grandma used to do). About the time I was working on I spicing up my LC menu, my carby food cravings started to fade away. That was a new day for me. On a new diet and happy to be there. For me, cooking is not a chore -- but an adventure. I can't wait to see what other LC masterpiece I can come up with.

At the moment I'm loving salads with plenty of protein and fat, but I think when the colder weather sets in I'm going to struggle more. There are so many websites with fantastic recipes out there though, so I just have to do my research and make the effort to look after myself.

I do seem to have lost the carb cravings already - I don't hear things calling my name from the kitchen lol. My husband has a cupboard full of junky foods that would normally be shouting at me to eat them, but not this time around. That's a revelation in itself. I think I've worked so hard to get into the ketosis groove and I feel so good, I don't want to give that up.

Do you have any recipes you could share?

Welcome Skulder!! You're doing really well ... losing those cravings is the best thing of all, isn't it!!

One of my favourite recipes is from Dana Carpender's cookbook... I think it's called 500 Low Carb Recipes and they are good. I make pork tenderloin in a sauce of mustard, white wine, and cream and it's divine!!

congratulations on your loss....stick with your chosen program and you will be amazed at the end results...

hummelda, thank you for the recipe book idea, I will look into that.

slmrickman, I can't believe how easy it is to stick to this WOE.

I've just made cream cheese and chorizo-filled chili peppers, wrapped 'em in bacon and cooked in the oven. Served them with broccoli for me (love it!) and I also did roasted carrots for the kids. They were amazing! The kids ate every scrap. Diet food, schmiet food lol.

I call them 'kids' but my son is actually 27 and his girlfriend is 25, so not exactly little ones any more lol.

My son is a type 1 diabetic, I need to research if a modified low-ish carb diet is do-able for him. Does anyone have any experience of it?

Yes. Check out ALC's Dr. Bernstein and Diabetes forum here:
http://forum.lowcarber.org/forumdisplay.php?f=45

I don't have diabetes, but many of the nutritional principles apply to everyone. Low carbing has certainly helped my 83 year old Type II dad. He's now off his metformin and doing very well.

...And Welcome to the forum!

Thanks Sereen, much appreciated!