Hi there

I'm Alonda, and have heard nothing but "Atkins this" and "Atkins that" from my best and dearest friends who only had 20 or 30 pounds to lose for months. I"ve been fighting starting for a while because I honestly kept thinking to myself, "Yeah that's okay for YOU, but I have a real problem here and it's way too big for any ol' diet." Well I finally got brave and got a copy of the Atkins book and have read about half of it. I have to say I am very impressed. I sat there thinking..."Yeah! That's me!! I can DO this!". Well I have set a date to start of this coming weekend (after payday so I can stock my kitchen), and am scared spitless. I am fourth generation obese, and at 26 am close to 330 pounds. My mom was 358 when she died, and I am desperate to not get that high. I want so badly to do this...it sounds like the first real chance I have had at freedom...ever. But I won't lie...I am scared. This is a big move for me, and is the equivalent of a heroin addict going into rehab. (Are there twelve step programs for McDonald's drive-through and Chinese buffets?) I am so grateful to find this group so that I don't have to walk through this alone. I have two big motivators for my starting now. I have prediabetes, and found out I am allergic to wheat. So now is the best time for me to finally make a difference in my own life...and maybe actually find out that I am worth the trouble...but I am not sure about that now.

Thanks ya'll.
I will set up my journal soon.

Alonda