Hi All!

I'm new to the site but not new to low-carbing at all..

I know first hand of the success that can be attained through being a strict low carber... I lost over 50 pounds on the Atkins diet on 2 different occasions...

However, I also know of what can happen if the diet isn't treated as a way of life...

I am currently at my heaviest weight ever (375 lbs)..

I am 6 foot 3 and have always carried my weight very well...

I'm one of those guys who've always been able to fool the 'guess my weight' carnival people...

anyhow, I'm getting back on the diet horse starting this coming monday...

My goal will be in the 225-250 range... so I may have a much as 150 lbs to lose... yikes!!

I was 298 lbs last august and I've been at my current weight for almost 5 months...

The last time I was on the diet, I got to 298 and then plateaued for 4 months without budging as much as a pound...

this was very disheartening and I came off the diet headed in the worst possible direction..

I went off the diet and gained 75 lbs in 6 months..

It all sounds so bad now... but dwelling on it isn't going to be good...

I will warn anyone who is plateauing not to give up... its horrible how quickly a plateaued, carb-starved metabolism packs on pounds when the dieter gives up...

I believe it's going to be hard to get back into it...

Not because of giving up carbs, but because my fiancee is firm in her belief that this diet can't possibly be good for my health...

Not only is she a low fat high carb diet believer, she's also a vegetarian...

So it really grosses her out to see me give up fruits, grains and vegetables, only to replace them with fats and meats..

Well, anyway, my plan is to keep things posted here as a record of my progress, and hopefully draw on some people in the same boat for support, as I'm certainly not going to get any at home..

So Hello from Toronto To anyone listening..

Wish me luck!

Spider-man

Hey Spider-man,

We'll be here for you, rooting you on, cheering every pound lost.

Welcome aboard Spider-Man,

What you're saying sounds very familiar to me. I've been up to 400, then found the promised land ~ 180-190 (but too thin) and then forgot about it and went to 300 in 3 years. Now back for good as a way of life.

Glad you found us, and you may surprise your GF by some healthy things about low-carbing, such as high-fiber veggies and flax. Now days it's much easier to convince the public about the health benefits of low-carbing as opposed to 70's and 80's. A quick glance in our Studies section should prove that

Wa'il

Welcome!
You definitely came to the right place for support!!!
Keep us posted on your progress!!

Glad you found your way back to lowcarb, you've been successful in the past ... you can do it again.

I can relate to the stalling out, and how important it is to hang in there. I've only recently broke a 6-month long stall, but not once did I consider giving up lowcarb. (I did consider foolish things, like cutting way back on calories, skipping meals and undereating.. ) But i know if I'd resumed high-carb eating -- even if it was low calorie -- I'd have GAINED, forget about just sitting at a plateau.

Maybe your fiancée can read through some of the posts here from members whose health has improved by lowcarbing. If you scroll down the forum's home page, you'll see a Health and Support category, with Heart & Cholesterol, Diabetes, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue ... all filled with success stories. I personally have seen my total cholesterol and triglycerides come down, my blood pressure is lower, and improved energy levels (I have Fibro. and low thyroid) ... I NEVER felt this good when I was eating a "healthy" lowfat, high-starch diet ... and I rarely ate junk.

All the best to you from Kingston!! I look forward to reading more posts from you! ..

Doreen

Welcome to the board Spider-man!

Your words are good for both newbies and long term low carbers to hear. Keep posting!

Karen

Hey there Spidey. I'm back on the low carb wol recently too. It is difficult but you must realize that it will work for you. I know about the plateaus - patience and perserverance every day. I feel so much better now that I am not bogged down with carbs. All I need now is to work on adding variety to my diet. With all the wonderful posters here and all their help, how can we fail? Good luck and we're all with you!!!

welcome spiderman!! i think you'll do well because you know this woe works! i hope your gf will see the light!

hi from ajax!

Hey, Spiderman!

I too have been on this WOL previously, and lost some 14 lbs in 3 weeks, felt greater than ever in life, and was happy about myself. Then the ice cream hit me full force, and I figured, since i broke the diet, I might as well quit.

Well, this time I started back up on June 6, and have been religious about doing everything right (minus 2 interruptions of ice cream and Starbucks)... well, I've been back on it religiously for a solid week now and have lost 0 lbs.... but I am sticking with it.... 'cause I know it works - eventually.

Good luck to you in your change of pace.