Welcome to the forum, Stef. I suggest that you pick a specific LC plan to follow, then read the book for that plan (you'll have to look on the Primal Blueprint site for that diet's description). Otherwise, you'll be reading and getting contradictory suggestions and won't know which ones to pay attention to.

There's also two good posts in the Newbies' Questions section that will save from making a lot of newcomer mistakes. One bit of information that's not there (yet) is the importance (IMO) of setting a target body fat % rather than a target weight. The BF% statistic should determine your goal weight, not the other way around. Here's a web page that explains more about why you should set your BF% target first. You can start with this page; be sure to look at the age-adjusted chart for your gender.

Next, calculate your current percentage of body fat. The best tests (dunk tank and BodPod) are very accurate (within 1%) and very expensive. Calipers are next best (within 1-2%) but cost about $15 and require practice (and some personal guidance) to use skillfully. All other methods are accurate to within 3-5%. If you have a tape measure, you can use this online body fat % calculator.

Then, calculate your ideal body weight.

Hi Stef, welcome to the forum.

What made you decide to go low-carb? And which books are your currently, or plan on reading?

Before reading any books on how to eat, I would suggest reading about why you shouldn't eat certain foods like grains and legumes (as well as dairy for those who are able to give up heavy cream and cheese... I'm weak, LOL).

To get started, I would read the the first few chapters of the Protein Power Lifeplan first. I say this because you can read about why too much insulin is bad, the inaccuracies of measuring LDL cholesterol, and why grains are bad (chapter called "the Leaky Gut"). The first half of the book does a reeally good job at giving you the layout of the land.

After I read the chapters on insulin and "the Leaky Gut," my motivation for why I was doing low-carb shifted. Now, I wasn't doing low-carb because grains and starches were making me fat. It's because they were making me sick. They raise triglycerides, Very LDL particles, and cause inflammation. This is a recipe for heart disease. These foods raise insulin levels and screw up my metabolism... tissues are damaged in the process and the more carbs you eat over time, the harder it can be to lose weight.


These foods are not just making us fat. They are destroying our bodies one day at a time.

Sounds like you've made a great start, Stef!

Welcome!

Hi Stef

Welcome to the forum. I wish you much success on your LC journey. You'll find plenty of helpful, friendly folks around here. Have a fantastic 2012. See you around the forum.

JoAnn

Welcome, Stef!



I suspect that Induction won't come as much of a shock, and also might not give you the major losses that some people report. This is because you've already started an informal semi-Induction on your own.

I kicked sugar and non-processed grains before I started Atkins; lost 15 lbs in 2 weeks. Took up Atkins a month or so later after the weight loss slowed down; it never sped back up to that level, but I did keep losing. I imagine you will do the same.

Best wishes to you, and Happy 2012!

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone, already finding this forum extremely useful and supportive

Jen, your initial weight loss sounds fantastic..... I thought that my recent dietary changes would mean that I wouldn't see a massive drop during induction.... Maybe 5-6 llbs in the 1st 2 weeks... Would be nice

Wow, minus 20 pounds! A great way to bring in the New Year if I might say so myself :-)

Stick with it, you're doing great.

All thanks to no longer eating grains. Go low carb lifestyle

Hiya

Welcome! I too am starting Atkins Induction today. Hope to see u around the forum

Welcome *Stef*! This is a great place for support, I'm sure you'll love it here! Good luck on your LC journey