Hello fellow low carbers,

I’m Nic and I’m 41 years old..I am not new to the low carb lifestyle but new to the forum. I first read Dr Atkins book in 2002. A year prior I had just lot 50 lbs of pregnancy weight starting at 165 through a medically supervised diet. Slowly but surely I did not have the right mindset to maintain and gained the weight back.

I’ve always been an emotional eater always drowning myself in food whether I was happy or sad. I am a self confessed sugar addict. My weight has been a roller coaster. Since 2001 I have lost a significant amount of weight and this is my fifth time. At my lowest through the medically supervised diet, I was 115 lbs. Through the years my weight was mostly at 150-170.

Recently my weight was at the highest of 224 lbs. At only 5’2”, I knew it was affecting my health and I worried about becoming diabetic since it runs in my family. I have been able to carry larger amounts of weight on my frame but I know it’s not healthy.

I am on a journey right now to not only lose the weight but to understand and deal with why I eat the way I eat along with my habits and emotional triggers. I have had been angry at myself for putting myself through the ringer over and over with losing weight and not being able to maintain it.

I’m ready to forget the past and move forward keeping in mind past mistakes and keep them in check. Usually this was due to stress and outside influences that I couldn’t cope with unless I had sugar and foods that were not so good for me.

I started Atkins again November 7 2017 after much procrastination until I was tired of being sick and tired. Much to my surprise, I did not have 3 days of the Keto flu and withdraws and by the 4th felt amazing! I am ready to tell a new story. I started at 224.2 and am now 214.6 today. I am going to go in 10 lb increments so I’m not overwhelmed.

I recently went on a week vacation down south and managed to stay in ketosis while staying just under 100 carbs a day from my usual 50 carbs a day and vowed to keep away from sugar which is and always has been my downfall. I do not drink really but if I had one it was the mojito without the sugar. I found replacement s by going to the grocery store and finding some cheese and pepperoni slices and sugar freee cookies so I would still feel like I was the way I was eating at home even though I eat these in moderation as it can stall weight loss..I don’t feel like I’m missing out. I came home a half a pound lighter after doing a lot of walking down there.

I decided to start induction at 50 carbs a day with a few extras like the sugar free cookies and Atkins bars so I would not sabotage myself and I still lost weight. I figure Rome wasn’t built in a day and I do not want to go to 20 carbs a day because I know I wont feel good. It’s all about living the lifestyle for me and replacing bad habits. I enjoy the low carb lifestyle and how it makes me feel and I’m great at losing weight but the real challenge will be to maintain a large weight loss and keep it off.

The longest I stayed in the low carb lifestyle without sugar or junk food was 19 months before I experienced an emotional situation in my life and I went off the rails last Christmas Eve. For some reason I just gave up after losing 50 lbs. ack in the beginning of June 2015. This time I am on a mission to be kind to myself and deal with the emotional issues and triggers that have kept me overweight.

I would like to be 125-130 lbs as I found I personally felt I looked sickly at 115 lbs and am meant to have a curvier figure. I won’t be putting a time limit on my weight loss. Instead it will be about the journey and living the lifestyle for my health and well being. While it’s nice to look slim, vanity is lower on the list. My health has become a number one priority for me at this point in time.

Sept 2017 222 lbs

Aug 2001 115 lbs