New to the forum and low carb lifestyle. Still a newbie - started July 10th. I've lost almost 11 pounds since the start. Strangely, I lost about 8 pounds of that weight the first week. Is that normal?

Welcome
Yes, perfectly normal...the water weight being lost along with glycogen.
This article explains it well and why the third week you may have not lost any scale weight. http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=365499
A better indicator of good health is a waist half your height, something you can measure easily by checking how your belt fits.
Have you read articles about LCHF like this one? https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb If not a book.
Look all around...you have found a great forum for LC advice.
All the best,

Thank you. Yes, I've read a lot of material on the Diet Doctor website. I'm currently a member there, so I consume a lot of that info.

Woo Hoo, you are off to a great start...keep up the good work, and welcome to the forum. Ton, I means literally tons of info here, poke around and enjoy, Have a great day, drop by my journal sometime, I love company. ttyl