In the past 20 years, I've put on about 80 lb... Most of it I've been carrying around >10-12 years. Concentrating on "eating sensibly", no calorie-restricted dieting, and not pursuing any specific dietary agenda, I tend to go for long periods with my weight absolutely stable, no more than a half pound to a pound up or down each year...but never having *lost* a pound gained, the fact is that I'm sitting here in my early forties feeling generally weighed down, with a belly pad the size of a roast pan and the classic "apple" shape that spells elevated risk for breast cancer, diabetes, and all sorts of other good stuff. Diabetes is the particular bogey, because a lot of people in my family have developed the late-onset form...as I move into the at-risk age for it, my feeling is that it's time to get the situation contained, once for all.

I learned in my 20s that traditional calorie-restricted diets didn't work for me--never lost much, never kept it off, and quite aside from the physical and mental effects making me crazy, I didn't like the way dieting always turned food into the prime focus of my life--and I've spent the past ten years figuring out that a mild emphasis on carbs hasn't done much for me either. Even during periods when I've been getting a lot of exercise (like walking everywhere and doing three or four vigourous hours of ju-jitsu a week, for over two years straight) I've never lost a pound or seen any effect on the belly pad...so I figure it's time to give low-carb a chance. What I've read about it so far suggests it could be a lot like going back to the way my family ate when we were living in the Arctic, a long time ago, which certainly worked for us, then.

So I'll be around, reading and asking questions as they occur...see you later, figuratively speaking.

Welcome to the forum DJ!

Have you read any of the popular books on low-carbing yet? Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution or Protein Power. They're essential to get you off to a good start.

LC does work. You'll be amazed!

I love it that you took the time to fill out the profile form. It helps us all to get a sense of who each other is. When I see a name come up with no location and check the profile and nothing is there but a handle, I feel like I'm responding to a handle, not a human. So, thanks!

Keep posting.

Karen

BTW, I was born in Ottawa and left when I was 23.

hi dj and welcome!! you're on the right track for losing weight and controlling blood sugar! this is a wonderful board for support and info. please read through the articles and tips sections. there's also a diabetes forum that you may be interested in reading! there are a lot of us here in our early 40's. i still say i'm in my early 40's even though i'll be 44 in september. when i turn 44 i will say that i'm in my mid 40's! when i was in my 30's, i never admitted to my late 30's until i was 39!

Hi, DJ, welcome to the board!

A lot of us are lowcarbing for health reasons (besides the obvious fact that we're looking forward to babedom). I'm also entering the time of life when people in my family start with the blood sugar problems, high cholesterol, and general ill-health. I don't want to go there! I've been low-carbing since October and I'm happy with it.

Rachel

Thanks! I appreciate such a positive welcome! I'm sure it will help to be able to refer to this community for advice and support as I go on.

To answer your question, Karen, I've read Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, Neanderthin, and Sugar Busters, and was on the Net looking for the Atkins vitamin supplements when I came in on the forum.

I've really come in on the weight loss issue sideways this time. I set out last January with the goal of getting back my sleep, after most of 4 years as an acutely sleep-deprived student...made the connection in March from the material in Lights Out/Sleep, Sugar, and Survival to Atkins, and have been working towards getting fully with the program since, gradually phasing out all my starchy staples and the sugary things that I could see giving me problems if I'd tried to go off them all at once, cold turkey.

Carrying on...

Hi DJ,

It is great and inspiring to see that you've done research into this WOE. I think that is one of the keys to success. Not blindly following, but having a true understanding of how it relates to you.

You will sleep wonderfully, despite having to wake up to pee all the time!

Karen