Hello! I am glad to see this thread. I follow Dr. Westman's diet pretty strictly so I don't really fit in with any of the groups. I have had pretty good success this year (and I eat veggies too ), but know that I am going to need support going forward as I work on the last 15 pounds to goal.

I have been at it almost a year now. One thing I have realized that everyone is different. What works for one might not work for another. I feel like I can learn something from everyone. I often hesitate to offer advice of what works for me. The reason is that I don't want anyone to think my way is the only way or that I will be upset if they don't take it. Plus I once mentioned that I chewed sugar free gum to get over the initial cravings to a newbie and got jumped on by people.

We are all in different places in the journey, but can support each other. We can even learn things from slip ups. It's a process and we have to all find our own way.

Like the sound of this forum, may I join in please?
Reckon I come under semi low carb but that forum is extremely quiet. Perhaps just discussing how we are all getting on, doing our own thing, will encourage a livelier thread!

Quite pleased with myself over xmas, a period I really worried about. I usually have a square or two of 90% dark chocolate daily! Was given a gift of 70% at xmas. Had an extremely hungry feeling this afternoon and wondering if it's down to the 70%?? Anyway not prepared to risk it, no else in house likes it so in the bin it went. I guess it's an ongoing learning curve.
I have definitely discovered I am a Moderator. Moderation I can do for life, Abstaining, no way I could mentally accept that. Each to their own
Now going to drink big glass of water and hopefully back to no craving soon!!

Yes I think it's great that we can share what works and no cookie cutter rules here.
Renee, when you tell newbie that chewing sugar free gum works for you, that is a god tip and I applaud you for mentioning it. If it kept her on track and encourages them to continue, that is wonderful... Yes, no one way is the only right way...bravo!!!

ESW, Yes absolutely join in. That is a good tip to just throw it in the trash because like I read once, it's better there than giving it value and saving it for no good purpose. I had a tin of nuts given to us by a business associate that need to go into the trash too. It's not the nuts that are so bad but what's on them

Hey, thanks for that. The irony is that I no longer chew it because as I've gone along I've developed headaches and stomach aches to artificial sweeteners. Man, it really worked to get me through the first 4-6 weeks when I just wanted to shove carbs into my face.

Love the idea of a check-in - how we are getting on, etc. Brilliant!

Congrats on getting through the holiday. Sounds like you did really well. I think it's awesome that you discovered 70% gives you cravings. Also great that you threw it out. Agree it's a learning curve.

You know I thought I was a moderator when I first started this WOL. I fully planned to go back to eating some of my old faves after I lost the weight. Yep, I know. For many months now, I've been an abstainer. It has worked really well. I figured if I had to give up certain things forever to maintain my health and weight so be it. However as I've healed my body this year, I've learned that I am more in control of my eating. I may be able to moderately or special occasion eat foods I thought I couldn't in the past. We shall see.

When I decided to do this I just thought I would commit to the rules of my book 2012 Atkins but with no long term thought. I don't even remember weighing myself often but weighed every couple of days knowing that I was eating everything I was supposed to and cold turkey on anything not on plan. By the book
I jumped all over this web-site not know where to post and there were so many people here that it was hard to keep straight who does what or what rules were on what thread. Sometimes I would get the "do you know what thread you're on" OOPS

I do know that I will always eat meals and I can say that here without reprimand because it's free for all thread
I like to think of breakfast as a protein punch to rev my battery for the rest of the day...sometimes I eat it early sometimes later. Some call that IF I just call it eating late it works for me. But it sets the stage for the rest of my day.

I just got back from the grocery store and found a rack of pork ribs for 89cents per lb. the whole rack was about $5.50
I am going to oven roast all of it and freeze half when it's finished.
DH likes to buy in twos so there are 2 big bundles of asparagus already in the fridge. Guess I'll cook some of those too!

I decided to slice up the entire rack of ribs and it filled an entire broiler pan, that's a lot of meat.
I seasoned it with garlic powder, S&P and 1/2 a small jar of Red Pepper paste/tapenade it's called. First time for the Red pepper and I think it added a lot of flavor.
I decided to cook that much meat on a high temp. more to roast it, verses braising it which sometimes turns out tough and tasteless because the pork is too lean these days. Toward the end of oven roasting, I poured in 1/4 inch of chicken stock just to keep the ribs moist at the end.
We only ate 1/3 of the ribs so I'm freezing the rest. I can even pull a rib out of the freezer one at a time for lunches since they're all cooked.

I was a compulsive weigher, sometimes several times a day. Now I just do once a day first thing.

One of the biggest changes for me is that I am now a breakfast person. Before I might not eat until noon or just grab something quick on my way out the door. I was not a morning person either. I would hit the snooze until I absolutely had to get out of bed. Now I will get up easily an hour before to make myself breakfast (have it down to under 8 mins).

Yes, I use to be the same before LC, I never ate breakfast and then when hunger hits and I was at work or somewhere else, that's when I would eat all the wrong things.
Now a good breakfast holds me for hours and I am never in starvation mode which makes it much easier to make more good choices.

Like above quite often I didn't want breakfast when I got up. Now I have it nearly every morning unless I have slept in and have to rush. I keep little 20g cheeses at work for mid morning snack. However I did work out the my reason for not wanting breakfast was probably due to picking at high calorie (until stuffed) in the evening!! Fortunately that doesn't happen any more.
love the idea of rib roast

ESW - you bring up a good point. I used to eat something carby before going to bed now that I think about it. Now I try not to eat anything after my evening meal - unless it is real hunger. I wake up in the morning with a really empty feeling in my stomach.

Renee, I really like your signature line!!

"Eating carby food isn't a reward. It's a punishment."

YAY

for taking the 5 lb tin of Pecans coated with a variety of sugar/cinnamon, candied and chocolate covered...

AND THROWING IT ALL IN THE TRASH!!!!

Me too, me too!!!