Hello Peoples~

I've already posted a few things, and thought I'd better backtrack and say hello properly. Hello.

I started my current journey on June 1st, at 298 lbs.

I'll be turning 55 tomorrow, and have been a pet groomer for most of my life. I live in New Hampshire on a farm with my husband and 2 young adult daughters. ALL of us are lo-carbing with me right now.. they heard my cries for support and finally stopped demanding ice-cream after every meal. I have an endless list of health issues that I am seeking relief for. So this time around, it's not the dressing-room mirror at Walmart kicking my ass, but rather my poor knees crying out for help, and my now sensitive auto-immune and endocrine system asking for a break from processed foods, gluten, and sugar.

I've done Atkins like a good little soldier in the past.. lost 30 pounds, then moved across the country and with the upheaval, I blew back up even bigger... I started and stopped Atkins several more times after...it was super hard for me without cooperation from the family. This time, I'm just following a looser structure, logging my foods, and trying to keep my carb/protein/fat ratio at around 5/25/70. I am intrigued a bit by the CAD diet, but at the same time concerned that it could be a slippery slope for me, because I am a carb-addict.

I do have binge fantasies every few days, and then, once I make the right choice, the storm passes. Now that I've lost 20 pounds, I only have a hundred to go!

Hello, mOm and welcome to the best LC WOE site on the planet!

HAPPY Early Birthday!

Huge congrats on your progress so far! Way to GO!

Most of us share the same story, lose weight, gain weight and lose it again...repeat, rinse, recycle.

I've lost 500-600lbs over my entire life time ...so I'm a PRO at losing and a neophyte at maintaining...but I'm never going back to "FAT Jo" so it's all good!

You list your plan as : quasi-Atkins, could you explain what you mean by that? I'm just curious!

Wishing you much success on your journey to a healthier YOU!

Hi Jo~ thanks for the festive welcome.I say Quasi-Atkins because this time I'm not doing induction or levels... But following the basic way of eating~ hi-fat under 20 grams of carbs... The 5-25-70ish ratio of c/p/f. A bit of fruit and nuts suits me and helps me, as does occasional refried beans or a half a sweet potatoe. It feels more in balance to me. the main thing to me was just cutting the crap out and eating whole nutrionally dense foods and aiming for 20 carbs or less. This is probably more SB than Atkins? My brain is swimming with more options than I even realized there was, and I may change my tactics, but for now this is working and I'm feeling reasonably strong with it. I'm sure some Atkins purists would disapprove. and on that note I've noticed people in general that I come in contact with, are so much more supportive of "low carb" than "Atkins" which really irritates me lol. Thanks again for saying hello!

Awesome user name! Welcome.

Thanks Nancy for the welcome. Checking out the Salt thread. A couple weeks ago, I had been thinking about trying this out:
http://www.thealternativedaily.com/...-every-morning/ What do you think about it?

Jo, I just want to add ~ that I wrote the above from my phone, and hadn't seen that you are "Hard-Core Atkins!" but maybe you know what I mean. Years ago I was on an Atkins message board, and the tone could get downright pissy debating the old book vs the new one, or when someone was pushing the boundaries or doing their own modification, such as I am doing now. I may still decide to go back to Atkins Proper to further explore what foods might have adverse effects on my system.

I'm also wondering if you also have had to endure the 'Oh Atkins is not healthy blah-blah-blah' stuff from friends and doctors in your life? Guess you showed them, huh?

Anyway~ have a terrific day!

Good Wednesday Morning, mom!

Thanks for explaining your LC WOE plan!

Personally, I think we all need to do whatever it takes to get where we want to go. What works for one person may not work for another.

I haven't seen the "debate" on the board, at least not in a negative way. I don't PUSH A '72 on anyone other than myself. Except for possibly telling people to stick religiously to whatever LC WOE plan they decide to follow! Cause all of the them work, if you're willing to do the HARD work of staying on plan 100% everyday!

IMHO, A '72 is the purist and MOST restrictive of all his LC WOE plans BUT it works for me. Cause it's all about me me me me...don't you know? I've never encountered ANYONE that has told me this is unhealthy...or maybe I'm so thick skinned I didn't pay attention. But I do have a rebuttal PLANNED for just that statement and it's "Oh and being morbidly obese at 265 lbs is healthy???" All my fam and friends are very supportive, always have been thru "thick or thin" if you know what I mean.

Hope you have a super duper on plan day today!

Happy Birthday and welcome.
Congratulations 20 lbs in 6 weeks is a very good start and these forums are the best encouragement one can get.