Hi to everyone out there, where ever you may be. I'm not new to diets, like most everyone else I imagine, but low carbing is new and almost oposite to how I'd learned I'm supposed to lose. I'm around 220 lbs I think(wouldn't buy a scale), pre-diabetic and desperate to change how I feel inside and out. I'm 38 and have two incredible little girls.I don't want to die in my early fifties like both my parents did so I'm hopeing that with enough supports in place I will keep on track long enough to start new habits and a WOL. I'm looking forward to getting to know some of you along the way and to be a support if I can. Bye til next visit,
Cherylee

Welcome!

Oh, and 38 is a magic age, isn't it? It was at 38 that I had the s%%t scared out of me when a liver enzyme level caused my doctor to do a spate of tests. Then came the statement, "Probably benine"....if that doen't wake a person up, nothing will.

I have two awesome boys and did not want to die at 42 like my buddy Mike did from a massive heart attack, or at 48 like my best friend Max did, from cancer. Heck, I don't want to die at 78 like my Dad did from Cancer.

Diabetes is nothing to ignore, I know. My mom has that! I don't want it.

Anyway, welcome to the site, welcome to the group. And if you ever need help, a good word etc..the site is here, 24-7. If you ever need inspiration, go hug your little girls, or carry a favorite picture of them and look at it for a few minutes. Your steely resolve will come bounding back in like a Knight on a white Horse!

Hi

Welcome to the forum. I think putting tight dietary restrictions on yourself can make you even more prone to overeating or stress-related eating. Instead of focusing on diet as a temporary solution, consider it a permanent lifestyle change. Make an unwavering commitment to your goals! And you will really see the difference by the way you look at it. Anyway wishin you good Luck and great success!!

Welcome to the forums and best of luck!

Just want to welcome and encourage you. I was also taught almost the exact opposite from what is working for me now lol funny how things change. I can well understand your fear of not being there for your kids, they really do motivate us I have a son myself that I want to be around for. My best advice for now is just to look around this board, the recipes and tips are wonderful. Start a journal so you have somewhere to vent and somewhere people can visit with you. I am struggling hard myself but with this site its been alot easier to stick on my plan than when I was trying alone.

Good Luck to you!!

KimNWI

Thanks for all the encouragement and suggestions. Knowing there are others who are struggling along with me is comforting sort of. I was wondering....some profiles the people have 3 lobsters or 5 steaks. Is it weight increments? How do you get them? Are they automatic or do you stick them on to your profile yourself?

I think I've figured it out,I have eggs on mine! Are those single pounds then ? That's cute.

The eggs, steaks, lobsters etc indicate how many posts you have. Just click the image of your eggs and see the system! (If you have a pop-up blocker turn it off)

By the way, welcome to the forum and good luck

Thankyou Pearl. Bye the way, I've gone to the tikertape.dot.com to get a counter like I've seen but now that I'm ready to paste it I don't know where to go to do it . It's an option on my profile somewhere isn't it?

I'm sorry I don't know how to post tickers, but go over to the technical section (near the bottom of the main page) and I'm sure you'll find it somewhere (you could run a search)

Welcome to the forum, It's a great place for support and inspiration...I wish you lots of success and joy....

I'm a newbie too. My name is Nan, and although I'm not totally new to low-carbing, I've only been on Atkins for 6 weeks. I had been following a reduced carb diet for diabetics, but after controlling my sugar levels fairly well for a couple of years, my carb cravings were becoming a problem and it seemed impossible to control my blood sugar through diet alone. As a result, my doctor was ready to prescribe ACTOS, a med for diabetes that I didn't want to take.

I also have myalgic encephalomyelitis, better known as chronic fatigue syndrome (cringe..cough..puke). All of us with CFS DETEST that name because fatigue is not even the worst symptom for most of us and it also trivializes the condition. Anyway, I Googled ACTOS to see if this might cause a problem for those with CFS and sure enough, one of the top docs said ACTOS would make CFS worse. Great! Luckily, I had just read a study of diabetics on Atkins, and how 13 of 16 in a test group were able to ditch all diabetes meds. So, I figured this was a way I could get my blood sugar under control and lose weight too, which is exactly what is happening. My sugar levels are great and I've lost 11 lbs. I still have a LONG way to go as far as weight loss is concerned, but I'm trying not to get too impatient. As you can see, I haven't even decided on a goal weight yet. 150 would be great, 140 even better, but those numbers are over 100 pounds away, so it's hard to judge where I'm actually going to settle.

I'm not able to exercise much, but I've been pushing the envelope, increasing daily activity enough to help boost my metabolism without throwing myself into a CFS relapse (back into a wheelchair - yes, it can be that disabling!). Cooking is a challenge, and sometimes all of my daily energy allotment is spent on food prep, but that's O.K. It's worth the effort if I can take off the pounds and normalize my blood sugar.

I don't want to write a novel here, but a few more facts about myself. I graduated from Western IL University and was a music teacher. I was also directing a community chorus in l978 when I became too ill to work. I have a wonderful husband, Frank, who is a computer programmer and a former math teacher/football & wrestling coach. We've been married for 36 years and have a grown son, Sean.

So, good luck to all of my fellow newbies and hats off to all of you who are already successful! One more comment - am disgusted with the news reporters gleefully declaring Atkins as just another failed fad diet. ARRRRRGGGHHH! I hope they choke on their low-fat cookies Nan from IL

Hi cherrylee and Nan,

welcome and good luck to both of you!

Annie

Hi Cheryl, welcom to the forums! And, Nan, too, a fellow Illinoisian!