New to Low Carb

[paws413]

Today is day two on LC...I am 5"8 and 268 pounds and want to loose about 75lbs and do it overnight which i know is not even close to being possible..I have two daughters 6 and 2 and don't want to end up being an embarrassment to them..I am very involved in the elementary school and the fattest mom there..Such a disgusting feeling...I have joined WW a zillion times, once lost 100lbs and gained it all back after my girls were born..So LC is a new ides for me..Any tips and such would be a huge help... :wave:

[Kirsteen]

Welcome. If I had two tips for you, my first would be that you shouldn't view low-carbing as a quick fix. It is possible to eat a really excellent diet with great food while losing weight on low-carb, and if you really commit to it, you can change your relationship with food long-term, and stop the boom and bust cycle of yo-yo dieting. My second tip would be to read Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution and respect his experience and advice.

Best of luck

[aj_cohn]

Good news: Many forum members lose a lot of water weight as their bodies use up stored glycogen in the first 30 days.

Bad news: Many forum members gain a bit of that back as the body refills some its glycogen stores. The rate at which they subsequently lose fat is much, much more slower.

Good news: Slower weight loss is more likely to stay off and allow you to lose more. Quick weight loss feels like an emergency situation to the body, and it responds by trying to conserve resources. After awhile, many members experience an inability to lose weight for a long time.

I'm with Kirsteen about reading and following either the old Atkins book (DANDR) or the new one (NANY).

[tiff22]

May I ask what were the struggles w/weight watchers? I am amazed you were able to lose that much weight on it! I couldn't stick w/ it b/c I was so hungry. I have a friend who was very successful and she gained weight back too.
I would not recommend this diet if the only reason is to lose weight quicker than w/ weight watchers. But, if you like the fact you won't be hungry, and high carb diets are too difficult for you to maintain, I would highly recommend it! I really understand wanting to lose weight quickly! I am totally guilty!

[scottie123]

After 7 months, I would recommend doing your homework on what you can and cannot eat during each phase (read the book a few times), encourage you to plan weekly meals (what you are going to eat on what days, and shopping in one trip your food ), plan for extra appropriate food if you feel hungry (you are not counting calories). Equally important is to plan for bad situations eg bring your own snacks to the PTA meeting, check the menu online BEFORE going to your favorite place AND ask to have them remove/switch food items.

Since you have others in the house, try to reduce the temptation to eat inappropriately by putting that food somewhere separate. I liked individually wrapped items -- less of a mistake if you eat the entire thing. As you move farther up the rungs, it is easier -- but a first you are pretty limited.

The hardest thing is that this will take time. I am half way at 7 months. And you will have up weeks when you do everything according to plan.