Hi Catcookie

I am here even if it is abit quiet around here !
Iam in NZ so we are a day ahead of you guys abit of a time difference...it is nearly 10 a.m. tues here and probably evening for you over there on mon night!

Well I would try to maybe choose CORE type foods and lower GI choices.Berries are yum and good I started out with no bread and only used alittle basmati rice or kumera( sweet potato) instead of potato.
I always have rolled oats in the a.m. made with skim milk and I add a grated apple and cinnamon or mashed banana. I love it and it keeps me going for hours. I often don;t have lunch till say 1 or 2pm but then I am at home so it doesn't matter what time I eat! Cinnamon is very good for you and I understand it can help with WL so I take 2 tspns every morning with my oats.
I count my points also.

I have been having vegies or salad with mostly tuna or sometimes leftover cold meat for lunch and then I have lots of vegies at night with my meat .
I didn't really do atkins properly ages ago when I tried...... so you might have to go slower adding in foods..... expect a few lbs gain though when you intially change plans but if you just hang in there and keep up with your water you should start to see those numbers go down again.
I started out 5 April and I am down about 18 lbs and that is without exercising but I have arthritis...hoping to get more active as I lose more though!

Nice to meet you and all the best . Do visit anytime here or in our journals...there are afew of us here but the others are working gals

p.s. Catcookie...just re-read your post and I see you mentioned dried fruit....I would be VERY careful with that( it is dried so your body will take on more water temporarily mabe .....higher sugar content and therefore more KJ's....alittle may be OK further down the track as you find out how your body responds to different things. Wouldn't have too much of any one thing to start with, just mentioning ...I am still learning as I go and our bodies can respond differently to the same thing!