Hi Jimmy,
Welcome to the forum!
You must be feeling pretty proud of yourself with your 20 lb. loss.
Lowering carbs dramatically is tough at first. The physical craving is broken at this time and it's an important first step.
On of the truly great features about low carbing is that you can eat real food! And you never half to go hungry. Your body will never be deprived of what it needs to live on. Your mind may be, but that's another story. Learning how to cook and eat new things (for some!
) is also a big bonus.
Some of us have taken low-carbing on as a way of life. We never want to go back to our old way of eating. One of the things I did to psyche myself up for low carbing was to tell myself that I've eaten almost everything I've needed to taste. I know what it all tastes like, so I don't need to eat it to live.
I noticed in your profile that you describe yourself as an addict. I'm one too. I'll tell you a bit about my own experience.
Sugar is my "drug" of choice. By taking the drug away, I had to deal with my "feelings". Angry, sad, happy, it all comes up to the surface. So, what I've been teaching myself to do over the two years that I've been LC is learning to deal with it. Not by hiding, not by becoming defensive, not by blowing it off but by facing whatever I am most afraid of. Low-carbing has given me one of the greatest tools I've ever posessed. The rest has been up up to me to provide. I'm an addict, so substitutes are like my version of methadone.
Every time you want to reach for that carb or carb substitute, ask yourself
WHY? You may still end up eating it, but examination of the impulse behind it and getting "back on the wagon" right away is what will make you truly successful in the long run. That's when low carbing becomes a way of life, not just a diet, and something you'll be happy to do for the rest of your life.
The Journal/Bootcamp section is a great place to start a journal. You don't have to spill your guts there if you don't want to - just record what you've been eating on a daily basis. Have a look at other members journals. There is a Triple Digit forum for those who want to lose 100 lbs.+ You never no where gems of wisdom may fall from.
Jimmy, I hope you feel comfortable enough here to stay after taking a look around.
Keep coming back. It works if you work it!
Karen