Here's a quick summary of my story:

I'm a 39-yr-old male, 6'1" tall, who has been overweight for most of my adult life. I was a trim 185 lbs when my wife and I got married 18 years ago. Within a year of marriage, my weight had ballooned to 225 lbs. For the next 8 years, my weight hovered between 220 - 230. I read Dr. Atkins' book in 1996 and ate low-carb for approximately 2 months, dropping approximately 20 lbs. This success, however, was short-lived. Soon, I went back to my old habits and regained the weight.

In 1998, I began a new (desk) job. I stopped exercising and began eating more and more junk food. Within a year, my weight had climbed to around 280. Since then, my weight has climbed as high as 294, though I have mostly remained around 270 lbs for the past year. My lowest weight has been 260 lbs.

I BELIEVE in the low-carb lifestyle, truly I do. But believing and DOING are completely different things. (Can I get an "Amen"?) I am sick of failing and want to change. I want to live a long life and grow old. I do not have any physical ailments (yet) -- my blood pressure remains in the normal range, but I know this cannot last if I don't change my ways.

I have been a fan of this website for awhile now, though I have not had the courage to post anything. There are so many inspiring stories out there, and I want to join the club. I want to inspire others. I need some accountability, even if it's to a community of faceless internet folks with their own weight-loss struggles. I hope you can help me and, in return, I hope I can help some of you.

My short-term goal is to lose 75 lbs in the next 10 months. That will get me to 200 lbs by my 40th birthday. My long-term goal is to reach 175 lbs and maintain. Will I do it? I want to...

Welcome Fritz! Glad you joined us here. Lots of great support and ideas to help you in your new WOL.

You can do this!!!! We're here to support you every way we can.

All the best, Julie

Hi, Fritz:

Welcome. This site is wonderful in terms of support. May I make a couple of suggestions?

1. Start a journal. For some of us, myself included, a journal provides social and emotional support. For others, it is more of a way to record food and weight loss progress. Or it can be a combination. If you are really thinking of low carb as a life style, documentation is important. My weight loss has been slow (but steady), and I know for an absolute fact that I would not still be maintaining and low carbing if it were not for my journal on this forum.

You mentioned that you gained most of your weight after you got married. I've been married twice and managed to fatten up both husbands not long after I met them. Both started out fairly thin, and I imagined that feeding them too well was a way to show that I loved them. How does your wife feel about your interest in lc? I'm hoping you have her support....of course, I'm making a value judgment about who does the shopping and cooking in your family.

ETA: Sorry, I forget what the second suggestion was....duh.

All best,
Kay

Thank you for your kind sentiments. I'm happy to be here.

75 pounds in 10 months is ambitious, but achievable, for someone with a reasonable metabolism. Especially males, you guys can lose faster than women in general.

Accountability and support are great tools that you're putting in your toolbox - and a good sign that you're committed to succeeding this time.

Start a journal and dig in! The only suggestion that I can think of is to set some shorter-term goals also. Have some kind of reward in mind for yourself when you lose 25 pounds, and 50 pounds - things like that. I've been reading some stuff about goal setting, and that's what they say - have long-term goals, but have short-term goals also.

Anyway, welcome!