After having a stroke at age 46, I spent 7 years dieting without success (low-fat). One day, feeling tired, depressed, hopeless, full of grief, miserable, weak, in pain, did I mention miserable, grumpy, irritable, miserable, miserable, miserable, I got up, waddled to the car, drove to the shopping centre, waddled to the book store, with the purpose of buying a new-diet book, any new-diet book (I didn't have a computer), that wasn't low-fat or any version of low-fat. The first book that caught my eye was Protein Power which I purchased. This was my first introduction to low-carb. Within 24 hours I had read the Protein Power book and had started on low-carb. Since then, I have read everything I can lay my hands on on low carb and have never looked back. My only regret has been that it took so long for me to discover low-carbing.

good for you for finding a WOL that will work for you - You are on the first step of the ladder that will pave the way for the rest of your life - I hope that the support that you find here will make it easier for you. xxx

And If I'm truthful.

Last Winter I started having angina symptoms. I had a treadmill stress test which was inconclusive - they dragged me off after a while because I 'wasn't responding to stimuli'. Read zoned out. I gave up smoking - 80 a day almost at once. I was so ashamed I couldn't do the test. My weight has been up and down like a yo-yo.
Bottom line - first thing women see if a fat guy. And I don't want to spend the rest of my life alone.

I've been wanting to loose weight for a long time! I got sick of looking at pictures of me at our monthly lampwork (glass beadmaking) meetings!! I'm heavier now then when I was full term pregnant with my last child! I feel older than I am (will be 42 next week) My knees hurt and I want to wear sleeveless shirts again!! I can't get up off the floor without help! My mom even says snide remarks seeing pics of me! So I'm down 12 pounds as of today and hopefully I'll be close to my goal weight by Sept. when I see my mom again so then I can go "neener neener!" LOL!

I guess it was a number of things adding up over the years:

Eight years ago I was with my then hubby and then best friend
at SAMs Club and this very overweight woman walked by us.
Once the woman had passed by and was out of earshot, I asked
my then friend "Don't ever let me get that big, ok?" to which she
replied "Um...dear...you're bigger than SHE is..." I wanted to
die, I was so mortified. Incidentally, that comment was *not*
what led up to her going from being my best friend to being my
*then* best friend. But that's fodder for the 'cheating spouses
of LCers' thread.

About 3 1/2 years ago, I was just a couple months pregnant
with my second son -- not enough to even show yet -- and my
DH and I were at Hops restaurant. I went into the ladies room
and as I was washing up, this woman and her little girl walked
in and the little girl (all of about 3 years old or so) asked her
mother "Mommy...why is that lady so fat?" The woman was as
embarrassed as I was, but the look in her eyes echoed her
daughter's words -- "Why *are* you so fat?" Of course, SHE
herself was a skinny little hardbody, which made it all the more
humiliating. I went back and sat down w/ DH and ate my salad
with tears streaming down my face and plopping onto my plate.

Less than a year ago, I was at the beach with my mother and
my 2 sons. I bit the bullet and actually put on a bathing suit
and my mother, without thinking, told me I looked like a big ol'
grape. I guess she must have seen the shock and hurt in my
eyes because she followed up by saying "I didn't intend for that
to sound mean" I just looked at her and said "Tell me how that
can sound any other way BUT mean?"

And then there's the ongoing things:

- tired of having to worry about whether the movie theater we
go to has stadium seating or not

- DH has no interest in being intimate (he *says* it's because
he doesn't want to risk a pregnancy until I lose the weight, but
ya know -- there's OTHER ways to prevent that)

- Tired of feeling like a non-person

I could probably go on and on, but I guess that's enough for now.

Hugs!

Cynthia

My kickstart (this time) is I want to get a breast reduction, so I want ot loose all the wait I can to make sure I even will still need one.
The last time I did the Atkins, was after having my son..in total I lost 30lbs (i gained 27 w/ him) and my chest stayed the same ..so.. I am trying very hard this time to make goal.

stupid reason but when i cant really wear tank top that flash little tummy lol ---> esp. night out with the girls (or at parties)

its crucial ---> 24th b'day pic ----> shocked of my life didnt know i was that chubby when i've always been sporty and athletic in hs and college (some close people e.g. old-friends, family etc "my have you put on weight?") and

my mum was actually sayin to me "don't worry about your weight shooting up, it's a sign of getting old (i knew she was joking but the word "fat" and "old" kinda got me!) i dont mind getting old everybody does but i want to grow old-er in good shape.

I guess what did it for me, well a few things actually, when I was pregnant with my now 4month old son, I was gestational diabetic, (I don't want to get type II it runs in my family) anyway that's the main reason,
but I do have a sort of "revenge" driving me to do this. My best friend who is now going through a divorce, is losing weight,(she lost 20lbs) although she wasn't as big as me not even close, but she's much taller (5'7") I'm 5'2" anyway, I was telling her that I had saved a pair of shorts from when I was thinner, and I'm determined to get back into them (a size 4) She says to me "If I can't wear a size 4 you'll never be able to" Well I did when I met my husband, yeah that was about 10 years ago, and 4children too. but I'm determined to get back into those shorts, I want so bad to rub it into her face.
I weigh 192 right now, she weighes 146, and when she was 166, she wore the same size I wear now. so I know I can get back into a size 4. maybe even smaller by the time I'm down to 125.
Tammy

I mentioned this is another post but it was truly inspiring to me. After a recent move from up North to now living in the South, it's no longer 9 months of cover my fat up winter...it's now 9 months of everyone here is thin summer and I was fed up! Discouraged though, I didn't do anything about it...until running into and meeting a series of people who lost lots of weight living a LC lifestyle. They truly inspired me and now I feel determined now more than ever...mostly because I'm not giving up eating, I still feel full every day, and I don't have to exercise if I don't want to

My underwear had started to hurt! Can you imagine?! Too tight! Not to mention my cute little dresses looked ridiculous on me now, and the capris ect..all my clothes just look stupid. My cutest outfit - black capris and top that I thought made me look sooo slim - I saw a picture of myself in it and can you say "porkety pork pork"? My boss even said "put that picture away" (because it was making me cry and he knew it was a bad one of me) I wanted so much to look great in my son's graduation celebration pics. I am the youngest mother of his class and wanted to look good...felt like a young petunia pig.

My husband has stopped saying "I love your tummy".

I have 2 chins.

I lived without looking at the scale...I should have...i wieghed 10 lbs more than i thought.

My good friend at work started lc - she lost 25 lbs! I am so proud of her! We had both been low cal. dieting during the beginning of the year. This LC really worked for her.

And the number one reason for teri getting off her BIG duff and starting lc???
My oldest sister at 400lbs died this year after complications from a gastric bi-pass surgery. I think of her everyday and miss her terribly. I have spent almost a year with out her...i think she would want me to be healthy.

I am just sick and tired of being sick and tired.

I was in denial.

I thought to myself, "why can't you wear 89% of your summer wardrobe?"

I wondered "why are you looking for the largest t-shirts you own? How come you can't wear any of those cute summer outfits you bought last year?"

THEN I went home for Fathers Day. My 2 sisters and I took a picture with Dad. He was so proud! He took his digital camera downstairs to the basement - his technological lair - and instantly printed out copies of the picture for everyone to take home.

Now I have to explain why that was soooooo horrific. My father is a very handsome man, fit and trim; and both of my sisters are gorgeous, very fit, shapely 9-10's with flat stomaches. I, on the other hand, am a size 18.

The next weekend I visited home again. Guess which picture was BLOWN UP and placed in a frame on the mantle? You guessed it. Obviously my father is proud of the picture and loves us all, but my vanity won't let it rest. I refuse to have friends and family see that picture as the most recent depiction of me. I refuse to take Thanksgiving pictures and STILL look like that.

So, I am resolved.

This WOE + exercise = new picture

I went to the doctor to see if I could get some new medication to take for the ligament problem in my foot. i happened to mention that the tylenol-3/vioxx combo I had been taking had been helping me sleep. The doctor probed that comment and figured out that I was depressed and put me on anti-depressants. Coming out of that fog helped me to approach an old friend about getting together (he being newly single), and although he did not mind me being overweight (????weird huh?), I have found that each day just gets sunnier and sunnier (just like those prozac ads say) since I have been taking the antidepressants, so I started lc'ing after starting the antidepressants... stopped last winter when new boyfriend wanted to come over and watch movies and eat chocolate. I gained 35 pounds.... Snapped out of it this past spring and have been able to do a full 14 day induction with almost no cheats ( I just had to have some strawberries and raspberries- they were in season!). New boyfriend came over last weekend to watch a movie and brought me wine gums ..."look, they are low fat!" he says. Sweet. I told him high fat, low carb is how I eat (Next time bring whipped cream!) At least he is trying to be helpful. He brought chips too, but I did not eat any. Or the coke either, but that was never something I would drink anyway.
He thinks its impressive that I can eat a 12 oz steak (not everytime- just when I am too low in calories) and a salad. I think it is impressive too. Man I love this way of eating!!!!
Mae

I moved to another country to teach English and the school is constantly taking pictures to send home for the parents. Each pictues, I looked bigger an bigger and then i saw a class photo and didnt even recognize my self! I started exerciing like mad and still not managing my eating patterns. About a months and a half after that I cut out breads and pasta and have the occasional rice bowl BUT was consuming far too many fruits and veggies (whole watermelons, 3 packages of tomatoes etc..)and still with little loss-this is where i stalled and my mood, fatigue were slowly catching up on me. I researched and researched other methods to help and started Atkins 3 weeks ago. This is where I found true success mentally and physically. I have not been as active as I should but I figured Ill start with this WOE first and then incorporate more. ITs great. I still eat real food only in portions and my self esteem is soo much better. I have a only 8 pounds until my goal and then thats it-on to maintenence. Its not the "diet" its a lifestyle, I dont feel so much depreived as i do empowered. Knowing this feeling makes me more conscious of how and what i eat. Its great.

I stepped on a scale at the gym while i was up at the university in April. I weighed in a little over 200. I decided at that point that i had to do something for myself. I lost almost 50lbs and it was the best thing i could have ever done. I don't even know where that motivation came from, but man it feels good to feel normal.

I looked in the mirror and i broke into tears.