I'd like to personally welcome all the new members we have! The new year has brought us alot of new "faces" to this group, as well as some returning "old" members! That's great!

I love the diverseness this group has: young, middle aged, older, different races, different backgrounds, different sizes, different amounts to lose, somewhat different methods, and as we all know: different places we call home!

But, the one thing we all have in common is that we all want to lose/maintain our weight and BE HEALTHY! We can all contribute our (different) experiences and knowledge to this site in different ways! I, without a doubt, learn something new every day from visits here, and I'm sure you will too.

I hope you all will make yourselves at home here. Feel free to check out ALL the forums (there's a drop-down box at the bottom of the page)...you never know what you might find! And be sure to read the stickies at the top of each forum....these are some threads (like this one!) that can give you alot of insight and understanding about all aspects of low carb eating.

Making up and changing your signature can be FUN! Go to User CP and scope out all the options there.

Wondering about something, but haven't seen it in a listed post? Use the Search feature in the blue bar below the thread info.....just click on it and type your keyword into the box. Next thing you know, all the threads that have your keyword in them will be listed for you. Happy reading!

If you don't find the information you're looking for, please go to the forum you want to post in and ASK! There are lots of experts here, so ask away. Like I said, everyone here is different and we all have different insights and expertise to offer!

And, lastly.....when posting to an existing thread, it's helpful to read over the whole thing (if it's not too long!) before adding to it or asking a question. It may have already been covered....

I joined this marvelous group of people almost a year ago and rarely a day goes by when I don't log in here and see what's happening. It's so nice to be able to talk with and relate to people who know and understand this WOE/WOL. (Way of Eating/Way of Life)

Again, welcome and you all have my best wishes for a lowcarb and healthy future!

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amen maxi! good info for everyone !
what was YOUR start date..?

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kims SECOND journal is HERE
kims new blog
KIMS BLOG !!
SUGARFREE BLOG

Hey, Kim! I started out (on this site) sometime in Feb. last year. I've started over a couple (okay several) times on lowcarb....until I read Dr.Phil's book and got real about my weight. I'm nowhere near perfect, but I've sure got my eyes on the prize more now!

We have so many new faces in the crowd, I just wanted to make sure I didn't miss greeting anyone and welcoming them to the boards! There are alot of fun options here, and lots of ways of finding information.....I could stay here for hours and often do!

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Great post, Maxibee!

Welcome Newbies!

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Summer

Bumping this up for our newest newbies! Welcome aboard

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Another bump up...looks like we have several newbies aboard!

Welcome!

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Another bump up for some more newbies in da house!!

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Max, this bears bumping again!!!!! Come January we'll need this!!!!

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Thanks to goddess for making this thread a sticky.

Each January alot of people join me (LOL!) in my quest for health and fitness by making a resolution to lose weight. Some of them end up here (thankfully!) and I wanted to help them by giving them some sort of guidelines for using this site to their best advantage. This wonderful site has much to offer, so there is ALOT to see.

Happy browsing, Newbies....and welcome aboard!

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I haven't bumped this up in a while.....but since I've seen several new people here now, I thought it was worth a bump.

I'm excited when someone comes back that's been away....and when new folks come aboard and start learning how to live/eat a healthier new way.

Welcome! Take your shoes off and stay awhile! (Until it's time to go workout.....you can always come back later!)

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Hey guys, I'm new at this, I just started on the 29th. I've been reading all that you guys are saying, and believe me it has been helpful. I'm nervous I'm not staying low enough on my carbs. There are different charts that have a different amount of grams for the same food item, if that makes sense. so here is my list of what I've been eating, let me know if I'm doing it wrong and if so what I need to change, and how long does it take to begin noticing a weight change? Thanks so much you all, you guys are really lifesavers, lol.

Tuesday May 30, 2006

2 Turkey burgers no bread
3 pieced of bacon
Steamed broccoli
1 Boiled egg
5 bottles of Water
1 Mozzarella cheese stick
1 Turkey fajita

Wednesday May 31, 2006

*Salad:
-Salomon
-Olives
-Tomatoes
-Lettuce
-Salsa
A Few Shreds Of Cheddar and Mozzarella Cheese
Water
5 blueberries
1 Cucumber Roll
1 Roasted Chicken Thigh
Half a Cup of Steamed Mixed Vegetables
Diet Tea

Thursday June 1, 2006

1/4 Of Yellow Squash
Half The Block Of Tofu
2 TBS Sour Cream
(Out of the things listed above a mad a meal and had about half a cup of the final product)
Water
Diet Tea
1/2 cup Of Cottage Cheese
3 Pieces of Bacon
1 Scrambled EggThanks so much guys, I just really want to stay under the 20g and lose weight.

hello brittney, and welcome!

since you mentioned staying under 20g of carbs, am i correct in surmising that you're looking at atkins? or are you maybe just trying to count carbs and have picked up that 20 grams number from hanging around here?

the counts can be confusing, huh? net carbs, fiber, sugar alcohols, blah blah blah, right? most of us here count "net" carbs by simply subtracting fiber from carbs, since the fiber is metobolized differently. starting out, stay away from any sugar alcohols, since you can stop losses in their tracks very easily with some of those "treat" foods. natural is best, but it looks like you're already doing that!

probably the most helpful thing you can do for yourself right now in the beginning is to pick a plan and get the book. as time goes on, you'll be experimenting to find out exactly what works for you and what doesn't, but for right out of the gate, i encourage folks to follow a specific plan to start making those adjustments that you will need to make. it maximizes your success-the world's greatest motivator!

menu deconstruction is not my strongest skill, but i'd like to see more veggies in general. and i'm guessing you're also trying to stay low fat, too? depending on the stage you're at and the plan you're on, often strictly limiting fat can actually be a problem, because the fat is what makes you feel full. you shouldn't have to be hungry to lose weight. in fact, you don't wanna be! you need changes you can live with forever, and who wants to be hungry forever? phooey on that!

if you decide to go with atkins, for example, most people notice that after about 3 or 4 days on plan, sometimes after feeling crummy with sugar/carb withdrawl at the very beginning, they start to feel great! surges of energy, decreased appetite and decreased interest in food, and it's like your body starts to run better. the actual losses tend to be the highest in the beginning, although that is always a VERY individual issue, and you learn with practice which things impact you personally. so don't let yourself become discouraged if it takes a bit to find your groove. it's well worth the trouble!

i know it can be scary at first sometimes, and that's ok. you don't have to understand exactly how it's going to work or even completely believe it at the beginning. you just need to believe it's possible. that will help you be able to keep learning and making the decisions you need to in order to do this. i can tell you one thing--it's way easier than you would ever think. yes, there are moments that are challenging, of course. but by and large, you'll be asking yourself how come you'd never done this before!

so to summarize, i'd suggest you start eating more veggies right now, worry less about fat, make sure you're drinking plenty of water, and run out and get yourself a copy of the atkins book (or south beach or whatever you decide you want to do.) also, relax and congratulate yourself every change you get! that positive energy keeps you moving in the right direction. hang in there. the biggest predictors of success i see around here are 1. a positive attitude and 2. never giving up. you cannot fail unless you quit. remember that, and you'll be fine. honest.

peace out.

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Welcome, Brittany.

Can't add much to the above, except to emphasize that those who have the most success are those who find a plan and get the book that goes with it. It is extremely helpful to have a good grasp of the science behind low carbing and to have a "road map" at hand to help you shape your eating program.

Hope you'll make yourself at home here.

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Hey you two, thank you so much, your imput has been very helpful. I need to defin. go out and buy a book. In regards to the questions asked above by goddess, I'm not doing atkins actually, but just staying low carb for now, I want the lifestyle change. I have just begun to realize how much better I do feel, but there are some things that are a little off. Constipation from time to time, gasy feelings of pain in the stomach, dizziness, and tiredness. But I read, and as you all stated drinking water helps with a few symptoms and your body getting use to the new way of living in the next few days will also make me feel 100% better. I will also start eatting more veggies. I've been trying to work them in, but I see I do need more. How long till I start seeing results, I am on only day 5, so I am getting a little ahead of myself hahahaha, but I won't give up and thanks so much for the encouragement. It is really helpful.

brittney-glad to hear you're feeling better.

and you're right that a lifestyle change is what's called for. diets are temporary, and you want to keep the weight off forever. if you do decide on atkins, that's one of the strong points of the atkins plan, as it has phases to gradulally learn to integrate your new habits into the rest of your life. if you are unsure of what to pick, there is a great book by johnny bowden on living the low carb life that i understand helps a bunch. maybe you can find it at your local library. it's important to pick the plan that fits in best to your life.

i understand that you are anxious to know when to expect "results" but i'm afraid no one can tell you exactly what to expect when, especially when your doing your own thing. as you have already recognized you have to make a lifestlye change, the next part is understanding that it takes however long it takes. weight that comes off fast, while more fun of course, is not going to be more permanenet. it's not the speed, it's the permanenecy.

i'm afraid that i can't really give you much more at this stage than i already have. many variables come into play. this is like getting a phD in your body, in the long haul. i can say that if you are feeling better phsycially, you are probably on the right track. do keep drinking water and keep your fiber intake up and/or add some supps, and be sure to take a good multivitamin at least.

and it is differerent for everyone. in general, it tends to come off fastest for those who have the most to lose, those who stick with natural foods, men, and people who follow their plans closely. it seems clear that like most of us, you want to maximize your results. honestly, i don't mean to be repetitive hear, but starting out on an estabilshed plan is the best way i know of to do that.

regardless of however you go about it, i wish you all the best.

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