Hello all. I haven't been here since January. Would I be considered a newbie again then?

I fell off the wagon last year at Thanksgiving. I had lost about 30 pounds in the 11 months prior to that. After the holidays I had gained 10 lbs. and was going to go back to LC eating. Mid January I found out I was pregnant and did not eat LC at all. I also didn't exercise at all. Nine months later I ended up having an emergency C-Section, making my recovery period difficult and depressing. I am now back to turning to food for comfort resulting in me feeling like a blob.

I got the O.K. from the doc last week to start exercising and I am also contemplating returning to LC eating. I hesitate because The majority of people I associate with (family who are local and close friends) were negative my lcwoe. I know that if I return to that wol I will get ridiculed and given health warnings, etc.

I plan to hang out here for a while to see if I get the motivation I need to return to my lcwol.

By the way, I now weigh 20 lbs. MORE than I did BEFORE I began lc in January 2004! I am truly DISCUSTED with myself.

Thanks for hearing me out.

Peace to all.

Suzanne V.

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Suzanne (Atkins - 1/9/04)
195/168/145

Suzanne, welcome back!

Congrats on the new baby. I had an emergency c-section as well. I was just thinking two days ago about how close I came to losing him. Be careful when you start to work out. Don't overdo it. I'm sure you know that, but sometimes you feel like your body can do more than it should.

Please don't let the naysayers get you down and keep you from a way of life that you know is good for you and you want to do. I still have a woman at the office that says LC is bad. Whatever. She didn't think I could get this far. but I proved her wrong. I think she's always waiting for me to screw up.

Good luck!

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Noël


Worry doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrows, it empties today of its strengths.

Suzanne,

I've been away for about a year too. I found out I was pregnant in October 2004 and planned on eating LC throughout my pregnancy. Well... let's just say that didn't happen.

Then, told myself I'd give myself until beautiful little Abigail was 6 months old before returning to LC. Well, now I'm back a little earlier, and hopefully to stay. I had gotten down to about 13 pounds above my pre-pregnancy weight without watching what I was eating. Then, I started gaining. This time I want to keep it in check. I gained 50 pounds after DD#1 because I just let things go, and I don't want that to happen again.

I have done both Carb Addict's and Atkins. Now I am going to return to Carb Addict's. It's the one where I have to think the least which is what I need right now. Hopefully I won't have any problems doing it while nursing. I have a friend who had blood sugar problems with it while nursing, but can't imagine why.

Well, anyway... enough about me. Here's wishing you well! Know that you are in my thoughts and prayers.

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Debby
182.5/162.8/130?140?
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LC (with a few sidetracks) since 1/12/03
Starting weight of 206.5

Hi Suzanne, only you know what works for your body. They're all telling you what you shouldnt do, but you know low carb works for you, it's tried and true. Just look at it this way, which is healthier not doing low carb and continuing to gain weight or doing low carb and getting your body to well functioning, healthy size. Ive learned a long time ago to not listen to all the negatives, because there was no one that could tell me that being over 300lbs was healthier than doing low carb, now my body is rewarding me everyday with much improved quality living.

Well thats my lil 2 cents. good luck on whatever decision you make. and congrats on that new baby.

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Started LC 1-10-04

302/199/160, 103lbs down, 39 to go, simply remarkable.

Restart- 8-19-07
242/226/160


405 points to date ( HOLIDAY CHALLENGE )

Hi Suzanne,

Welcome back to - considering - low carbing. I could tell you what I did but I'm a newbie so take what I say with a grain of low-carb (??) salt.... which was that I started eating low carb without telling the naysayers around me, I just declined the potato, etc and filled my plate with all the meat and veggies (admittedly easier for me as I'm the "cook"...a word I use loosely as I'm not much of a cook), and nobody even noticed because I was still eating as much as I ever did, with one big difference, I started losing weight, but I shouldn't tell you that 'cause it's kind of sneaky. My bad.

My teenager says "my bad" when I accuse her of not taking out the garbage, I shouldn't adapt it, annoys the bejeebers outta me. I digress...

... you were successful pre-baby so I'm wondering how you managed the naysayers before and I also wanted to say that you went through a big deal having an emergency C-section and the depression that followed you, and you've overcome, so love yourself and be proud of yourself, you've proven yourself a strong woman!

Smiles, Candace

Thank you to all who replied.

I responded to the "negatives" before by trying (in vain) to defend this woe/wol. They still didn't get it, so I guess I would just keep my mouth shut in the future and don't tell anyone what I am doing.

My main reason for considering going back to lc (I've got to psych myself up for this, you know?) is so that I can keep up with the riggors of taking care of my beautiful new daughter.

It's been 15 years since I had a baby! Doing this at 37 years old and 200+ pounds is very different than when I did it at 22 and 135 pounds.

Thanks again and GOOD LUCK to each of you!

Smiles!

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Suzanne (Atkins - 1/9/04)
195/168/145

suzanne-i often tell people i avoid sugar and white flour. you don't get too much arguement about that. when people naysay about lc, they are generally responding to the _misconceptions_ about lc, not the real truth about what you are eating everyday...

but regardless: which would you rather do:

1. keep the people around you pleased that you are not changing-giving them implicit permisson not to deal with their own eating issues, perhaps-while carrying around 50 plus extra pounds (and all the health complications and yucky personal feelings that go with it)?

2. take care of yourself (for yourself and your little one) and do what you know helps you feel good physically and emotionally?

i personally make it my mission in life to surround myself with as many supportive, positive people as possible, and not just about my way of eating. i also found that initially, i did meet resistance, mostly from my teenage daughters. i told it it was there issue, so they'd better deal 'cause i wasn't changing what i was doing.

you know what? they did.

i know it can be hard to buck the tide. that's why you talk about lc to people that will support you. but unless you want to, you don't talk about lc to people who don't support you. the decision does belong to you, you know.

good luck.

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EatSmart Nutritional Scale Review

I understand all about having a baby at the age of 37 and 200+ pounds. I had an emergency c-section after 8 months of gestational diabetes, and wonder how much worse it would have been if I hadn't lost so much weight before I got pregnant (lost with LC). It took me FOREVER to get back on the wagon and in the proper state of mind after having my son. I'm 42 now, and reached my all-time high weight before I finally just admitted to myself that this is the only thing that works for me.

I'm lucky. My DH is very supportive of LC and since he is overweight, he's doing it too. I don't know if its because I was LC when I got pregnant or what, but our son has never cared too much for bread and potatoes and the like (he does love sugar though!), so he is pretty much a low-carber too, though we supplement his diet with extra fruit and veggies to make sure that he gets enough carbs to grow well.

Do what you have to do to be healthy for yourself and your children, and to heck with everyone else. I pretty much do what Goddess does and just say that I don't eat refined foods. It seems to work well as an explanation for most people, and no one's ever given me a bad time about it.

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Katie
275/238/150
Restarted 01/08/2007
37 pounds lost!
http://justanotherfatgirl.blogspot.com

SUZANNE!!!!!! WELCOME BACK!!!!!!!

Okay, you have experience under your belt now. So you DO have tools in your LC toolbox. #1: you are HERE getting support!!!! Best place to start!!!!

#2. You know what the program's about and you know how to do it successfully. You lost 30 lbs on it once already.

#3. You KNOW it's a healthy WOE!!!! (and I am going to digress here) I just had my bloodwork done and my total cholesterol came back at 170, with my LDL at 107, HDL at 50, Triglycerides at 67 and my BP at 110/80. This is after 2.5 years of LCing myself. I have lost a solid 30 lbs and kept it off for over a year. I exercise now at least 3X/week. SO, let other's experience and health speak for itself.

#4. You intend to exercise, what's unhealthy about that??? (take it easy and make sure you are completely healed from the surgery.) and work your way up to a vigorous routine.

#5. You have to do this for YOURSELF and your precious little one, NOT for your naysayer family and friends.

#6. Arm yourself with comebacks like: "What is unhealthy about giving up sugar and junk food???????" "What is so healthy about processed, man-altered white stuff?" BUT, you could not mention it to them at all. And then when you have shed 30 lbs again, they will start noticing and will ask, how did you lose the weight. Your answer will be, "I gave up sugar and junk food and am eating more vegetables and fruit and I am exercising." How can they hassle you about that?????? (After my last doctor's appointment and I got the call about my blood test results, I was told to keep doing what I was doing. I told the doc I lost weight and gave up the junk and eat more veggies and fruit. He said, "FANTASTIC!!!!" I made no mention of LC.

Hang in there, you and your precious baby daughter deserve it!!!! And CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!

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