Hello all. I'm 26/f from OH, new to this site and WOE. Just had first day of induction. Over the past weekend, my fiance and i went on a trip to PA to visit family. While in Hotel room, he was getting dressed to get us some continental breakfast and accidentally put my pants on and commented "these aren't mine they are too big" I think that was a wake up call to me. I didn't realize how big i had become. I thought i was hiding it well. I'm afraid my health is at risk, as well as my relationships with people, because i am so self conscious. I always remark, "i used to be a star runner in high school, and weighed 135 lbs..." tired of that. I would like to make it a reality for me again. For myself. I really think i need this. That day he made the remark, i think i cried on and off for a couple hours. couldn't help it. Tears just welled up in my eyes everywhere i went. He felt awful about it. He didn't want to hurt me. But i guess sometimes the reality of it all sets in and we have to face it. Anyone know a realistic time frame for me to loose this weight? Thanks everyone!!

Hi Alliekat...I don't know how long it will take you to lose the weight you want to lose...but I want to welcome you to this WOE and to this group. Everyone here is supportive and encouraging.

I think we each have one of those awful moments when we realize that it really is time to do something about the weight.As painful as they are, at least they serve to motivate us to change.

Again, welcome...I look forward to seeing you around here!

vickie

Hi Allie,

Rate of weight loss varies from person to person. More important than the number on the scale is to take your measurements! There will be stages in this journey where you may see little to no change on the scale and see a large drop in measurements. Since you're just starting, measure now

Common places to measure are upper arms, bustline, waistline, hips, thighs, and calves. I wish that I had measured my neck too, since I have noticed a huge change there

What plan are you doing?

I wish you the best of luck on your journey and can't wait to get to know you better. There is a hugely supportive group of people on this forum, so if you have questions, feel free to ask!

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

Thanks for reading my post! Wow i'm so supprised how quickly i got a response. I already am feeling better about myself just because i took the first step to a better me. Thanks for listening! Where is everyone from? What are your goals? I am currently doing the adkins diet. I know a few pwoplw that have had success with it, and from what i've been observing on the forum, it is the WOL of choice. I'd give it a go, what do i have to loose but lbs?

Welcome, Allie.

If you have decided on the Atkins program, then you must get the book which goes with it. That would be the Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution - often abbreviated DANDR. It is very important that you have the book which goes with whatever plan you've chosen, since this is where you'll learn why the program works and how to properly implement it in your life.

I hope you'll make yourself at home here.

__________________

Welcome to LowCarbEating. Everyone here is really supportive and helpful. One thing I wish I had done was to have DH take a photo of me at my highest weight that really shows how heavy I was. When you do get to your goal you can look back and be really satisfied with your success. It will also serve as a reminder that you never want to be that way again.

Good luck on your journey to goal.

__________________
Deb 5', 57 yrs., Atkins 6/9/03:175
Restart 10/1/05-155
Restart 9/18/06-156
Restart 1/2/08-159/125/115
Rung 4 berries but Carnivorous currently

Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

Allie, we've all had those moments of awakening. But you've come to a great place for information and encouragement. So be sure and bookmark it and come back. Daily! Even those of us in maintenance count on this group for ongoing support.

The truth is, nobody else wants to know or talk about "diets," so we'll save your friends and family from being bored to death hearing about how happy you are with your low-carb way of life.

Maggie is right. You MUST get the book for whatever low-carb plan you choose, and follow that plan by the book. Many of us like Atkins because it's fairly simple. The "induction" period is the only "extreme" part of it, no matter what you may read in the media. Once that two-week intro is done, you'll gradually learn and practice a new way of eating that will let your body find its natural healthy weight.

Best wishes!

__________________
Barb L.
Atkins since Jan 2003
Maintenance as of 4/05


My Fitday Journal

Allie - I can feel your pain.... my husband uses the excuse "well, I'm an artist, and I'm a very visual person, and I'm just not attracted to you at that size"... whatever, buddy, but anyways, I was 135 when we got married, and I'd like to see that weight again - not for him, but for me!

So, I repeat what everyone says here - the rate that you lose is totally up to you, your dedication, your consistency and persistence. On Induction, you can lose very quickly, but the initial weight is primarily the water that your body retains due to the excess carbs you also may be eating. Once your body regulates, if you stick to the plan, you can see a consistent 1 - 3 pounds lost every week - I believe that! Adding exercise and drinking tons of water aids tremendously. Some lose more, some lose less, some plateau for a while and then begin losing again - everyone is different. I've gone on Induction, lost nine pounds in the first week, then nothing for 3 weeks.

The best advice I can give is not to measure your success against the success and failures of others. You are ultimately responsible for your own success, and I know you have what it takes to do it.

You've come to the right place - welcome to the low-carb family!

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Niki
235/206.0/139
LCing since 8/21/04; Restart 1/28/08

allie-welcome! sometimes it's hard to face up to the extent of a weight problem, but once you face it, you can change it. and if it makes you feel any better--i was married to my husband 15 years before i weighed less than him--or told him what i weighed! (and he's a big 6 ft. guy, too. i'm 5'5".)

as the other folks have said, buy the book. it's the most important single step you can take to be successful (just before coming here often)! it WILL make the difference between losing a couple pounds and losing all the weight you want to lose.

the other quick piece of advice: don't get married to the whole "when-can-i-drop-it-by" preoccupation. it's perfectly natural and we've all do it at one time or another, but it's not helpful. instead of when, focus on the WHAT. you want want. what will you feel like? what will you look like? how will your life be improving? you focus on the what and the when takes care of itself. you only have to make your choices right now, and keep your eyes on the road.

good luck to you on your journey and for the moment, peace out from the goddess.

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EatSmart Nutritional Scale Review

I just want to add my welcome, AllieKat... looking forward to getting to know you!

Reading the book, as noted, is a key to happy weight loss (no one wants to be miserable while losing weight)! The more you know about this Way of Eating (WOE), the easier it becomes. There is a lot of helpful info at the Atkins Website: Atkins Nutritional Approach ; excluding all the promotion of the stuff Atkins Nutritionals wants to sell. You'll do fine eating normal, grocery store foods. In fact, for my part, I've learned to avoid eating those Atkins bars like the plague. They don't taste that good and they can really stall the whole weight loss effort for many of us -- really not worth the risk.

Feel free to ask questions; there are a lot of knowledgeable, helpful people on this site.

__________________
~~~Teelbee
Back to GOAL!!!
start weight: 176/goal range: 137-134/now: 138
Reached goal in Aug. 2003 - 4rd year of maintenance.

Welcome, AllieKat

Just to expand on what Teelbee said, you can lose just fine on regular grocery-store foods. In fact, while you are on Induction, you will do best to stay on the perimeter of the store - produce, dairy, meats, frozen veggies section. Then as you get into OWL, you may be able to venture down some other aisles and find some LC choices. I also prefer eating less-processed foods, and I do my best to avoid products that have any "partially hydrogenated" ingredients (these are the bad trans-fats). In fact, the fewer ingredients that are in a particular food item, the better. Now, I don't tend to buy "organic" foods - I buy store brands and they work just fine - but I do read labels more than I used to.

Products that are marked as being LC are not necessarily the best choice. For example: There are a couple low-carb peanut butters available (peanut butter is post-Induction phase), but when you look at the ingredients, you see stuff like "partially hydrogenated oil," and artificial sweetener. Since when does peanut butter need added sweetener? But if you look at the rest of the available peanut butters, you'll find some that are "all natural" - they only contain peanuts, or peanuts and salt. They do require refrigeration after opening, and you do have to stir in the oil that has separated, but it's the real deal. I found one the other day that was a store brand, and about 50 cents cheaper per jar than the Smuckers variety.

What are my goals? My goals are to get to a healthy weight and improve my physical fitness. Based on past experiences, I think that 150 is a healthy weight for me - it's the high end of acceptable for my height (5'6"), but I am blessed with a fairly muscular build, so anything less than 150 may make me look too thin. This is my third time on Atkins, and while it has worked in the past, I never learned how to properly maintain. This time I intend to lose the weight AND learn how to maintain the loss. For one thing, I am tired of having two wardrobes - one containing "skinny" clothes, and one containing "fat" clothes!

Good luck to you, and let us know how you are doing!

__________________
Jen
Mother of two boys (5/14/04, 4/1/07)
Done Atkins more times than I can count
Trying to get back at it!
Low carb forever (even if I do keep falling off the wagon!)