Hello, dear lce friends,

I have been a lurker on these boards for over two years now. I was so lucky to find this site in my first week on the lc woe (started 12/18/01). I owe so much of my success and knowledge about this wol to all of you, that I finally have overcome my shyness to join in the fun and comradeship.

So you know who I am, I just celebrated my 52nd birthday, and am a homeschooling mom of 3ds's, living in a suburb of Chicago. I am 5'6", with a medium frame.

I reached my highest weight in the summer of 1999 - I was too chicken to get on a scale, but I estimate my weight in the low 300's. I started to seriously lose weight the winter after that - my highest recorded weight was 294. I got down into the low 250's with lowfat diet, portion control and lots of walking (an hour a day, 5 days a week). This system worked well for a year or so, but I couldn't maintain it and started to gain again.

In December 2001, I was up to 266 and my doctor suggested I try lowcarb. I hit the internet that night, and life has not been the same since. I started reading everything I could get my hands on - both books and online - and started restricting carbs immediately. I hadn't read enough at that point to have my own plan, I hadn't even heard of Atkins induction yet, but I knew which foods had carbohydrates in them, and I went off all sugars, bread, pasta, cereal, oatmeal, potatoes, peas etc.

The result was phenomenal! I felt so good, so fast, it was unbelievable. My energy level shot way up, my overall bodily "stiffness" went away, my mood became euphoric. It was a life-changing, ecstatic, mountaintop experience. It was such positive reinforcement for eating this way. Needless to say, I have never looked back and could not imagine eating any other way.

I lost quickly in the initial stages, then slowed down, but continued to lose steadily. By spring and summer of 2002, I was losing about 3 pounds after each TOM. This was a slow rate of loss, but very satisfying, especially considering all the delicious food I was eating.

In early September 2002, I reached 232. And then I stayed there. And I stayed there. And I stayed there. TOM came and went, without the subsequent visit of the whoosh fairy. Hmmmm. What was going on?

I read many articles and book chapters about plateaus and stalls. I read about folks on the lce boards and their stalls. I got some good ideas (carb creep, too many calorie dense foods, need more exercise, etc.) I thought about how to change, but somehow kept on going the same way.

Then, last summer, I added some non lc foods - namely fruit, including tropicals like mango and pineapple (never did a banana). My weight went up! I got up to 241. Oh, how sad to see the 240's again, when I had been in sight of the 220's. Fortunately it was easy to see that it was the fruit that caused the gain, and, sure enough, as soon as I stopped that I went back down to 238. And I stayed there, and stayed there.

But this time, I was ready to take action. All the ideas I had came together, and I formed and implemented a plan.

1) I decided to use fitday. I had read about it in so many of your posts and decided that I would make use of this tool.

2) I adopted Protein Power as my very own plan. I reread the books, calculated my protein requirement, and held my carbs to an average of 30 net per day. (that's the PP recommendation for what they call the intervention level)

3) I stopped weighing every day and went to the once-a-week plan.

4) I stopped dairy foods (except butter). Two reasons for this. First, excess cheese and cream were often sited by others as causing stalls. Second, remember the bodily "stiffness" thing I mentioned above? When my weight loss stopped, the stiffness crept back too. Serious bummer because losing the stiffness was one of my favorite things about eating lc.

welcome. This is an awesome support site - hope to see you joining in now that you have broken the ice.
I wish you luck in your new life plan - sounds like you have definitely found what you need to do.
this group will keep your spirits up, provide valuable information - and provide much needed emotional support whenever needed.

Mary Kay

01/02/04 - 230/220/150 Atkins
225/220/205 VDC

Welcome paleo

What an amazing success story.
I read the second half of your post first, so for others reading at this point, here's the link to Part II of Paleo's Story



Always eat your veggies first!
LCE member since March 2002

Brightlady,

Thanks for putting the pieces together!

I see you are from Brighton MI. Is that why you are bright lady? I am originally from Detroit - formative years spent on the northwest side and later in Livonia. Still visit SE MI to see family every summer. Chicago is a great town and has been my home for almost 30 years, but I'm still a Michigander at heart.

I love reading your posts!!!!

Barb - 30 lbs gone FOREVER!
www.iwsgroupinc.com - website design and development


Atkins-3/14/03
174/144/135 5'2"
"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."
Knowledge is POWER

Welcome to the happiest place on earth! Yeah I know Disney World claims the same thing... but does disney support you, help you lose weight and help you feel better about yourself? I think we've got Disney beat! Sorry Walt! LOL.

MeganRose LC WOL since 2 JAN 2004
240/224/145
79 lbs to go! Only checking the scale once a week.. can't wait for saturday!
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" -Confucious

Wow! Welcome!

Terra

Good luck all!!
Seesko


starting date 1/5/04

242/234/135

"What my mind can envision; my body can master!"

Thanks, you guys, it's great to be here!