Time to start a blog

I've been hanging out on this site for a couple of weeks now, since I started induction, and figured, it's about time I kept a blog. Not for anyone else mind, just for me. I want to chart this journey and I need to have a daily log to keep me in check. So, 3 weeks in what's been the story so far.

I've toyed around with doing lc for a good few years now but never got past the first few days of induction which felt like hell because I suffered massive withdrawl. I was a real binge eater before and ate chocolate/sweets almost daily. Managed not to gain huge amounts of weight by going through periods of binges then skipping meals but still had seen my weight gradually nudge up over the years. Then I had two babies within a couple of years - my little one born this January. I started eating really good, cut down on the carbs but still ate them - mainly things like porridge for breakfast and lc fruits. That meant I got through this pregnancy without gaining masses of weight and lost most of it within a couple of weeks of my baby being born. And then... nothing. No weight loss despite permanently BF'ing (doesn't seem to help me lsoe weight one bit!) The scales had stuck at 160 pounds and just weren't budging. I was trying to eat good but I was confused about what I needed to do to get the weight down as I was permanently hungry. And, I still had cycles of craving (and eating) sugary snacks which I knew just wasn't good for my baby's milk. So, I started to do my research. I decided to aproach this as I would research for my job. I bought books, I looked a newspaper articles, I searched and searched the web, looking at blogs, chat forums, recipe sites. And decided now was the time to do Atkins properly.

So, 3 weeks ago I did. The first few days were hell. I had sweats, shakes, a fuzzy head, mood swings, complete and utter exhaustion and felt massively dehydrated. But I got through it because the cravings had gone instantly and for me this was a miracle. I also felt starving which seems to be an unusual side effect. This lasted 10 days and on some days I had to eat as many as 2,500 calories to satisfy it. (Now that feeling has gone although I do still have an appetite and don't have that fullness that others talk about.)

I've lost 6 pounds and 2 inches from my waist. Most of this went in the first week of induction and since then I've not seen the scales move. I don't mind that so much. I'm just pleased to be abe to eat guilt free and eat foods which I know are good for me. Even iif it takes me months and months, I figure that's it better to stick at this then go through that whole yo yo dieting things again.

So this is where you find me. Keeping my carbs to 20 a day and cals to approx. 1800. Producing oodles of rich milk for my little one. Having masses of energy and clear skin. Hanging out in this forum getting new tips and recipes everyday. Oh, and course meeting new people all the time. I am totally excited about doing this and it's great to have people to share my thoughts and questions with as none of my friends really know what I'm doing.

These are my goals:
stay at induction level carbs for foreseeable - re introduce some lc fruit when i have lost 14 pounds

build up to excercising more as i know this will get the scales moving quicker. currently doing one pilates class per week and walking with the baby daily. as baby gets into more of a routine and i am freer, i plan to start running again.

try out new recipes everyday. i've stuck to wuite plain and simple stuff at the mo as i know where i am with a steak or a piece of salmon or an omelette but there are some wonderful recipes to try out and i need to do this to add variety and not get bored. plus... it's fun!

my very short term goal is to get into the 10s! still weighingin at 11 stone and so want to nudge down!