Hello New To The Boards

[ProudCatholicMom]

Hello Friends~

My name is Anne and I am new to the boards. I am also restarting my low carb lifestyle. I have low carbed in the past and quit, but I have got to get started again and stick with it. My health is getting bad, I am only 34 years old and I suffer from, diabetis, arthritis, high blood pressure, chronic fatigue syndrom, sleep apnea and depression. I feel terrible all of the time, and it is affecting my daily life.
I am married to my wonderful husband BIlly for almost 16 years now, and he has been wonderful I was 150 pounds when I married and in 16 years I have went from 150 to 304 pounds. He still sees me as beautiful, but to be honest my weight is even starting to affect my sex life and that has got me worried.
My son has cerebral palsy and is deaf so I have to do alot of lifting on him and all of the extra weight is killing my back. I want to be here to take care of my husband and kids, and the way I am going now is leading me down a road to an early death. I need help in the worse way, any advice that you all have would be greatly appreciated. I look forward to getting to know you all, to share in your struggles and your successes. Maybe together we can help each other reach our weight loss goals.

[CatieTN]

Hi Anne, It's glad you are back! These boards are wonderful and very supportive!

[Meee]

Hi Anne! Welcome to LCF... i just started Atkins "72" on July 16... this is My First Time and im loving it! i feel Great! i havnt really lost but a couple of pounds, but im sticking with it! You Know God Is Good...! and with him holding our hands along the way, how can we go wrong??? i hope your journey becomes a really Good Thing... for YOU and your Son and Husband... we are ALL behind you... if you need ANYTHING, there is Always Someone Here To Help... Good Luck To Ya!

[KutiePie]

[Monkee]

Welcome to the board

[alabama sunshine]

[ozdancer]

[Gulf Coast Girl]

Welcome.

Originally Posted by ProudCatholicMom

I need help in the worse way, any advice that you all have would be greatly appreciated.

Stay true to your plan no matter how fast or slow things are going. Don't start making changes until you've given your body plenty of time to adjust. It won't happen overnight and moving from one thing to the next every other day will just prolong things. (In my opinion of course.)

I personally do not weight at home - don't even own a scale. I weigh at the Dr once a month and even then only ask for the numbers every few months. I refuse to be obsessed with the numbers. (I don't do stats for that reason but tomorrow I will have been LC'ing for 17 months. I've lost over 100 pounds and have gone from a tight 4x top to the large I'm wearing in my av.)

There are some great LC recipes here and you can also find a link to Linda Sue's site which has some really great recipes. They were invaluable to me in the beginning. I love to cook and being able to have 'legal' versions of the foods I loved made things so much easier.

When you need support or congrats post here and you'll get it.

(I'm not positive and don't have time right now to double check but I think there is also a Catholic support type group here. I apologize in advance though if I've confused boards.)

Good Luck

[fireflyfaster]

Hi Anne -- brace yourself for impending happiness; it can't help but follow soon after you start.

[Kiley2801]

Welcome back!

[JuliaL]

Hi Anne and

I noticed your profile says you are doing your own plan. Nothing wrong with that, but I suggest you read up on why low carb diets work, just so you understand what you should eat and what you shouldn't, and why. It's very important to educate yourself about losing weight by eating low carb. Most plans are customizable, so you can tweak them to suit your needs, but getting the basics down is a good idea.

Here are some of my favorite tips to share:

1. Use Fitday or the Daily Plate or some other food journal to track what you're eating. As Tom Venuto, author of Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle said "Trying to lose weight without keeping a food journal is like trying to find your way around a strange city without a map. You might get there eventually, but it will take you a LOT longer."

2. Plan and prepare your meals ahead of time. If you always have good food choices around you, it will be much easier to avoid going through the drive-through or hitting the vending machine when you get hungry.

3. Exercise. While it's true that 90% of weight loss is diet and 10% is exercise, exercise can help you stay motivated, sleep better and feel better about yourself. So in addition to all the health benefits of exercise, it also has a big impact on weight loss and healthy weight maintenance.

4. Be positive! Don't think about all the foods you can't eat, but rather all the wonderful choices you can have. What you tell yourself about yourself is very important. If you tell yourself that you are deprived because you can't eat that (fill in the blank with whatever food is tempting you at the moment) then you will eventually cave in. If you tell yourself that those foods might be fine for other people, but they're not good enough for your hot body, then you will feel as though you are rewarding yourself for all your hard work by only eating the best food you can get.

[zizi]

WELCOME BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ab1ht]

Hello Anne,

Very nicely written intro.

Just FYI, there is also a faith-based section to the board in case you didn't see it yet. While I'm not Catholic, I'd be very interested to see how (or if) you merge your WOE with your faith. Feel free to PM me if you ever want to discuss this.

In the mean time, welcome. You'll find lots of support here.

[Lillianna]

Hi Anne! Welcome!

Here are my top 3 tips for success:

1. Read the boards every day. You don't have to post, but read, read, read

2. If you're not already doing this: Take cod liver oil (Carlson's lemon flavored tastes pretty good). It really helps with depression. And take 2000-3000 mg of Vitamin D per day. These two things make a HUGE difference in my energy levels and mood.

3. If you use aspertame, try weaning off of it. I used to drink Diet Pepsi by the gallon. When I stopped so did my brain fog, fatigue and muscle aches. I feel like a new person.

[Sharon]

Welcome to LCF with your first post and back to LCing

[HerBoudoir]

Welcome Anne!

I would also recommend deciding on a specific plan - it's a great place to start and you can adjust as you go along. I do Atkins "as it was intended", i.e. no bars & shakes & very very few low carb products - mostly just whole foods. But in general - the more you understand low carb, the easier it is to stick to and be successful, so take the time to educate yourself - you are worth that investment!

With other people in the house, it can sometimes be challenging to eat differently. I suggest that you all eat the same foods, and perhaps add a starchy side for them that you don't eat if they don't want/need to be on plan with you. I live between my boyfriend's and my folks at the moment, none of which low carb. I make the same salad, vegetable, and meat portion for all of us, then perhaps add something (or not) for the carby eaters. For example, we had steak with grilled zuchinni and a salad the other night, and I made the bf corn on the cob; we had chicken fajitas last night, and he had regular tortilla while I wrapped mine in lettuce. If your LC plans center around whole, healthy foods, then the whole family can benefit from that. Plus, it tastes good!

Adopt a "cook once, eat several times" motto - especially because you seem to have a busy life (don't we all?) If you're grilling chicken, grill a couple extra pieces to slice onto salads later in the week. If you're making meatloaf, mix up enough for two, and freeze the extra one. The point is, make sure that there's always good foods on hand at all times, so you can always make a quick meal - this helps immensely when you're tired and are tempted to blow off your plan for the sake of ease.

I also have a lot of back problems (L4 is pretty much toast). The weight loss definately helps, plus I do PT-recommended exercises daily (mostly stretching plus some toning of the stomach muscles). It takes about 20 minutes out of my day and helps SO much! You might want to talk to your doctor about referring you to a chiropractor or physical therapist who can help you come up with exercises that will ease your back pain and strengthen it - it really DOES help.

[jezzie]

Welcome to the board ..... Nice to meet you.

[Froggyjean]

Welcome! Here's to your success and improved quality of life!!!

As was mentioned above, come to the board every day. That one thing has had so much to do w/my sticking to it...even after falling.

[Winders]

Welcome to the board and I wish you the very best.
I can only echo what the others have said, about learning a plan and sticking to it.
I would add, to write down your goals. Daily goals, weekly goals and long term goals.
This helps me so much with motivation. Also write down everything that passes your lips!!!! If you don't have an accountability partner near you, this will help to keep you honest. Nothing worth having is ever easy. The only other words of advise I have are this, it took time to put the weight on, expect it to take time to come off.......oh, and Keep Moving!!!
Stop by the boards as often as you can for encouragment and information.
Keep us posted on your success, we are all cheering for you!!!!

God Bless Ya,
Winders

[CookinsForMe]

Hi Anne! Welcome! I'm pretty new to this forum too and I hope you really enjoy it.

How old is your son? I had a daughter with CP, cortical blindness, seizures, a g-tube, etc. so I know how having a child like that requires a lot of time and effort. But what a blessing they are, too!

Anyway, I hope you learn a lot here!

Denise

[lighterbeing]

Welcome! Looking forward to your progress, and I know it will come. This is a great place for support and encouragement. I read it every day. I started in June and have lost 10 lbs so far, with very little struggle. I am eating quite well, it really dosen't feel like a diet. It is just a shift, and it is fun to experiment and see what works for you. So much better than weighing, measuring, and always feeling hungry or deprived.
Keep us posted on your progress, and have a fun day low carbing!

[Happycat21]

Hi Anne!

Welcome!

I know how hard this is. I have had a lot of the same problems you have had. What I found is that by making changes a little at a time can really help you 'snowball' into a much healthier lifestyle.

You mention you have sleep apnea. Well, I do too. I finally got a sleep study done earlier this year, and was told that I stop breathing 62 times per hour! Well, no wonder I felt like crap all the time and I was taking anti-depressants and still wondering is this it? Is this as good as I'm going to feel? I was in a horrible state. Well, I got my cpap machine which I absolutely dreaded having to use every night. But, let me tell you.....I have been 100% compliant with that machine, I have used it 142 nights out of the last 142 nights (I just checked my result stats on the machine this morning) and I feel 250% better. I am telling you, since I have started my cpap therapy, I have gotten off ALL of my anti-depressants, I now have enough energy to go to the gym, I have been doing more around the house, I have stopped eating out so much and have had energy to actually cook at home..... Now, feeling so good didn't happen right away, but gradually, I started to feel better each day. Until one day, I looked back and realized that I used the cpap machine every night since I got it and realized that I had been feeling better.

So, I urge you to get a sleep study if you haven't already, and/or get a cpap machine and use it faithfully. I really think that my life has turned around since I began cpap therapy and as funny as I look when I go to bed every night (like a fighter jet pilot, LOL!) I don't care. I know that I'm going to wake up in the morning without a headache and with energy. Heck, I know I'm going to WAKE UP! I can't stress how dangerous sleep apnea can be if left untreated.



Good luck to you in your journey.

[ProudCatholicMom]

Thank you all so much for all your words and encouragement. I am scared right now just because I truly love to eat all the things that I should'nt, so makeing that change is not going to be easy. But I need to do it for me, and for my husband, son and daughter. I want to be here to see them grow up and have kids of their own. I can't believe that I let myself go like I did. I truly want to be healther.

[smoky]

To LCF Anne

[CookinsForMe]

Anne, sometimes having a buddy helps! I'll be your virtual buddy if you want. I could use one or two or twelve of those myself.

[LCKaren]

You are going to do great! Before you know it, you will be feeling so much better and that is a fantastic motivator. As you know, there are challenges and temptations out there but be strong and you will be happier for it. Your family does deserve to have you around for a long time...and YOU deserve to look and feel fabulous! As has been said before, come here often...it is so helpful to know that there are lots of us going through the same things you are. There is so much knowledge and support to be shared here. Best of luck...

[Firm Hottie]

You've gotten so much good advice already. I second following an established plan (I'm loving Atkins 72 after doing "other low carb plans), tracking your daily food intake, and exercising. All three will help you stay focused and get to your goal that much faster.

Good luck!

[Meee]

Originally Posted by ProudCatholicMom

Thank you all so much for all your words and encouragement. I am scared right now just because I truly love to eat all the things that I should'nt, so makeing that change is not going to be easy. But I need to do it for me, and for my husband, son and daughter. I want to be here to see them grow up and have kids of their own. I can't believe that I let myself go like I did. I truly want to be healther.

Don't Worry - Be Happy! im sure we ALL Truly Loved to eat all the bad stuff at one time in our lives babe... BUT there comes a time when we ALL had to break down and like Nike says Just Do It! lol... so, no worries... just Be Happy! you have ALOT of new friends now! S M I L E

[bmbshl]

Welcome Anne~

This is a great place for support!

[Rena_G]

Pick a plan to start with. Once that you feel you can stick with. I have been doing Atkins 72 and love it. Once you get past the induction phase you don't even crave those foods that are bad for you. You start to feel so good that you don't want to go back to eating like that again.

Come visit the forum everyday. There are so many wonderful, suportive people here to help you on your way to good health.