♥ Welcome To My New Low Carb Life ♥

[DesertGurl]

Hello. This is to begin my journey into the low carb life, for which I pray is the very last time of having to start all over. I have attempted weight loss several times and have yet to reach my goal. I am committing to this lifestyle because I know it is what I need in order to not only lose weight, but to feel at my very best inside & out.

I am terrified! To put it all out there like this is brand new for me, I have been given a gentle nudge (thanks Amber ) however, that this is something I HAVE to do in order to see where I'm going, where I've come from, and a safe place to come and vent my thoughts, concerns and celebrate success. I've always been really good at being part of a "group" or voicing myself on someone else's thread, but to have my very own, I am shaking in my boots!! I have never allowed myself to be this vulnerable. Ever. This year is a year of big changes though, so I'm going for it. Scared or not, here I go.....

♥danielle

[DesertGurl]

2nd day on plan, so far so good. I tend to go really strong the first few weeks and then life starts to get in the way. This is where I am hoping that holding myself accountable here will help me get over this hump and I can fly right by. I struggle with cooking for others besides myself. Anyone with ideas on how to overcome this, please, feel free & chime in!

I really want to be a success this time! I'm pretty sure there will come a time when there are no more do-overs? I don't want to get there and find that out!!

I am off to find all of my workout dvd's since it is WAY too freakin hot to walk outside (which is my most favorite form of exercise btw). I HAVE to get going on the weight loss and exercise because my ultimate dream is to be able to walk/run a marathon with my very best friend next July. I've got roughly 1 year to get my act together and get in shape!

[drenfroe3418]

Yay! A journal! You can be my inspiration and maybe, MAYBE I will start one!

[DesertGurl]

Dren, if *I* gotta do one, you gotta do one!

[Bejewelme]

Danielle!!!
I am so glad to see you back!!!!!! You know I loved you when I met you!!! I am here to tell you, I was over 300 pounds when I started you remember!!! I have no special powers, no magical pills, just this board with the best support group anyone could hope for!!!! I posted in my journal a few weeks ago an article I read about people who have lost weight and kept it off, what were the 3 things that made them successful?
1. A plan they could stick to 90% of the time
2. Accountability- an on line or in person support group
3. Exercise a minimum of 3 x week for 20 minutes!

I admit I wanted the magic pill, I wanted to not move my fat a**, I wanted 30 years of obesity to disappear overnight, well guess what? Ain't going to happen!

But you know what? In 10 months I lost 90 some pounds, doing guess what? Eating right and exercising! Was I on plan 100% heck no, did I give up? Heck no!!!!! What I did was come on here and pour out my heart, confess my sins, post painful fat pictures, pictures in running clothes, pictures with blubber, and move along back on track! That is the difference, with no accountability you say, well I blew it, and off we go into carb wonderland, when we need to focus on onderland!!!!! Everyone asks me how I got it together and lost over 140 pounds so far, I said accountability!!! Like telling Tony what I weighed it was like such a great weight was lifted, living with our weight problems was always the thing I hid, no one would know how much it upset me, to buy clothes that were huge, to not ride a 1000 pound dolphin cause I was too fat and might injure the poor thing,to feel guilty about every piece of food that went in my mouth, to feel how out of control and out of touch with reality that I was. I sat on the sideline in my terrified state,thinking if I only I could do that, or I could never do that----- well no more sister, we are done being spectators in the game of life, we are players!!!!

I am telling you, you are going to screw up, you are not going to want to move, you are going to gain, stall, plateau, etc, but you know what you are going to keep going! We are not going to come on here and tell you you are a screw up and a weak person, we are going to say I've been there! This is what I did to overcome that next time!!! There is something very liberating about posting your screw ups and seeing you know what, I am OK, others are not perfect either and learning to forgive yourself and your indiscretions and move along!!!!

I am so along for the ride and you know I will be cheering you every step of the way! I need to finish my own journey, it is getting really tough, I need support too! We all do, we are human!!!!! I think women especially are good advocates for other women, we can relate, we understand!!!

This isn't a race, it is life change, losing more than 100 pounds involves a change of life!!! It is getting all the pieces together and doing it, and if I can--- I can honestly say ANYONE can!!!!!

[Irish64]

Take it day by day. You will be successful. Just remember we are not perfect. If you fall off plan, just dust yourself off and get right back in the game. Welcome aboard and don't forget to enjoy the ride. Its a lfestyle not a diet. Cant wait to follow your journey!

[DesertGurl]

Irish thanks for visiting and thank you for the reminder. I tend to be an all-or-nothing typa girl and it never serves me well. You'd think I'd get a clue, eh?

Amber girl, I just love you so. Thank you for all of your words of encouragement and love. Your journey has been such an inspiration to me and I truly believe its a big reason why I have kept trying to get back up and get going even if I didn't succeed those times it was always right there in my head. Your journey serves me a good reminder of what life really is like for us, that its not something that we will totally breeze through. There will be bumps and huge valleys I will have to face and I need to figure out how to hang on through all of it. I think when I attempted my first run at weight loss and I was SO successful it made trying to follow that up feel almost impossible. It truly felt like I sailed right through it. But yanno what? When I look back and think of all the crap I was going thru THEN, life was hard, there were curveballs in there and somehow I was committed to dodging them! It was ME that was doing it! I believe that my mindset is there again, its taken years of falling off, feeling like I was ready again, to fall off again, to get to this point. I really feel like I have finally hit a bottom with my weight and appearance. I have NEVER looked like this before, never this big!! The thought of you losing 90 pounds in 10 months excites me beyond words! If *I* lost 90pounds in 10 months I would almost be near goal! The *what-if's* are exciting!! Thank you for being here, thanks for being my friend.

[Seabreezes]

Good luck on your journey. I know Amber has influenced a lot of people with her determination and wonderful personality.

It is possible to do this - I keep trying everyday and everyday is a new day!!

[DesertGurl]

Seabreezes, hello! Thanks for the encouragement, and yes, Amber has been a huge help to so many! We are fortunate to have her aren't we! Best of luck to you on your own journey, we all deserve to be healthy!


Monstrous headache last night and has carried over into this morning. It's a comination of things I think, totally no caffeine the last 2 days and TOM showed up 3 days early. I am miserable today! Sometimes it really sucks to be a girl I tell ya. I'm sticking close to home today and going to lay low and try and ride it out. I can do this, right?


♥danielle

[Seabreezes]

Originally Posted by DesertGurl

Seabreezes, hello! Thanks for the encouragement, and yes, Amber has been a huge help to so many! We are fortunate to have her aren't we! Best of luck to you on your own journey, we all deserve to be healthy!


Monstrous headache last night and has carried over into this morning. It's a comination of things I think, totally no caffeine the last 2 days and TOM showed up 3 days early. I am miserable today! Sometimes it really sucks to be a girl I tell ya. I'm sticking close to home today and going to lay low and try and ride it out. I can do this, right?


♥danielle

YES, you can do this. Some places suggest drinking chicken broth to help with induction flu symptoms. I don't know whether that will help or not. It will pass, but getting through it is hard.

[DesertGurl]

Feeling MUCH better this evening after a long nap. Heading out for date night with the hubs, so my first challenge already; dinner & a movie. DH is incredibly supportive so I know we will only go somewhere where I can enjoy dinner. Movie popcorn on the other hand Hopefully I'll be so full from dinner I won't feel drawn to any.

I can already attest to slight changes in how my body is feeling (aside from the nasty headache!) inside and out. When I cut out all sugar and starch there is almost an immediate relief in my feet (early onset neuropathy) after about 24 hrs.. Earlier this week my hands had begun to hurt, every joint, every knuckle. They felt swollen and stiff. Again, cutting out the garbage and today I have zero pain whatsoever in them. Amazing stuff!! Also, my complexion ALWAYS looks radiant when I low carb, almost like a glow. Love it!

[Bejewelme]

Hey hun, sorry yesterday was a big day!!! New car for Tony, yippee!!!

I know you guys do movie dates, I have no clue what's playing, you always fill me in, LOL But you know popcorn is a trigger, so you gotta take stuff in your purse, some almonds, the 100 calorie bags, pork rinds, celery, something crunchy!!! It is all about managing the temptations. And you will see as you lose that little cheats are not worth it!

The first few days are the hardest! Why are you giving up coffee? Now that is crazy stuff?? OMG I knew there was one thing I would never give up my coffee!!!! I agree I had psoriasis for 20 years it is gone now I think from changing my eating! There are so many benefits, I know you mentioned that foot numbness, I had numbness in my left foot, it was a pinched nerve, I went to the chiro, well now it is all gone,losing weight really helped that!!!

Be good to yourself, you are doing this!!!!!

[DesertGurl]

Last night went pretty well. I did have one Michelob Ultra which with all the heat we have had, tasted heavenly! I thoroughly enjoyed dinner which was a huge salad and then had a few wings. I stayed away from the popcorn and tried to do a Coke Zero and OMG that stupid headache came back in the middle of the movie!!! No more diet soda for me I guess, that bugger is STILL hanging on this morning a bit.

Amber, I was trying to do this without coffee this time around because last time it seemed like all I did was crave coffee the entire time I was on plan. So far its been pretty miserable without it lemme tell ya! And on top of AF being here, yeah my family is oh so luvin me!
As for the foot pain, yeah my foot doc told me what I was supposed to be doing (low carb) and did I listen? NO. Well, I did for a bit and then I just went off into lala land. Gee, wonder why my feet hurt so much? Duh! I guess we are our own worst enemies, and I have no one to blame for my aches & pains. I know how to fix most of them, and that is with THIS way of eating!

We ended up seeing Cowboys & Aliens. It was meh. Kinda disappointed with it considering all the great people involved in this film from director,producers, to actors.. I coulda waited til a rental came along. Oh well. And could you just see me in a theater munching on some celery?! crrrruuunch crrrruuunch! Ha! Wish I liked pork rinds but just cannot get past the smell alone. Nuts like walnuts and almonds I could eat all day long tho so thank goodness we are allowed some of those once in awhile!

Today I think its going to be back to school shopping. Just realizing that the kids go back a week from this Thursday! This summer went fast! That also means that I will be starting back to school shortly as well. I have about 3 weeks to get things together into a habit of sorts so that when school comes its not so stressful. I can do it!

♥danielle

[Bejewelme]

Danielle- wow the kids start early there, my son starts 8/29 and I gotta take him shopping and the boys, he and Tony need to find matching suits for the wedding, so we need to get on that!!!!

Pork rinds are gross I don't like them either!!! I tried all different kinds they just don't cut it, LOL They do make good filler though! That sucks about the diet coke, I love Diet Cherry Zero, and my coffee, I drink a lot I think coffee keeps me full because of the half and half. No way I am giving that up, not ever!!!! LOL

Shame about the movie, at least now having a journal I can come back and get your reviews, LOL

Your kids are so cute!!!!!!! They look like you!

[drenfroe3418]

Morning Danielle,

I am like you all. I can barely look at the pork rinds in the grocery store! I started out the first time around on this eating them but quickly got tired of them! I think on this WOE, snacks are basically out for me unless it is almonds or berries occasionally or celery. There is not much in the way of snacking that is low carb that I care for.

I have foot problems too and I know that this will help me so much, not only getting the weight off my poor feet and legs but also the low carb WOE. I have already had surgery on both feet and do not want to ever to that again. It was miserable both times! And a long recovery time.

Glad to know about the movie. It will be a Netflix for me! I just started watching the series Prison Break and I am loving that!

Almost back to school time! I miss those days! My only daughter is 33 now! Wow!

Hope you have a good day.

[Bejewelme]

Danielle- Happy Monday, a new month, this is it baby!!!!!

Debbie- Yeah the snacks are the worst on low carb there is nothing crunchy and crispy besides nuts and it is easy to overeat them, like I love pretzels, crackers, chips, especially with cheese, LOL I do miss them, the best thing I found is making chips out of LC tortillas or celery root chips

[drenfroe3418]

Yea, and the pepperoni chips are not bad either! They are quick and satisfying!!!!!!

I haven't tried the celery root chips!

I have been lovin' me some eggplant fries lately though! So good!!!!!

[Bejewelme]

Yum eggplant fries that sounds yummo

[DesertGurl]

Morning! Well, here it is anyways!

Dren, good to see ya girly! Yeah, not a fan of pork rinds at all. I have contemplated using them to cook with and I can't even bring myself to do that! LOL So I will just forget about them and try and find something else. There isn't a whole lot out there that I am dying to have snack wise that's lc either. I love 'cheese chips' but I can eat too many of those and so don't make them too too often. Love to make those during football season with some salsa yummy! Nuts too, I can way overeat those as well Feels like I'm damned if I do and damned if I dont'--eat way too much of the crappy carby stuff, and the lc stuff I DO like I eat way too much of as well. Maybe someone just needs to tape my mouth shut!
Definitely don't want surgery on my feet!!! They've been feeling pretty good the last few days thank goodness!

Glad to help with the movie reviews Amber! Did you know that Cowboys & Aliens TIED with The Smurfs Movie for the boxoffice this weekend?? That oughta tell ya something, eh?

Amber, thanks for the compliments about my babies. :blush: I love them SO much!!! I dunno what I'm gonna do when they're all grown up! We do start fairly early here, but we are out in May before the massive heat starts. I am not ready to go back myself, I would like at least another two months to do nothing but focus on exercise and eating before I have to hit the books again. Ah well, I guess I can't have everything, right?

That stupid headache came back yesterday around 3pm and stuck with me until I fell asleep around 9. I feel totally fine besides that headache when it comes..it's awful! This morning it's gone and I feel a-ok. Praying thats the last of those and I can get on with things in peace.

There is going to be open casting calls for The Biggest Loser season 13 in a couple weeks here. Contemplated going again, I went a couple years ago to one. I had the best time! I got lucky and happened to be lined up next to some really fun, really neat people. The process tho, not so fun. Its like a screaming match in there, and that is NOT me. So, I guess if thats what it takes to get on the show, someone who can scream over an entire group of people to get their point across, then I guess that won't be me! Besides, I'd be pissed if I got stuck training with Anna Kournikova. Seriously?????? Do they really think she is comparible to Miss Jillian Michaels?????? Now Bob the man is positively adorable. I could go on.... I am committed to doing this myself, I KNOW I can! I've done it before, I've succeeded at weight loss before! The major plus is that I know so much more about my body, about healthy eating and what it takes to sustain the losses. It's my turn!

[Sara7272]

Hey girl!!! I was just catching up on your journal here and you really seem like you have a great attitude about this thing! I see you going places! We all slip and fall, but it's about falling 8 times and getting up 9, or whatever that saying is lol

And wow, I could NEVER give up my coffee! It is literally the reason I get up in the morning! I drink nothing but coffee all day at work and it suits me just fine, I don't see any reason to give up a vice that's not hindering me, but that's just me!

You definitely don't need someone yelling at you to make you lose weight, you can do this! You've got us!!! Especially Amber!! She's a great cheerleader!!!!

[Bejewelme]

Yeah you don't need the show and all that drama, like it would be cool, but wearing a bra on TV with fat rolls hanging out? That is enough to make me not want to do it, LOL Ughgh I always feel so bad for them the first time on the scale in those outfits. Yes your kids are getting big mine is still so little I got 8 more years of school with him, I was an old Mom!!

Danielle- how old are you? I think you are around my age if I recall?

I miss crispy delicious snacks, LOL But it is a fair tradeoff!!!!!

OK did you weigh? Have you lost? You going to pick a weigh day? You going to have a goal each month? Gotta know how to plan my cheer attack, LOL

[DesertGurl]

Well, I'll tell ya, if I get one more headache today, its back to the coffee for me. I seriously cannot live like that daily if that's how its gonna be! I'd rather lose a bit slower if it means those horrid headaches will stay away. They are seriously of the migraine level! I miss coffee bad!

Sara, I am REALLY trying here. I have struggled with weight for years. What kills me is that as a child and as a teen I was "talked into" believing I was heavy and I wasn't. My mom had some huge image issues of her own and she projected them on me. To look at pictures of me as a kid/teen, I was maybe 10-15lbs heavier than all my friends. If that! Memories tho, thinking of the way I was made to feel,. UGH! When I started having kids, now thats where I packed on the pounds. Then being a stay at home mom with 3 little ones...yeah, there ya go! After my first baby was born, I "thought" I knew how to lose weight, read: starve, and of course I gained more by the time the next baby came.. Now that my kids are almost all grown up I am FINALLY taking back my life and doing things for ME. What's funny? All 3 kids, and my husband are all looking at me and saying, well its about dang time! Funny, no one ever communicated that to me! LOL Anyways, so now its me, myself, and I. I have to! This is THE worse I have EVER felt in my life and I'm the only one who can change it!!!! Amber is AWESOME and I'm so lucky to have her in my corner! But, I'm also lucky to have you here too!

[Bejewelme]

One thing I believe Danielle, is you can't change until YOU are finally ready, your family wishing it, your kids wishing it, nothing makes it happen except for us, and all those years of having image issues forced on isn't good either. But your mind is made up now and that is what it takes, it is just being ready to make the commitment! You so can do this!

[Speck333]

Danielle! *squeeeeee*! I have missed you!

[DesertGurl]

Originally Posted by Speck333

Danielle! *squeeeeee*! I have missed you!

Well there you are!!! I was wondering where you went off to, I was considering a pm in the morning if I hadn't run across you anywhere! How have you been?!


Amber, you are SO right. Only I can do this, only I can be the one to be ready for it. I'm finally there I think. Feels pretty dang good too! Yes, I'm 41, soon to be 42 in Sept. I havent even thought of any goals yet! To be honest, the thought never even crossed my mind this time around! Usually I'm always plotting and thinking that way, this time not so much. I just kinda started low carb the other day without even planning it, I just did it.


HELP!!!! Chocolate birthday cake is being made right at this moment for my DD's birthday!!!!! It SMELLS SO GOOD!!!! I'm trying to imagine it stuck to my butt and how I don't need that to get any larger!

~danielle

[Bejewelme]

Danielle- you are one year younger than me, I am 43 on 9/18 Dren has a Sept B-day too!
OMG you don't want that cake---- that is the devil in disguise----- turd cake I am telling you!!!!!

Nothing tastes as good as the control you will feel giving it up, think of it like feeding a baby, would you give and infant chocolate cake, NO, so pretend you are infant I don't know why I always think of that, but I do, LOL

[drenfroe3418]

Hey girls. Yep, September 4th here! My daughter is coming for my birthday this year from Boston so I am so excited. My nephew is playing college football this year for the first time too and his first game is that weekend so it will be a fun weekend! I have a lot to look forward to!

I decided to go to Boston to see my daughter this year for Christmas and we are going to take the train to NY for a few days. I have never been and have heard it is awesome decorated for the holidays.

So..... Now I just have to lose my 50 pounds by then! I know I can do it! I am fired up!

Danielle, leave that cake alone!!!!!!! SO not worth it! You can do it!

Have a great day!

[Speck333]

Originally Posted by DesertGurl

Well there you are!!! I was wondering where you went off to, I was considering a pm in the morning if I hadn't run across you anywhere! How have you been?!


Amber, you are SO right. Only I can do this, only I can be the one to be ready for it. I'm finally there I think. Feels pretty dang good too! Yes, I'm 41, soon to be 42 in Sept. I havent even thought of any goals yet! To be honest, the thought never even crossed my mind this time around! Usually I'm always plotting and thinking that way, this time not so much. I just kinda started low carb the other day without even planning it, I just did it.


HELP!!!! Chocolate birthday cake is being made right at this moment for my DD's birthday!!!!! It SMELLS SO GOOD!!!! I'm trying to imagine it stuck to my butt and how I don't need that to get any larger!

~danielle

Oh, I haven't gone anywhere! Just trying to get my loss going again.
So, did you win against the cake?

[DesertGurl]

Hi everyone! Yep the cake was left alone. I can admit to smelling it a good deal tho chocolate cake is one of my most favorite things in the whole wide world. I did have 2 bites of a piece of dh's pizza but then I left it alone. I had a huge salad and my water and all was right with the world. There was chocolate cake in my dream last night though!

Okey doke, off to find some lunch. I have yet to eat today. oops. Had an appt first thing this morning and errands and am just now home to settle down. I am starving! :blush:

~danielle

[DesertGurl]

That's right, we are the September babies!! I remember that from our old thread. Too cool, huh? Amber, your b-day is my dad's so I will never forget that!

Dren, how fun to get to see your daughter here and then go back to Boston for the holidays! I am way jealous about that trip, and NYC sounds AMAZING! Take lots of pictures! You most certainly can reach your 50lb goal by then, I know you can!!!

I guess maybe I need to come up with some goals, huh? I'm going to say my first goal is 20lbs by Oct.1st. That's all I'm gonna do for now cause the more I try and make myself do, the more overwhelmed I get. I just need to keep remembering that even when the scale isn't showing anything to KEEP GOING REGARDLESS because things are still happening, inches are disappearing, etc. That is usually my downfall, the scale slows/stops for a second and I get all in a dither over it. Can't happen this time.

Exercise needs to happen soon. Not sure what the heck to do as I have very limited space right now and it is WAY hot outside to walk. Hmmmmmmmmm......
Gonna have to suck it up somewhere I guess, I just dont wanna pass out from heatstroke outside either! Gotta put my thinking cap on.....

~d