Active Low-Carber Forums - Success on Atkins!

I can't believe I'm writing my success story. I'm not much of a writer so bare with me.
I don't even know where to start. My weight gain came on what seemed very sudden to me. All my life I had never had a problem with my weight. I am 5'8" and most of my life I have weighed between 125 and 130lbs.
A lot of things triggered my weight gain. I was married for 20yrs and within the last 6yrs, my life had some major changes. My then husband somehow got hooked on meth. We ended up divorcing 3 yrs ago. Trying to be supportive of him, I have stayed with him. He spent a year in prison and it seems that is when my life really took a turn for the worse.
I guess instead of trying to deal with my emotions, I turned to drinking and eating. I have always been an occasional drinker until that point. Then, I drank all the time and ended up losing my job and putting my nursing liscense in jepordy (I'm an LPN).
One day, I just took a good look in the mirror and a look at my life and realized I was an alcoholic and 186lbs. My life was a mess.
I tried to lose weight many times but could never even lose more than a couple of pounds. I love to eat and I don't like starving, I didn't like exercising.
Then I looked up Atkins. It seemed like something I could actually do. I bought all his books and read up on it. I made a decision to change my life. I was embarrased about my weight, ashamed at how I looked in the mirror.
By this time, Lloyd had gotten out of prison and had moved back in with me. He had cleaned up his act and was hard in recovery from his addiction.
I felt like a complete failure. I couldn't even tie my shoe without struggling. I started Atkins on Dec. 16th 2006, my 39th birthday. I struggled with the alcohol for quite some time. My last drink was Christmas Eve of 2006.
So that's how it started. I followed Atkins induction and was very supprised at how the weight came off. I found this forum and it helped more than I can express.
I started a journal on Jan 28th of this year. At that time, was getting discouraged at the slower pace I was losing. I got advice from several people and it made a difference. I found the main difference was the fact that I was overeating. I thought you could eat any amount of low carb foods and still lose. Not so.
I was also suprised at how much my weight fluctuated, and still does at times.
Once I quit overeating the weight started comming off again. I was suprised at how little it took to satisify my hunger.
I want to add here that I have always ate 3 meals a day. I have never measured my foods or counted calories. I have just counted carbs. Also, I have always drank at least 100oz of water daily, and on some days, much more.
At first, I was walking about a mile a day either on a treadmill or at a local park. Then, I stopped that all together. The weight loss pretty much slowed to a halt. Just recently I picked up the exercise again after getting prompted by a fellow LC'er on the forum. Thanks Daisy!!
Now, here I am. At my goal and still sober.
My life now is good. I feel good about myself, I'm not ashamed to look in the mirror. I'm still exercising 20min daily. I am walking a mile every other day and on days I don't walk, I do 20min of exercising, mainly trying to tone my stomach muscles.
The advice I would give anyone else would be to stick to the plan and be patient.
I have not cheated the whole time. I have never ate off plan.
If I can do it, anyone can.
I really feel that true success will be keeping the weight off. That is my next journey.
Tracy

UPDATE: 7/25/08

Just an update. Here it is 1 year later. I have maintained with no problems.
Still keep my carbs low.
Have an off plan meal on the average of every couple of weeks.
Weigh and post in my journal daily.
Still sober.
Weight has been just under 135.
I hope to come back here every year to update my maintenance journey!
Tracy

UPDATE:8/4/11

Wow. I can't believe I have been maintaining since Julu of 07. I had to get back on track this week, was up to 146. Strict low carb and light eating and this morning, 4 days later, back to 141. Still going strong to get back to 135. That's where I like to be and feel my best. I continue to weigh daily and keep track of it in a notepad. I refuse to get back to the mid 180's. That's where I started. It took 7 long months to lose the weight and I never want to struggle with that again! Thank God for Atkins!! Whoot!