Hi Vanessa,

Welcome to the forum!

Giving up sweets and carbs is one of the hardest things you may ever do, but it's so rewarding when you see that you have truly changed your eating habits and you have lost weight because of your comittment to it.

There are a about a zillion things I've learned about myself since being within a low carb way of life. Here are a few that may be pertinent to you.

1. Do not use food as a reward. A really bad habit.
2. There is no "free" - sugar, or artificially sweetend - "lunch", breakfast or dinner.
3. Beware the carb bar. They are full of hidden carbs.
4. Be patient. You will succeed really well if you are doing this for the long haul.
5. Read as much as you can about the process of low carbing and carb addiction.
6. Start a journal and make entries into it daily. This will help you further down the road when you reach a true plateau. It is also rewarding to look back and realize how far you have come.

Karen