thanks for the warm welcome!

don't know if I'm posting this in the right thread, but just tell me to go sit in the corner if I'm not!

I started LC-ing in Feb. of 2000 after trying low-fat twice.

The first time on low-fat I lost 15 lbs, but hated the experience, hated the taste of low-fat food, was always hungry. Plus I gained all the weight back when I 'went off' the diet, cause who can live like that?

the second time I tried it, I restricted my fat intake to 10 g a day, 1000 calories a day, walked 4 miles 5-6 days a week for 6 months. Result: lost not a single lb.

it was extra frustrating for me because I had been a rail-thin child and from the age of 13 to 35 had weighed 105 lbs. eating whatever I wanted, mainly sweets. At 35, though, I quit smoking and got married, started a family and began cooking meals.

By 40 I was 130, by 50 I was 140.50, which is when I started the low-fat regimen for the second time. When nothing happened after 6 months I knew something was 'wrong.' I went to the bookstore and saw Dr. Atkins' book, thumbed through it and immediately recognized myself in the pages.

I bought the book, read it until the wee hours that night, woke up the next morning and threw basically everything I'd been eating away. I was living on carbs! No wonder I hadn't lost any weight.

went to the grocery store, bought meat, dairy (full fat!), eggs, etc. and settled in. In four days I lost 5 lbs. I was in heaven.

by July of that year, I was down to 118 lbs., a place I hadn't been in 15 years. My husband had watched it happen and decided to join me, we're still in it together.

I've cheated many times in the last four years, most recently on a two week trip to England followed by my birthday, which is why I'm back up to 130 (those pounds sure do come back fast).

but after a cheat, I just go back on the diet and get back down to my goal weight of 120.

when I first started four years ago, I felt so alone, there were virtually no foods produced for a low carb diet, I had to make everything from scratch. It's so nice to find so many others 'out there' with me in this. I will never let go of the low-carb way of life.

sorry to go on and on, hope it wasn't too long.