Nicola,

2 stone is excellent news! Try and stay on the bright side. I know I look at what can be purchased in Canada and the USA and find it a bit of a downer when you compare it to what you can buy here. Would be great it there were enough Aussies who could start hasselling some of the local manufacturers here to do something. I must say I was most upset when I found all the stuff that Darrell Lea make that low carbers can eat and then went to my Darrell Lea store and found it we can't buy it here. Even a call to the factory asking if I could get the local Darrell Lea shop to order it in got me know where. I certainly told their production manager that I thought it was nuts for me to have to order it off an internet supermarket based in Canada or the States when they make it 20km down the road.

Anyway, if we can all keep circulating information it should make life easier for the Australian connection. One of my neighbours is also on the Atkins diet and I know she is also getting a bit down as she has plateaued for some time- she is considering reverting to the induction level again to try and kick start herself again. I seem to have levelled out a bit in kg's but my clothes still seem to be getting more and more loose. So I am rapt! I don't have a great deal more to lose ( I only wanted to lose about 10 kg) and I am about half way there. After my two babies I just didn't seem to be able to shift the left over weight up until now. However, I certainly am going to maintain the diet once the weight is gone.

I am hoping to find some cooking software that will enable me to put in my own recipes and work out carbs. I have found a couple of potentials on the net aimed at diabetics, however I think I will try out a local software supplier first- as I would prefer one that uses the same level of measure as us. I am hoping that this may let me work out conversions for some of my own favourite recipes ( like lemon meringue pie) and substitute locally available ingredients. If I find one that I am happy with I will let you know.

Joanne