Hi there,

Are you from Louisiana, or maybe Mississippi? Want to trade advice and support with others from our area?

I live in New Orleans, the food capitol of the South, and I started the Atkins WOE on 11/11/02. I've lost 10 lbs so far and I'm loving this WOL. I find watching my carb counts much easier than counting calories or fats AND I'm losing weight!

I've found it difficult to educate others, though, about my LC lifestyle choice and, you know southerners, we like to eat! Everyone keeps telling me, "here, you can eat this, it's low fat." I have to explain, once again, that it's not the fat I'm worried about...it's the carbs. They just look at me with this blank stare. Clueless.

Anyway, if you fellow southerners are out there, chime in here and maybe we can help each other lose a few pounds!

Hi VaSmith....I was just browsing the boards when I found your post. I grew up in Jefferson Parish..(River Ridge). I've been living in Ascension Parish for the past 10 years.

I know what you mean....attempting to educate people about a LC lifestyle. I get the blank look too...and the comment of "Well then, what DO you eat? Sorry, but I still long for a big plate of jambalaya and I miss my red beans and rice...as well as the rice in my gumbo. I even miss my spanish rice....I know I will eat it all again one day...as a planned special treat perhaps.

I adopted a LC WOL several years ago. I was one of the one who could never lose the weight. My gyn referred me to an Endocronoligist.....where I found I had very severe insulin resistance, high glucose levels (borderline diabetic), wacko cholesterol levels and high BP. Diet and exercise alone would never help me. And I realized that I was not crazy! Medication has finally helped to turn the tables and the weight and inches are coming off.

I am bound and determined to get back into my "skinny clothes" that still hang in my closet...and I could sure use the support getting there.

Please touch base if you care to....I'd love to hear how you handle the "social" (food) situations. I know of no one in my circle of folks that can have a get together without food being the focal point.

SouthernG ,

Yep, we Louisianians (?) plan entire vacations around eating.

I miss my rice too! Gumbo just isn't the same without it. But, like you said...someday I can have it...a little anyway.

As for the social situations, I find that my "need" to eat has lessened considerably and so I can resist most thing better now. I'm still a sucker for chocolate...that craving will never go away I think. Otherwise I do OK when Im out and about...there's usually SOMEthing I can knosh on. I just have to control my portions.

The Holidays will be really tough, so I'm trying to mentally psych myself up to be strong. I know I'll have slips, but if I keep it to a minimum I'm hoping I won't do too much damage.

I'm staying with my brother and sister-in-law, who's my inspiration for starting this WOE. She lost 35 lbs on Atkins and looks great. I'm hoping she and I can lend each other moral support!

It's late and I'm flying home in the am, so I'm outta here...Happy Holidays and safe eating!

Virginia

I was wondering if there was more than just me down here doing this! I am on the westbank in New Orleans, (Jeff Parish as well)!! I am doing pretty well on this plan, having started on Thanksgiving day!

I am up to 23 pounds lost so far since Thanksgiving!

I think probably the best and worst thing about New Orleans is that there is SO MUCH FOOD AROUND! But that just means more great choices to choose from. The seafood is great, the cuts of meat are good, and the creative ways of cooking around here make it much more bearable. Not to mention the freshly made PORK RINDS/CRACKLIN!! At least that's how I look at it.

I hope to hear more from Louisiana Low Carbers. Would LOVE to find a way to set up some sort of get together for a bunch of us who are locals to meet and form some sort of group. I think a nice Low Carb Pot-Luck Dinner would be nice.

What do you guys think?

Nice meeting you guys/gals!..Lisa

Hi All...

Just happen across this thread and it got my attention....leaving for your beautiful (I hope) New Orleans Sat AM for a long week-end! Have never been there !!

How many carbs in a hurricane??

Any suggestions for a whirlwind weekend?

Thanks

Deb

I'm sure the carb count in a hurricane is way off the charts. Between the multiple types of alcohol and the fruit juices...I'd meet my daily carb quota for a week!

New Orleans is a very unique city.....there's alot more to see than the Vieux Carre' (French Quarter)...there'a alot of wonderful food to be had.....hope you have the willpower.

Ride a riverboat...tour one of the St. Louis cemteries...ride the streetcar down St. Charles Ave......(lots of historic homes)....eat some seafood.....visit Jackson Square. There are quite a few historic museums in and around the quarter.

And most of all...be careful, have fun and keep an open mind....it is a big city with all sorts of folks! There's no telling what you might SEE!

this is my first time posting.
I live in Algiers (New Orleans)
I lost a good bit of weight cutting down on carbs, but I slowly started to eat them again and have gained the weight back. I wasn't following a program, but now I'll have to.
I wasn't sure if there were any support groups in the new orleans area.
Baby's crying, gotta go.

Thanks SouthernG !!

So much to do and so little time !!! Your city sounds wonderful!! Pray to the LC gods that I don't blow it too bad !!

Hi Ya'll

Hope you havn't given up on this thread. I see nobodys posted here for awhile. I'm in mobile, Alabama right now but am moving to Baton Rouge march 21 It would be great to have friends in the area. Sorry I'm late, but just found this web site yesterday.

Hope to hear from you soon, Robyn

I just found this thread today. I live in Natchez, MS (just over the border from Louisiana) and I don't know anyone that's LC'ing around here. This is one of the hardest places to find LC items that I've ever lived in (though I did find some LC spaghetti noodles at Big Lots once) - and I've lived in ALOT of places! Guess it's because we're in the middle of nowhere (closest big city is 2 hrs away). All I can say, is "Thank God for the Internet!" and all the wonderful LC items that are available online

One thing that I really miss here are all the different flavors of soda made with Splenda that I was able to buy when I lived in New Hampshire. We had Chocolate Fudge Soda , Citrus Frost, Root Beer and many others, but all I can find around here is a few flavors of Diet Rite and a diet cola that's sold at Dollar General (which is a great bargain at $.50 for 2 liters).

I agree with you that gumbo is not the same without rice. I really load mine up with lots of chicken and okra, then it seems to be more filling that way. Anyone have any ideas of how to make roux without flour? I've adapted so many of my other recipes to fit in with my WOE, but this one has really got me stumped. I've continued to make it the way I always have, with lots of roux, but now I can only eat one bowl, instead of three

God bless y'all,

Karen Faith

hi i am from slidell here looking for buddys in the area!!!!!! fell free to contact me

Hi All,

My name is Amy I live in Gretna, (Westbank). I have been on Atkins for three weeks. I have already started a Buddy chat with Sunny (from Slidell) I have a long way to go in my weight loss journy so feel free to contact me if you need a buddy.

Hey guys Tanigpahoa parish here. Soon to start Atkins with 70lbs to lose.

Hi Robyn! I found you. As you see I have signed up with lowcarber.org. I will probably be calling you and bugging you for info.

Dee

How are all you Louisiana low carbers coming along?