I just registered here and am ready to start on Atkins. Just spent the last hour clearing out the massive amounts of carbs from my kitchen cabinets. It says something about how I have been eating when all I had left in my cabinet/pantry was a can of green beans and a can of tuna! Two entire shelves were filled with high carb products that I'm giving away to a friend. I have been doing massive amounts of reading, have planned out menus for the 2 week induction phase, and have my shopping list ready to go for later on this morning.

here's the thing...I'm at 276 lbs, my highest weight ever. I dieted steadily on one or another diet from age 13-29 where I reached 200 after 2 kids, then gave up and just ate whatever I wanted. Now, at age 47, my metabolism is totally screwed up. I am right on the cusp of diabetes type 2. I'm on med for high blood pressure and reflux disease. And I have found no medication to deal with my bipolar disorder. (just therapy). I know this is getting long, and perhaps depressing to read (try living it!) but I just needed to tell someone how scared I am to even attempt this!! I have paid so little attention to my health for so long that in part, I'm scared it can't be done, can't be helped, that I can't improve my health at this stage. Then I'm also scared in part because of the very idea that I could actually change my life by doing this. We get comfortable in our agonies sometimes! And I'm afraid that I won't be able to see it through, really stay with it.

So, hello to all of you out there. Thank goodness there are forums like these to help out a low-carb newbie. No matter how scared i am, I've made the committment now to doing this, to becoming healthier. Thanks for listening to(er...reading) my fears.