Somehow, I have made it through 5 months without having so much as one puff off a smoke!! I've smoked off and on, on and off - you know the drill - for TOO many decades now. I got sick and tired of it, and just dumped them.

As I smoked my last cigarette at 6 pm. on Feb. 10th, 2013, I made myself think long and hard about how awful it felt in my mouth, how horribly dry and nasty my mouth felt, and the stink! It is so nice now to not literally reek of cigarette smoke. My jackets and handbags no longer smell awful! My car smells 100 times better! I am so glad the home was already smokeless. We did that years ago.

I went on Low-Carb eating plan (pretty much Atkins) at the same time, because I HAD to. One of those do or die types of things. I'm doing it because I don't want to die yet. And that is exactly where I'm headed - faster than I'd like.

The struggle with LC has been harder than the smoking. That seems hard to believe, but this is how it has worked out. However, I am learning new things every day. I have NOT been spending nearly enough time on this forum, but this week I have. I've learned more in 4 days on here than I ever did before, in years! So I think from here on out, I have many more tools to make this LC a lot easier.

I've been afraid of fat and sodium! I'm living proof that you cannot lose very fast by trying to do "moderate" fat intake and by continuing to restrict sodium intake. I've also not been eating enough. Period. Too much hunger. This is not a starvation diet!

I still lost 21 lbs., so I consider it a big success. Because it is!

Even though I haven't gotten out and started my walking program just yet, I still feel A LOT better overall. Quitting smoking really helped, and cutting out the carbs. I hope to be out walking soon and that will really spike the feel goods!!

I see where I have sort of been sabotaging my own best efforts on low carbing. A lot of it isn't anyone's fault, it is just not knowing certain things. Like how some meds can affect the body, the sugar alcohol conundrum, and getting stuck in a stall and staying there. (No, not a restroom stall! lol)

Now I think I know what I need to do to fix it, and I am going to do just that!

I had a few times where I slipped up for a day or three at a time...and I cannot even begin to tell you how horrible I felt. Really sick! Severe muscle pain, and like an awful flu. I have fibromyalgia so feel that way a lot anyhow. But then I realized how much better the fibro had gotten while on Low Carb. Not eating all those "whites," as in pasta, rice, flour, sugar, etc. has made a tremendous difference. Knowing and FEELING this difference, how can I EVER go back?!! That's easy. I can never go back. I don't want to!

Many thanks for this wonderful forum and the great folks who have contributed so much time and very helpful info. I am very grateful!