This is my first post here as a new member and I am really excited (with a little fear of failure mixed in) to begin my low carb WOL. I began low carb 10 days ago and things are going well so far, I think. The reason I decided to get the ball rolling is simple, I'm fat. Fatter than I ever imagined I could become. I have always been on the heavy side, but athletic. In the last four years I have spiraled out of control. My weight has reached a sickening 380#. Five years ago I began a heavy workout routine and lost around 60# and felt great about myself. My wife was more interested in me than she had been in a while, coworkers constantly complimented me on how great I looked and for the first time in a long time I felt great about myself. Then my work schedule changed and a funny thing happened. My intense first thing in the morning workout scessions had to become the first thing I did after work. I tried it for a few weeks but couldn't maintain my routine, so I stopped, completely. Next I had knee problems, which I assume came from all those intense workouts. In two years I had three operations and through gross lack of activity, stress eating, and an overwhelming sense of self pity; I gained tons of weight.
Suddenly my sex life isn't, that's it, it just isn't. I have no energy for playing with the kids. My clothes don't fit and I'm embarrased to shop for new ones. I'm so top heavy that I fell over on the dummy while taking a CPR class and the instructor asked me if I'd like to put the dummy on a table so I wouldn't tip over. She actually asked me that in front of the whole class(that is one of my least favorite moments). My knees hurt along with every other load bearing joint in my body. I have to use a c-pap so my snoreing wont raise the house. And the message to newbies who join this forum is correct, there isn't a sole I can talk with that will understand what I feel so I just don't talk about it. To sum it up, yeppers, I'm a fairly self conscious and self loathing fellow at the moment and it is time to change.

Just before Christmas my wife approached me about doing a diet together. She picked one of those low fat/low cal models, but that's ok. She's the type of person who will be very successful with it. She doesn't have that much to lose and she has stuck to the plan and is losing weight. After trying it for a couple of weeks I had to look for something else. I was constantly hungry and craving sweets. I thought this was funny because I don't really eat sweets. I wanted a low carb from the get-go but tried her plan for the sake of simplicity and ease of shopping one plan for the both of us. I had to make the switch and so I did. The first week has flown by with little or no problems. I am not having any cravings and after about four days in, I haven't been that hungry.

I have a goal. It is something I've thought about for quite some time. Yeah, sure I want to weigh 225 and lose the weight and look good for myself and my family but that isn't my goal. My goal is to ride bikes with my boys. I have three. They are 8, 5, and 10 months. They want me too do things with them that my enormous girth just wont let me do. So I have made my ultimate goal the riding on bicycles with my kids. For some reason that motivates me more than anything else in the world.

The reason I am posting this is to communicate what I am feeling with some folks who might understand it better than the average 180# pizza eating skinny guy who things fat people just don't get it. And to ask what some of your goals are? What got you started? And more importantly, what keeps you going even when you've had all you can take and just want to cheat?

Is this forum a good place for support?

Thanks
Tom