Thank you for this thread!
It's wonderful that many people have chosen a positive "What I've done right" in response to the "My mistakes" confessional.

My newbie mistakes are many, my main enemy is my impatience -

the inches have to melt with a minimum of effort from me!
all my clothes should just slide over my hips!
the weight needs to come off now!

In college, I ran about 5 miles a day - just because it felt good. When I first started, I would drop after a few quarter mile laps, and curse myself for even trying. I listened to my head, ignored my body, and didn't go too far. Somehow, with effort, I ran a little further each time, setting little goals, and before long, my roommate and friends thought I was nuts for runnng in the rain, in the cold, in early morning mist, and late evening fog. I loved it. I did it. I proved it to myself.

My latest journal entry helped me articulate a revelation. I plan to reach this goal . . . that's as clear in my mind as a blue summer sky - but what are my plans to maintain that goal? Not having this attitude when I started this WOL was my boo-boo!

This really was a turning point for me I'd like to share with others, in the hope that it will take the onus out of focusing on a goal weight. The goal is to be happy, to be comfortable with your body, and to do all you can to live a healthy life.

The route you take to get there is the path you choose to maintain, so the journey is a means to the end, or rather the beginning. Good Luck to everyone, and in response to the "Low Carb Newbie Mistakes" title, just remember, "When you lose, don't lose the lesson."