Hello,

My name is slim1527. I am new to this whole LC thing. To be totally honest the whole thing flies in the face of all I have been told about what constitutes a 'healthy' diet!!!

I have totally been brought up on low fat and high carb ideas.

When I explained to my family the principles I had read in the LC books esp. Schwarzbien and montignac and also Atkins - they thought that I had totally lost the plot.

I am also quite young - 24 - and have been about 20 ponds over weight for 3 years. i had an operation for endometriosis and then went on loads of meds for 12 months - totally lost the plot in the process and have not been able to get the weight off since - but to be honest - I found it a bit of a comfor and it is not till now that I wanted to get it off.

Now I think it is time to stop making excuses!!!!

BUT . . . . this low carb way of eating - quite frankly - scares the pants of me!!! Do you know how many low-fat or virtually fat-free products I have bought in the last 12 months?????

Please - any words of encouragement - sucess stories - bad day- turned good-days or anyone out there to help

Feeling good about the change but still a bit worried!!!

Thanks for reading!!!!!!!



Slim1527

Throw them all away. They're poison.

I have been low-carbing for a little over two months now and can't believe how great I feel. My energy level has skyrocketed, my mood has evened out, I have more stamina, and I've lost 22 pounds to boot.

I went on the Schwarzbein Principle program (SP) to feel better and to help with my poly-cystic ovaries syndrome (PCOS). It's doing all that for me and so much more. I have changed my life and now, instead of looking forward to feeling miserable the rest of my life, I am looking forward to living healthy and happy for the rest of my life.

However, one of the first things I did, because I did make this change for life, was to go through my kitchen and throw away all the foods that no longer fit my way of eating (WOE). I didn't want or need those foods hanging around.

One warning though, the first week or two you may feel tired and low on bloodsugar. That's because your body is learning how to use fat and protein to supply it's energy needs (much more efficient in the long run). But while it is adjusting, you may not feel like it's working. Once you get over the hump, though, you will notice that your strength, energy, and mood are better than they have been in years.

I feel better than I did when I was a teenager!

One last thing. I have a friend who started SP over 10 months ago. She initially wanted to lose 10 pounds on top of improving her health (high cholesterol, etc.). She hasn't lost an ounce, probably because she gained muscle mass to offset. However, she has gained all the health benefits she expected and would never go back to her low-fat, high-carb way of eating again. She and I are the low-carb preachers at work ;0.

So, good luck, Slim, and welcome to the forum. I am sure you will do well.

:-Deb

Hi! I am starting over on atkins Ive lost about 11.5 lbs since february. My friend at church has lost 22lbs. I feel so good when i do this woe, so much energy,food obsession gone. Last summer I lost 18-20lbs real quick on lc but i went off on a extended binge and gained it all back. One thing ive learned is not to stay on induction too long. This time i will increase my carbs. I am commiting to a new wol not just a quick fix. It is hard but the positives so out weigh the sacrifice.

Low-fat dogma has been so severly stuffed down consumers throats that it's no wonder you're worried.

First off, the low fat bandwagon has only been rolling through town for 30 years or so. That's it! Only 30 years. What takes the place of fat in low-fat products? 100 points if you answered carbs.

Have you noticed all the statistics about North American obesity reaching epidemic proportions have only been popping up in the past 30 years?

If low fat really worked in your favour, why didn't a year of consuming fat-free and low-fat products help you to lose weight? You are living proof that there's nothing to fear by changing.

Here is an excellent article on how low-fat came to be: The Soft Science of Dietary Fat

Karen

Hiya Slim!
I am new here too and fairly new to Lc eating.

But it is the science in the SP book that really has me going. It makes sense, especially when I look at my weight etc over the last few years.

But I confess I am scared too!

But I have decided to try it and see what happens. Nothing else has worked.

Hang in there...

Misty

I have a couple of questions and maybe a point or two. First, how do you know you are 20 lbs "overweight?" Our weight naturally changes over time due to many factors including the amount of excercise we do, what kind of activity, being in love, etc. When I used to cross-country ski race, every fall I added about 20 lbs just from the extra upper-body work I was doing.

Second, are you still on some medication that may account for those extra pounds? Antidepressants, for example, can cause lots of people to carry 20 to 30 lbs of extra weight.

Finally, my view is that the Schwarzbein way is really not a diet at all. It is a healthier way of eating, guaranteed. If your weight drops slowly and naturally, that's great! If not, you will definitely feel better.