I thought I would introduce myself. My name is Saundra, I live in Florida. I've spent my whole life struggling with my weight and self-image. It took twenty-three years for the doctors to finally find a reason for my weight issues. I have PCOS with the insulin resistance that's common with it. However, diets were difficult for me to stick with.

My nutritionist has been working tireless with me for three or four years now, but ever step forward has been met with a step back. In December, though, I took control of my life. I ditched the freeloading roommates, my husband and I moved to a new, smaller city, and I started my own business. The next step was to regain control of my weight.

After doing some research, I stumbled on this forum and read the reviews for Diet-to-Go. I decided I'd found my stepping stone. My husband signed us up for DTG last week, we received our first shipment yesterday, and we're on our way. I'm excited and determined, as lowering my weight will bring me one step closer to fulfilling my personal goals.

I look forward to meeting people and supporting everyone!

Saundra

Hi Saundra,
Welcome to 3FC. You've taken a step in the right direction. If your looking for support and motivation or just a place to come to where everyone knows exactly how you feel, this is it. I'm in Florida also, just north of Tampa.
I'd like to invite you over to the POSITIVE UPLIFTING NOTIFICATION: One thing about me today is..... Part Six. It's a great place to go and talk about what positive thing(s) you have done the day before. Even if it's just finding your way to 3FC, it's a positive step in the right direction. Good Luck yo you!

Later ~ Learn

Hi Saundra!
Sounds like you've had some tough times but with all the changes you have made, I'm sure it will lead to some great results - I'm on DTG too and love it and am very pleased with my success so far - the support you need is here - we'll all be here to cheer you on.

Glad to have you join us! There are lots & lots of different groups and forums - I'm sure you'll find some that will keep you motivated and inspired. Try the weight loss support forums, they're active and very helpful - also the Success stories are a definite must for motivation. Maybe check out the Dieting with Obstacles forum to meet others dealing with PCOS Please come join us in the Diet To Go Buddies forum - you'll be a wonderful addition.

There are bunches of people here with more to lose and some with less - the bottom line is that we all have to do it a day at a time. The good thing is that we'll have lots of company along the way.

I've only been here since last fall, having NEVER been part of an online forum. What has been so eye-opening is how much it has helped me. Whenever I feel overwhelmed or defeated, I just log on and read some of the success stories, complete with their before & after photos - or read about others still dealing day to day with their challenges - and before I know it, the time has flown by and so have all the thoughts of going off track or giving up. It has made all the difference in my success so far.

So welcome - you've found the right place - join in by inspiring us and being inspired!

All the best - good luck with your goals - look forward to getting to know you and hearing of your success,
Lee

P.S. The DTG forum is found in the Diet Central section, click on Diet Delivery then click on Diet To Go Buddies 2010 thread (the 2009 thread is still there with some great info and advice if you'd like to browse through it.)

to 3FC's SAUNDRA ~ this is a very supportive place; and there's lots of great people here too. We have a 300+ and 100 lbs forum here, as well as many food forums, and exercise threads, and many, many others. So look around, read lots, then just jump right in wherever you feel comfortable ...

Hi Saundra and welcome.

Here is some interesting info on insulin resistance:

Insulin resistance is defined as "a state of cell tissue, system or body in which greater-than-normal amounts of insulin are required to elicit a quantitatively normal response". With insulin resistance basically, one has to secrete more and more insulin to maintain healthy blood sugar levels and this becomes increasingly difficult the longer they remain insulin resistant.

But even more interesting:

The hypothesis that seems to match what is seen in practice is where an appropriate amount of insulin is secreted in response to excessive glucose pulses of a modern meal, and the response of the muscle cells to the insulin is also appropriate. The defect is in the relative sensitivity of muscle and fat cells to the insulin. The muscle cells become insulin-resistant in response to the repeated high levels of insulinemia that result from excessive ingestion of highly refined CARBOHYDRATES but the fat cells fail to compensate. They remain stubbornly sensitive to insulin, so....the fat tissue accumulates more and more and then the accumulation of fat in the adipose tissue drives a vicious cycle.

And I posted this to you because I checked Diet-To-Go and they have 3 different meal plans.....one of which is low-carb....and I would highly recommend and encourage you to do the low-carb option. And the one you do NOT want to do is the low-fat option, which would most likely compensate with high-carbs.....and would totally work against your insulin-resistance.

Insulin causes fat accumulation and carbohydrates cause insulin release...so this results in storage of fat (rather than utilizing it for energy, etc.). So not only would carbs have caused most of your weight gain....but on a plan that is not low-carb, and with your insulin-resistance, you would literally be swimming upstream and it would be extremely frustrating for you. Whereas on low-carb, you should get significantly better results.

deena

Thank you all for the warm welcome.

Yeah, the insulin resistance is unpleasant, to say the least. I am on a low-carb plan with DTG. I've been struggling with the IR (knowingly) for about six years now. It's frustrating most of the time, but I'm hoping to finally overcome it. The only problem with the low-carb is the fat content. Due to the problems the PCOS causes, some of the medication I took four years ago destroyed my gall bladder. As such, high-fat meals can cause a lot of discomfort. It's VERY difficult to do low-carb and low-fat while feeling satisfied. But, so far, the low-carb from DTG has only caused mild discomfort.

I will definitely take a look around! Thank you so much.

Saundra

You can do it. I have PCOS as well so I can completely understand where you are coming from. Keep a positive attitude and don't give up! From one Floridian to another, GOOD LUCK!