[Icottie]

Ive been lurking for a bit, and am finally outing myself. I'm a nurse and a single mom of a 14 y.o. Son, 3 cats, 2 dogs, and two lizards.

I guess the reason for wanting to do something now is, well my son has been my everything including my excuse. I have never been thin and have always struggled with my weight. I started swimming in HS and got down to a normal weight (although I've never belived that) and stayed that through college. I went up very slowly but didn't start really packin 'em on probably like everyone else, until after my son was born. I actually lost all but maybe 5 lbs of my preg weight, but have slowly been adding on @10 lbs a year. A painful divorce, single parenthood, nursing school, and well I just became sort of numb.

I love food...recently read an article about how sugar effects your brain like cocaine. Yup. I don't want a cookie, I want all the cookies!

So now I have a teenager...who's hit puberty...and he's been my life. Now, I realize, I have no life. I'm tired all the time, when I am at work I'm overwhelmed and my body hurts. 271 on a 5'4" frame for 13 hours, 3 days in a row. Yeah, it doesn't help! I'm what in what I believe is a mid-life crisis.

So here I am for the umpteenth time! I'm doing low carb, and am already seeing results on the scale. I believe 'er hem it might just be water from how this stuff is runnin through me! But what I know is this. If it's white and powdery...I want it, so Ive got to be able to cut the cord with bad carbs. Ultimately, I want to ease into more carbs than I'm doing now and less fat. I'm a vegetarian for ethical reasons, but will eat meat on occaision if it's raised local amd buchered humanely. I used to think Atkins was a quack, but more and more of the docs I work with, overweight or not (mostly not) are eating paleo and low-carb. Eh, so I'm babbling. I want to do it right this time, cutting out the sketchy chemically low carb bars that become my gateway drug and eat foods that are as pure as I can. Any fellow low carb/ vegetarian ideas are welcome! Deviled eggs, mozzerella sticks, salad and celery, well, it's getting a little boring!

Thanks for listening and contributing to such a great community!

[yoyoma]

Hi and to 3fc! There are lots of low-carb and vegetarian members. I'm lowish carb myself.

It's interesting that as a nurse, you get to see what doctors are doing and see how their diets change over time.

Good luck with your journey and your goals!