Hello everyone,

After looking around this forum a little I found myself inspired and motivated by all of the members' stories and felt like I wanted to contribute to the community myself.

I'm around midway in my weight loss journey. I lost my first 50 through Atkins a few years ago. I got off track in terms of sticking with the plan and continuing to lose but managed not to gain back the weight either. In the last month I've become determined to get fit through exercise, balanced nutrition and keeping track of my caloric intake. I'm surprised and proud that I really lost weight in the month of December. I'm hoping that by this time next year I'll simply be proud to maintain the same weight.

It's great to have you here! I bet you'll be a slim trim little elf by next Christmas. What diet plan are you thinking of doing? Sticking with Atkins?

Congratulations on your weight loss tharmony. This is a great board like you said.

Thanks for the warm welcome Jennifer 3FC.

For now my diet plan is to watch my calories. I'm happy with the results I had with Atkins but want more flexibility in terms of what I can eat. Atkins broke me of the habit of drinking soda, which I think is the biggest reason that I didn't gain weight when I went off. That low carb experience made me more mindful of the kinds of carbs I choose to eat. While my diet is pretty balanced I still try to keep my carbs complex. So, they match my personality.

I'm also making sure to take a multivitamin, drink enough water and get the recommended amount of protein for someone who's strength training (.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight). I'm using fitday to track my progress and I love it. Something about a bar graph does wonders for my motivation. Also, just knowing that I'm going to log what I eat miraculously makes me want to make better choices and exercise portion control.

It seems like calorie counting might be the most common diet plan around here, is that right?

Thanks FoodObsessed. I empathize with your user name.

Hi and welcome!

Yes calorie counting is very popular and I unabashedly promote it. I unabashedly promote fitday too. You start counting calories and learn so much more about the nutrient content of your foods.

From what you've said here, I think you might enjoy these forums ...
calorie counters http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=172
weight training http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=80

Both of these forums have chatty threads, join right in!

Thanks SusanB, I'll check them out.

Links like this and the other welcoming words from everyone are very helpful and encouraging. I'm sure all of the newbies appreciate this kind of reception from the regulars at 3FC - I know I do.