My name is Nancy. I am a mother of 5 children. I have always been overweight, but not always obese. From puberty on I have weighed anywhere from 148 to 265. I hit that top number at pregnancy for #4 and revisited that after #5 was born. I dieted down to 205 and tried to keep my weight off with smoking. (Not very bright. I know) In February of 2006 I quit smoking and got up to 240. I've been dieting ever since. With limited success. I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes a year ago and have tried different diets. My cravings have been my downfall. I read up on the "Yeast connection" and decided that I needed a low carb diet. Atkins fits that bill for me. I started on Atkins April 12 at 227 pounds. I lost 8 pounds in the first week and that was thrilling. I lost 5 pounds in the second week. Also a treat. My need to eat from 3pm on into the evening has ceased. That in itself has made me go from skeptic to believer. I am convinced that Atkins is the lifestyle that I need. There is sooooo much energy that goes into relearning a nutritional lifestyle, but I am ready to put forth the effort to make a lasting change. I'm hoping to find encouragement and support with a group of Atkins advocates, because it is still a diet that is perceived as a FAD.