I, like so many others, have always struggled with my weight. Usually, it was just an extra 20-40 pounds. I had some success with weight loss a couple years after my daughter was born by using a plan similar to Atkins. A few years later, at age 39 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I went through a double mastectomy, then six months of chemo and radiation. I found out I had the BRACA 1 breast cancer gene mutation which carries with it an almost 50% chance of ovarian cancer. This led med to the decision to have my ovaries removed, which put me into early menopause. Since my type of cancer was hormonal I cannot be on any type of hormone replacement therapy. After going through this health crisis, I put on about 50 extra pounds very quickly and have not been able to take it off. A friend of mine had great success with Atkins in preparation for her wedding last spring. When she went off of it and the pounds started to come back, she decided to go back on Atkins. I decided to try it with her. Its my hopes that I will lose about 90 lbs. in time for my class reunion which will be about a year and a half from now. I just want to feel healthier, happier, and have more energy to do all the things I used to be able to do but I don/t want to be hungry.