I need help! I'm a freshman in college and I've just started low carb diet today. My surgery is schedule for Dec. 23. I have to lose 5% of my weight which is 15 lbs (kinda ironic with the whole freshmen 15 thing). My first problem is...I really don't know what to eat. I've been eating only salads at school because every type of meat is almost always covered with breaded or flour battered of some kind. Does anyone have a recipes for food that I could make easily? I have a microwave and we do have a stove in the dorm on my floor.

My next question is, can you lose 15lbs with just a month of low carb? How much has everyone lost with a month of this diet?

You can lose 15 pounds in a month, no problem.

Do you have a refrigerator? Get lower-sodium lunch meat, precooked chicken strips, and low-fat cheese. Use them for salads or to eat on their own (I wrap the meat around cheese slices sometimes for a quick meal or snack).

Egg whites are great. Get a carton and make omelets. Add some lunch meat and a little cheese and you're good to go.

Snack on not-sweet veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, etc) and hummus.

Depending upon the number of carbs you can have, you can get low-carb tortillas to make wraps and mini-pizzas with.

Also try contacting the cafeteria and letting them know that your doctor has placed you on a low-carb diet and that breaded options don't cut it for you right now. You might have to get a note from your surgeon, but it's worth a shot.

Finally, Google "easy low carb recipes" and "Atkins recipes" and see what comes up!