Welcome to the forum, Revelation You've definitely come to the right place to learn how to LD.

I'm not sure why you can't keep a dream journal, though - you don't have to advertise that fact if you don't want. Keep it under your bed or something if you're worried about someone finding it. Your dream journal is an important tool to becoming more aware of your dreams, increasing recall, and recognizing patterns to your dreaming. It's strongly advisable to keep one if at all possible.

Same thing with reality checks - you don't have to do something obvious like holding your nose and trying to breathe. You can do more subtle tests like trying to put your finger through your palm, or comparing a wall clock to your wristwatch (my personal fav) - check out some other ideas here - RCing is very useful in attaining lucidity and maintaining it, though some people rely on RCs more than others.

Another thing you may want to try is reading LDing-related material before bed. I would recommended picking up Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming by Stephen LaBerge - this book is a must-read for anyone interested in LDing, therefore it's commonly refered to on LDing forums as EWOLD. Reading dream-related stuff before bed will get you into the "dreaming frame of mind" so to speak.

Good inductions techniques for beginners include MILD,WBTB, and DILD. You may find WILDing hard at the beginner stage - and some people have no luck with it at all (including myself - I never WILDed in my life), but some have great success with it.

Moral of the story - everyone's different so do what works for you. Try different things and experiment - and you can do it in a discreet way so you won't feel embarrassed. (though on a side note, I don't think you have anything to be ashamed of, and shouldn't feel like you have to hide it from your family - it's not like your joining a cult! Lucid dreaming is completely natural and normal.) /end my 2 cents.

Please feel free to post any questions or experiences you may have. Good luck and have fun!