[slvrangl]

I haven't been overweight all my life. For the first 21 years i was actually underweight. Then, as the saying goes, i "let myself go". So i dieted and actually lost the weight. Before i had too much time to enjoy the skinniness, i got pregnant. And i ate...alot. Somewhere in my brain it was ok for me to eat and eat and eat even though it wasn't healthy for me or the baby. Nine months later i have a healthy baby boy and 30lbs of baby weight. That baby is 4 years old now. And during those 4 years i have tried(and failed) to lose those 30lbs. About a year ago i became pregnant again. I ate. Whatever i wanted, whenever i wanted. Another 20lbs was added on to the 30lbs from my previous pregnancy. Which brings us to now. I have 2 adorable boys, ages 4 years old and 3 months old, and 50lbs of fat. I come here now, looking for others who are in a similar situation and hoping to offer some inspiration to all those out there who need it because i definately need some in return. I really don't know where to start so any suggestions on diet or exercise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much and i hope to get to know some of you in the future!!!

[Onederchic]

Welcome to 3FC and good luck with your goals.

Hugs
Michelle

[garnetrising]

Greetings! You've chosen an excellent place to find support. Personally, I've found that jumping into a challenge is a great way to hold myself accountable. That, and every day, sometimes multiple times a day, I confess in the Daily Food and Exercise Confessions thread. Another great resource is the success stories and before/after pictures. They're so inspiring.

Let me add what I'm sure you already know - that nobody can do this for you but you, though we're all more than willing to help you along in this journey. Today is the day and you deserve it. My weapon of choice has been calorie counting, drinking lots of water, and working out. If you can't get to the gym, I'd recommend looking into the 30 Day Shred by Jillian Michaels (or other similar DVD workouts that you can do in your home). It's funny how when I'm not working on getting healthy, my brain tells me that I don't want to workout and that I don't like it. And the moment I actually do workout, I remember how much I love it.

I've haven't been pregnant yet, but children are definitely something DH and I want. I think that's part of my motivation this time, to get to a decent weight so I don't wake up one morning, pregnant and weighing in at 300 lbs. Okay. So gaining 70 pounds during a pregnancy might be exaggerating. But it happens. And if I can instill good habits in myself now, I should be able to prevent that from happening.

[leeway]

Hi slvrang!

Glad to have you join us! There are lots & lots of different groups and forums - I'm sure you'll find some that will keep you motivated, inspired and entertained!

There are lots of people here with more to lose and lots with less - the bottom line is that we all have to do it a day at a time. The good thing is that we'll have lots of company along the way.

I've only been here a short time myself, having NEVER been part of an online forum. What has been so eye-opening is how much it has helped me. Whenever I feel overwhelmed or defeated, I just log on and read some of the success stories, complete with their before & after photos - or read about others still dealing day to day with their challenges - and before I know it, the time has flown by and so have all the thoughts of cheating or giving up.


So welcome aboard - join in by inspiring us and being inspired!