Hi Everyone. My name is Ashley, I have usually been an averaged sized person, however after my 3rd child was born a little over 2 years ago i have put on 100 pounds. I decided to go back to school, and so i am up late studying, and snacking, in class on my butt all day, home to feed the family, then staying up late studying and snacking. It seemed to come out of nowhere. But when i quit work, and traded in sitting on my butt in class or studying, i lost my activity level. So here it goes. I started 9 days ago at 239 pounds. I today weigh 218. I am motivated to spend my summer on a very strict diet and loose the 100 pounds by christmas, would love to loose 75 by school. I am, as many people may look down on, on diet pills and am having my blood work and everything else monitored by my doctor. So i was just looking for a support group, and hope i have found one here. Thanks everyone. Great to meet y'all and best of luck to everyone!

*waves* welcome ! good luck on your diet

Welcome sweetie!

You are in great company here. I have tried the diet pill route before as well, but natural remedies are the best route. No judgement at all hun, don't worry. I just hope that once you reach your goal, that the diet pills will become a thing of the past. Nonetheless, we are here for you at all times. For a quick snacking tip that has helped me, spicy foods are your friends lol. Unless you suffer from heartburn ... Or, you can try making smoothies. The thicker, the better. The fiber from the fruits and vegetables will keep you satisfied for a while and you won't pack on the pounds as much. Everything works differently for everyone, so I'm just putting out a couple of suggestions. Stay strong and motivated! We can do this! Have a Blessed day hun!

Make sure your diet isn't so strict that you don't indulge every once and a while (once a month or so) so that you don't feel that you are a slave to your diet. Plus it lessens the likelihood of 'falling off the wagon'. There are healthy options, such as dark chocolate or sugar-free stuff, that won't make you feel guilty. If you do have a bad day, don't be too hard on yourself because we all go through it. I do it whenever I get stressed (after working all week on an assignment and feeling that my essay was a failure!)

Welcome and good luck on your journey!!