Getting started/Motivation
 

Hey, I'm Jenn.
I'm 22 years old and a stay at home mom/wife with a BEAUTIFUL 9 month (almost 10 month) old son.
When I met my husband I was around 170 lbs and 5'6" (size 12)
Obviously that's like... 20 or so lbs over the BMI scale but I looked great because of the way I carry my weight (all in my hips and I have naturally large breasts)
A few years into our relationship we were in a rocky spot and I ended up ballooning to 205 lbs.
A few months later I found out I was pregnant and weighted in at 218.
At the end of my pregnancy I weighed 262 lbs and now I am down to 240lbs (size 20.)
I want to feel beautiful again but I am so down I don't know where to start.
I don't eat a lot of junk, and I drink lots of water. I had a gym membership for a while... the first week I lost 5lbs. I gained back 2 and hit a plateau (I was running 35 minutes with my heart rate over 160 and doing about 1/2 an hour of yoga) I just lost the umph to go... taking care of a toddler, a house, and I also have a photography business on the side.
My gym membership just ran up and I'm looking for ideas... but I don't have the energy or will to want to do this. I've never been one to wait.
I want to get back to 170 lbs (at least)... that's 70 lbs. Can I do that in a year safely?
I'm one of those people that if I don't eat I get cranky and irritable so dieting to the exteme is not an option. Any advise is welcome.

First of all, congratulations on the new addition to your family, and on the 20 pounds you have lost so far! 20 pounds is quite a bit, so that's nothing to scoff at!

I think the first thing you should focus on is getting your diet in check. It doesn't have to be anything extreme, but it would help to know how many calories you are consuming. I like to use a notebook to track my meals and workouts, but I also use www.myfitnesspal.com for the same purposes. I think checking out the site might be a good place for you to start! You input what you eat and what exercise you do and it tells you exactly how many calories you are eating with the options to track protein, carbs, fat, fiber, sugar, etc.
Regardless, tracking meals and exercise in some way is probably a good jumping off point.

Secondly, it might be a good idea to come up with a plan of what sort of exercise you can reasonably do each day (since you are a busy stay-at-home Mommy now). Do you have someone who can babysit for you, or a time when your husband can watch your son? If so, that would be a great time to get out and go to the gym again.
If not, how about getting some DVDs you can use at home? Any of the Beachbody programs or Zumba are effective if you couple them with a calorie deficit, and I've heard good things about Jillian Michaels 30 day shred program.
You can also get a running/walking stroller and take your son with you, or get a few sets of light dummbells, bands, etc. and workout while he naps.
There really is NO LIMIT to what you can do if you just set your mind to it.

How does your husband fare in terms of working out and eating well? Can you count on him to help motivate you while you get accustomed to a program? Internal motivation is much more reliable long term than external motivation, but it can help to recruit a buddy to help you get on a program.

The best advice I can give you overall is to pick a couple of things you can commit to changing now, and stick with them. Over time, add in more strenuous exercise, tweak your diet as needed, and experiment. Each day you commit to eating a healthy diet and moving your body brings you a step closer to your goal.
You will have set backs; there will be days that you eat more than you planned or don't workout like you would have wanted to... and that's okay. Its a journey, and most importantly if you can show your son that a healthy lifestyle can be balanced with days of indulgences (Holidays, special occasions, family outings) you are setting him up with a good example of how to live a satisfying life -- and providing him with a healthy mommy who is fit enough to keep up with him.

Best luck!

Right now you kind of seem fed-up... It sounds like you don't really believe that you can actually lose this weight or like you can find the strength in you to do the things that are required to lose the weight... The truth is that it won't come off on it's own, so the only motivation that I can offer you is that if you don't do something (anything -- even take small steps) then you will be this same weight next year (if not bigger).

and it's true, as the previous post says, 20 lbs is a lot! Think about it. If your goal was to lose 100 lbs now you only need to lose 80!!! That's great! So maybe if you lose another 10 you will be motivated by that success to keep going.

Unfortunately most of us, at one time or another, feel like this will never happen and that it will take too long, etc, etc. But we just need to plow through those moments and simply behave our way to success, despite our mood.

Look at the before and after pictures from this site whenever you feel like you can't go on, and I bet you that they will inspire you!

The bottom line is that even if you don't lose huge numbers quickly, even if you can't commit to a strict diet and vigorous excercise schedule, every day you have a choice; do I want to be this weight or bigger next year, two years from now? OR would I prefer to be 10lbs, 20lbs, or 50lbs less? losing 10/20lbs wouldn't be that hard if instead of simple sugars you ate watermelon and banana's as your treats and while holding your baby you "playfully" did some squats.

Lastly your children probably are your biggest motivation. You want to be around for them and teach them healthy habbits. You probably want to be able to play with them and keep up with them (while also being a sexy mama)! And of course, lastly is the fact that if you will ever want a second baby, losing weight will likely become a necessity for a healthy preagnancy.

GOOD LUCK to you!

I'm still new and learning, but I also have a 13 month old son. As far as exercise, I never could get to the gym without a major ordeal. So we got a stroller and I walk during naptime. Similar effect to him falling asleep in the car. Also, I use workout DVDs. My lil guy loves dancing dancing around and trying to mimic what I'm doing. If you are having trouble getting to the gym, that might be an option for you.

Also, find a motivation buddy. Its always helpful to gave someone there to encourage you onward.