[browneyedgirl77]

After lurking on this board on and off for years I have finally decided to register and yes, post. So let me begin with an introduction. I'm a sahm with 3 lovely little ladies ages 2, 4, and 7. After my first two pregnancies losing weight was a snap, of course, breastfeeding helped. However, losing weight after the third was a constant battle. After working hard I was finally able to get rid of all the baby weight and was about 25 pounds away from what I weighed in high school. Considering I graduated over 10 years ago I considered it an amazing feat. And then out of the blue, I moved nearly 5,000 miles away from home. Okay, it wasn't out of the blue, I am also a military wife so I guess the move was going to happen eventually. My husband had been lucky enough to have our home state as our first and second duty station. For the first time in my life I found myself 5,000 miles away from home with no friends or family. So of course, I gained back every single pound that I had worked off and more, and that brings me here looking for support.

[Cheryl14]

Hi browneyedgirl!
Welcome!

Congratulations on your five pound loss!

It's gotta be hard being away from everyone you know! Being a mom to three kids is always a challenge, too! You need a HUG!!!

The using food as a comfort thing is certainly not new to me! I did that FOR YEARS -mostly because I didn't make the connection between being sad or lonely or mad or jealous or any other emotion -AND EATING FOOD to medicate myself and comfort myself!

Right now, think of things that you can do that DON'T involve food. Make a list of them, and post it somewhere very handy. When the urge strikes, go do ANY ONE of the things on your list. Having the list will remove the having to think part when an urge strikes. It's all about getting control and then feeling better that YOU are controlling the food; IT is NOT controlling YOU!

Good luck! Come here anytime! There's always a bunch of us online at any given moment!!!

Cheryl

[browneyedgirl77]

Thanks a lot for the hug it's greatly appreciated. Making a list sounds like a good idea. I think my biggest reason for gaining weight isn't necessarily eating but the lack of physical activity. I am a meal skipper! I can go a whole day without eating or eating only once. I was a pretty active person until I moved here. I think the combination of not eating often enough and the lack of physical activity made me gain weight a lot faster than I should have. It certainly has made me a lot more sedentary. Again, Thanks.

[Cheryl14]

OOOOOOOHHHH! Don't be skipping meals! That lowers your metabolism and also usually makes a person short-tempered! It's helpful to eat a low-cal snack every two or three hours to keep the metabolism going and to keep the blood sugar even. Even people without Diabetes have variations in blood sugar!

Since you have some little ones at home, why not try some of the kid dance videos for exercise? You could do them right along with your girls! I sometimes do exercise DVDs with my future daughter-in-law, and we laugh and laugh and have a great time doing it! Sometimes I'm even better at them because I've done them before and it is her first time! She's a distance runner and says she enjoys "doing something other than putting one foot in front of another" on some days just as a change of pace!!!

My neighbor has two little girls, and the three of them do exercise ball exercises out in the backyard on the grass. If they lose their balance (Mom or kids!), they will just fall on the soft grass.

It's fun to just turn on music and MOVE!

Keep checking here at this site and post whenever you want. People are always coming up with good ideas to help with new situations!

Cheryl

[browneyedgirl77]

Thanks Cheryl,
I think those are some pretty good ideas. I never really thought about working out with my children it would probably be pretty fun too.
I never actually intend to skip meals it just sorta happens. My hubby refuses to cook anything without me holding his hand. Sometimes I'm just too tired to make me something healthy after making his and the children's food. And yes I could make him the same thing but if it doesn't have meat or rice he won't eat it.
Again thanks, very helpful suggestions!