i am a 32 yr old mom and wife. i have 2 girls 5 and 7, and a wonderful husband of 8 yrs. i have always been chubby but after my 2nd kid have gotten real lazy and the weight has packed on. i am at 195 lbs. i have never hit 200 not even while pregnant, and do not want to hit 200. so i have to get my butt in gear. just dont' know how.
i get up at 6 am shower get ready for work
get my kids up at 6:30 and ready for school
leave house by 7:15 am
drop kids off and drive to work and start at 8:30 am
i sit at a computer all day working as a call center rep for sprint wireless
i get home aroundd 5:30 pm
have to make supper quick, feed the girls, get them in the tub then to bed no later then 7:30 pm
by now i am tired from the day and just want to relax
that is my schedule mon-fri
i have no time to exercise, i have no support, i have no help, no extra money to join a gym or jenny craig or any of that, so i have to do it all on my own and have no idea how.
my husband is great, but we work seperate shifts so we don't spend tons of money on a babysitter, so he works third shift. the only time we see each other is on saturdays and 1/2 of sundays. he tells me i am sexy and loves me just the way i am. i know he does but i want to feel sexy when he tells me that. i want to get healthy so i can teach my girls how to be healthy so they don't grow up chunky or fat and go thru what i did in school and life feeling this way.
any help or suggestions would be great.
where to start?
how to eat?
what to eat?
how to exercise?
when to exercise?
i really have no idea
i have cut calories before and lost 10-15 but after a week or 2 i give up.
i just recently quit smoking too, so the munchies are not helping, and i love fast food.
i need to learn some quick healthy meals to cook at night
i am looking forward to getting to know some of you in here and to losing 65 lbs.
thanks

MOM ~ do you not get any breaks at your workplace? You must get a coffee break or at least one lunch break? Why not use some of that time to go for a walk; in the summer, you could go outdoors or how about walking the halls in the winter time or bad weather. You could eat your lunch (which should only take 10-15 mins) then go for a walk after; that's what I did when I worked in an office.

There are many, many diet plans here on this site; take a look around -- read lots and you will get some ideas from the others here what might suit you best. There are lots of recipes here too. Walking is free and most people can do that anytime, anywhere ... Choose a plan that is simple and easy to follow whre you can get the food from your local grocery. I prefer a plan where I can incorporate healthy eating for my family too which I have done -- just made our favorite meals more healthy.

Come back often and post regularly; that will really help you on your new journey to better health ...

thank you... i have been doing some walking at work, it just doesn't feel like much. i keep telling myself once i can find a way to eat better i will exercise more, and then the eating better doesn't happen. i just don't know what is healthy and what is not. i eat salads for a week and then get bored, i eat smaller portions but end up hungary and then binge eating. i need a plan or a menu and time to cook...... i'll get there, i just need to figure it out and get a plan in motion that i can stick to. just hard getting started

Hi hon,

Raising two girls and working full time is hardly lazy. I'd just say that you haven't been good to yourself! Losing and keeping weight off is the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. Its a slow process (if done the right way) and puts you to the test every day! It doesn't take much to get started. I would aim for 30 minutes of exercise. Do you get a lunch break at work? Just try to walk for 30 minutes. I've lost 40 pounds (gained back 15 and struggling to lose it again) so I know how you feel. Its always a constant struggle. What i have found out is that exercise if key but so is eating properly..if I do one without the other I will fail. For me, if I am hungry...I want to eat! So I focus on eating quality high protein lean meats such as ground turkey breast, or grilled chicken. They are my favorites. Also, if you can make sure you get your healthy fats..like in almonds, sunflower seeds, peanut butter...again all in moderation. Lots of green veggies! Lots of water! For me, I have to really try to plan my meals..'cause if I'm hungry I'll just grab anything! I know that you mentioned salads at lunchtime. They are good with grilled chicken and veggies on them. One thing that I really love is the whole grain flat wraps that you can find in the deli section at Target. They make good roll ups and pizzas. For me I didn't lose weight until I elminitated processed sugar, white pasta, white bread. I would have whole wheat bread, brown rice, and whole wheat pasta (smart pasta or Dreamfields) but again only in VERY limited amounts. I found that eating the white stuff makes you very hungry... the key is to eat lower GI (glycemic index) foods..that will keep your blood sugar stabilized. Keep almonds or a string cheese with you at all time for the 2-3pm time when you are hungry. Try for small meals/snacks. When I lost the 40 pounds I did this...I was never really hungry. I turned into a smart snacker. Paid real attention to my hunger. Buy some deli turkey (they sell lower sodium) at the deli counter. Have a slice of that too when you get real hungry. Well sorry if I am rambling. I will be checking up on you!
Email anytime
Melissa

Hi and welcome!