Hi everyone! It's that time of year again when I resolve once and for all to loose this weight. I'm a newbie here, but not to dieting. And you might think I'm a little late- I mean, most people star their resolutions the 1st of the year. Not me. I have always been more comfortable starting late January. Because: I like to plan out what the **** I'm doing.

But to be honest with you, I'm 31. And at this age, I just feel like this might just be how I will be forever. It's an uncomfortable feeling. I dread the future- because soon my sweet beautiful daughter will be old enough to want to do things that are going to make mommy embarrassed to do- or have to pass up entirely. She is going to be my roller coaster kid. And while I like roller coasters (provided I've popped some anti-nausea pills first!), I barely fit into the roller coaster seats now- let alone one made for a child. She going to want to go to the beach. Well, I can sort of pull that one off- I'm fair skinned and actually do need to wear a t shirt while swimming out doors. She's going to want to go to a water park, an amusement park, the corner carnivals that will come this spring..... And for many of those activities- I might just have to have her dad take her (we are divorced) or my brother. It's depressing.

I've been struggling with my weight since I was a kid. I had a traumatic childhood and started packing on pounds. I lost a **** of a lot of weight in college, but suffered a second major depressive episode (I have dythsmia, Officially diagnosed at 16- showed signs beginning at 12), was put on alot of anti psychotic medication and ballooned back up. Then I became pregnant with my daughter. Stopped all the medication, but obviously gained weight with the pregnancy. The day I had my daughter, I was two pounds short of 300 lbs. My weight stabilized anywhere between 240-260 after that and this is where I've been stuck for the past 4 years. Constantly trying to lose weight.

Good news/bad news is, I was diagnosed two weeks ago with hypothyroidism. Probably Hashimoto's (Which my mom has), but I won't get a for sure until I go to an endocrinologist. Regardless, For the past four years, I've watched my weight not budge, my hair fall out, my energy levels flat line, And every morning I wake up and feel like I've been hit by a mac truck. I thought maybe this is what every single mother feels like. Apparently I'm wrong. But it will take a long time to get the meds right and for me to start feeling better again.

Tomorrow, I start slim fast again. It's not the greatest diet for someone who has hypothyroidism (due to the soy), but I am a creature of convenience. I've had some success with it in the past. Not only that, but I can't go back to my previous no fail diet because a) it sucked b) I was a royal ***** on it and c) it has a **** of a lot of soy products in it.

I could really use friends right now. I'm actually quite the little hermit. But, I can tell I'm going to need it this time. My family is going through hard times right now. Everything seems to be crashing down around us and The last thing I'm going to do is burden them with my weight loss woes.

I apologize for my rant. But I hope to make it to the other side this time. And If I can't do it for me, I must do it for my daughter.

LR

Hi! I'm new too. This looks like a great forum, full of helpful people. You can do this - and we're here to help!

Hi Tea Granny! Yes, it does look like a helpful forum, I've been lurking here for about a week before I decided to join I wanted to make sure it was an good active forum- so many of them out there and half haven't had a post in more than a year. What good is that? lol.

Hi all,

I am new here too. I have been reading posts on here for a week or two and decided to join for the support. How are you all planning to lose weight. I started Ideal protein 12 days ago and going great so far. Good luck to you all!

Valentine's Goal -15 lbs

Same here - i found this one about a week ago when I was looking for info on the new Weight Watchers points I'm lucky enough to have my Mom ( who lives in the next town )sharing my journey to, so even though I'm doing it on my own I have to be accountable to someone

first of all welcome and congrats on your first steps towards weight loss this is a wonderful site I am pretty new to this as well but over te past week or so it has been a life saver. We are all here for you

Welcome,
I can totally empathize with you. My daughter is my biggest motivator this time around. She is now at the age that she notices that society puts a huge part on the way that you look. I no longer want her to be embarrassed by me.
This place is a great place for support.
Best of Luck to you.

You know it's weird because I prefer not to tell anyone about my diet until I am well into it. I have found, especially at work, that once you mention you are watching what you eat, everyone starts bringing in chocolate and cookies and then they want you to have some because they made it, and then, when you do actually have some, they remind you that YOU are on a diet.

I don't need that kind of scrutiny. I am fairly accomplished at negative self talk and deprecation- I really don't need the help in that department. Also, if I feel like I can't eat in front of people (because I'm on a diet) I am prone to binge when no one is looking. So I'd rather go about my regular life and if someone notices, that's fine, but I'm not going to offer up that kind of information! To each their own

LR

How old is your daughter? Mine is 4, and doesn't realize people judge you based on looks. She is a petite little peanut, but she was babyzilla when she was and infant through 2 years old (Due to being born a big baby as well as having GERD). And everyone would look at me like "What are you feeding her?" I mean, it was apparently obvious by my own weight that I was feeding her junk. And now no one can believe she's so petite.

My niece however, does notice. She used to be the opposite, a little imp as a baby, and unfortunately has put on weight the past year. She's 5, and while very tall for her age, she might be 15+ lbs overweight. My brother does good with feeding her healthy food, but once she's over at her mom's house, all bets are off and they've caught her eating whole boxes of cookies (AT FIVE!?!) and now her mom makes off handed comments like "If you are fat, you can't play" or "You are getting fat!"

It's a sin, that's not how you talk to a 5 year old and certainly not how you address weight. I foresee her have weight and image issues for her entire life.

LR

My daughter just turned 7. About two weeks ago we had to have a conversation about why some people judge others based on the way they look. I picked her up from day care one afternoon and two little girls about 7 or 8 proceeded to make comments about how fat I was. I don't think they realized that my daughter and I heard them, but we did. Of course I was crushed and my daughter was embarrassed. When we got in the car she asked me if I was okay. I began to cry. She knew I was upset. She then asked why some people are mean to me because I am fat. I had to explain to her that unforturnately many people in society judge others based on looks alone. I made sure that she knew not to be embarrassed by me and never to judge a book by its cover. She said it will be okay mommy, I love you just the way you are. After that day I said enough is enough. My daughter has been a great source of motivation for me.

Aww. I'm so sorry Leec. That is an awful thing to happen... kids can be so mean. I worry about my daughter sometimes- she's such a sweet little girl. And there is another girl in her preschool who is just an overbearing and nasty thing. I walked in one day to pick her up and found her crying because this little girl told her that her favorite color can't be blue- that it's a boys color, and that now her favorite color would be pink or she wouldn't be her friend. It's hard to address things like that- you have no control over other people's kids.

I seem to run into alot of "bad" parenting around here. I'm sure pretty soon kids will be talking about me if I don't get my butt in gear.

I did have a slightly similar experience about two years ago with my own daughter. We were at the book store and she saw a woman, who looked nothing like me, but we were both overweight. My daughter at two said "Look Mommy! It's Mommy!" pointing to the other woman. I was crushed. I know that all she saw was a woman who had a similar body shape to me, and that it was nothing personal, but It stung alot!

LR

Welcome and good luck!

Dhani

I also just started the Ideal Protein Diet. Started it 10 days ago. I survived my first week and find that it's getting easier. My problems stem from having co-workers that are obsessed with their weight, what they eat, etc., and talk about nothing else. I haven't told anyone in my office what I'm doing b/c I know how they will scrutinize it, every detail! The competition is ridiculous. I'm glad I found this site, I think the ideas and support will be very beneficial for me! Thanks in advance!