[slmanci]

Hello, I'm Stephanie. I'm 28, married, stay at home mother of 2 (2 & 1). I need to lose 60 lbs. looking for any tips or motivation. I'm new to weightloss in general. Any information is extremely appreciated!!

I need to lose this weight soo soo bad not because my 10 year wedding anniversary is coming up but because my health is starting to blow!! ANY recommendations, dos or donts you may have would be great! I have no idea where to start but I NEED this! I need someone who's been here and can help someone like me who's seen so much info but not sure which is best for a super beginner! I also lack confidence in myself and need some pushers out there to help keep me at it!!!

-S

[Mozzy]

Welcome and good luck on your journey!

[Cattails]

and

Personally, I like the South Beach Diet principles; they are really sensible and it's an easy (to me, at least!) diet to follow. If you can get a hold of a copy of any of the books, I'd start there.

Glad to have you aboard!

[Misti in Seattle]

[OhThePlaces]

Welcome! I'm also a 28 year old SAHM to two little ones (3 & 2).

Take a look at the different subforums and you'll see that there are a TON of different plans out there, so you'll need to decide which will work best with your tastes and lifestyle. For me, calorie counting is the way to go. I want this to be a lifestyle change and with calorie counting I can eat what I want in moderation.

Joining a gym with on-site childcare has also been a Godsend for me. I found that if I get in a good workout early in the day, I'm much more likely to eat well. It also gives me a break from the kiddos and an hour to focus on ME (as a SAHM you know that "me" time is rare!)

MFP (My Fitness Pal) has been a great tool to help me track my food and exercise each day. They have a website, but I mostly use the app on my iPhone. Good luck!!

[justme685]

Hi and welcome!!

The most important tip that I give to people (and can't stress enough) is drink LOTS of water. I shoot for eight 8 oz glasses of water a day. The next tip I can give is in all your meals make the focal point the fruit and vegetables. For breakfast have some fruit with yoghurt, at lunch have a salad but put things like nuts and seeds to give it a new twist, and for dinner have twice as much veg as meat. Vegetables are where we get our nutrients. My next piece of advice (whether you choose to use it or not is up to you) is don't cut any food category out. Our bodies need all nutrients to work properly and when we start cutting food groups out (like carbs and fat) we are starving ourselves on a nutrition level which causes cravings - and I the end it often leads to failure to stick to a diet plan.

Hope any of this information helps! There are lots of films and books on weight loss. I personally love the documentary called HUNGER FOR CHANGE (it's on Canadian Netflix). It's really motivational and explains how our bodies and minds work when it comes to our health.

GOOD LUCK!!

[penmage]

[slmanci]

Thanks everyone for the great responses!!!! Much appreciated and a great starting point!

Justme685- luckily water is a strong point for me. I drink about well above 8 glasses a day. LOVE the meal ideas!

Oh the places- did you have any trouble with your little ones in the daycare. My kids HATE it. I don't even dare try again. They have only been with myself, husband or my parents since birth. Desperation isn't our strong point, but would LOVE some me time!! Any pointers are appreciated!

Again, thanks to all for the welcome and pointers!