I am married, 28 and have 3 kids and need to lose 100 lbs!!! I don't even know where to begin or how to begin. I need help and encouragement and any advice or suggestions would be more than welcome and very much appreciated

Welcome and good luck on your journey!!

If you are able to commit to a dieting plan, such as weight watchers or exercise videos, there are lots of links and information in this forum to help you find what is best for you. My advice to you is to start in your pantry by clearing out the foods that are bad for you and filling the fridge with fruit and vegetables, and then hitting the gym/pavement for 3+ days a week of exercise. I see you have four others in your family, so perhaps you could go to the local swimming pool or visit local attractions/parks and have fun!

What helps me is to think of losing weight as a lifestyle change, rather than wanting to lose weight or diet. That way I know that what I'm doing is not a short-term investment but something I'm going to do for the rest of my life.

Oh, and remember that the number on the scales is not a judge of your efforts. It doesn't know how much your exercised or that you didn't eat that piece of chocolate cake (or whatever is your weakness)!

We are all here to help you on your journey and wish you all the best

P.S. Choose 145 as your goal weight. You'll feel more confident about reaching your goal once the weight starts to fall off!

Hey Lauren,

Wishing you tons of success on your weightloss journey.

Step one for me was research. The boards here, amazon.com for diet books, the library...see what diet is interesting and fits your life.

See you around the boards!

My advice is to calculate how many calories you should be eating in a day. I use fitday.com but I know others use myfitnesspal.

I am obsessive about keeping track of what I'm eating. For me it's the sure fire way of knowing if I'm going to lose the weight. If I know what I'm eating, I know the scale will move down.

Good luck!

Welcome Lauren85! My advice is don't focus on the 100 pounds, focus on finding a plan that will work for you. Some people love calorie counting (My Fitness Pal, SparkPeople are some good sites to check out). Some people need group meetings (Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig). Some people are really into low carb (me me me). Find a plan that you think might work and make a 30 day commitment. Don't worry about anything after those 30 days. You can do anything for 30 days. If you like the plan you're on, stick with it. If you don't like the plan, try something new and commit to that for 30 days.

Exercise is so important but it's only 20% of the weight loss equation. Changing your diet is CRUCIAL. So if you like to take walks or go to the gym or start a Couch to 5K...that's all great but you won't see the results unless you change your eating habits.

Do you like having someone to be accountable to and for? My Fitness Pal and Spark People would both have people on there looking for accountability buddies. That might be a great way to find someone who is committed to losing weight and getting healthy and can help you stay on track.

Good luck!