HI Christine!
Welcome and good on you for coming online - I think getting support is the first step to achieving your goals. I'd love to be your buddy if you want! I put on weight while I was having IVF treatment and then during my miracle pregnancy. A lot of it has come off but not all - but that's a long story. You change habits like overeating one day or one hour at a time. The main thing is to keep believing that you can get to where you want to- even if it's 2 steps forward, 1.5 steps back - we all have those days/weeks/months! Especially as you are dealing with a new baby and a school-age child. I am very impressed that you have decided to put your own health first. Really that is so important, as you are better able to care for others if you care for yourself. Have you had all your blood tests done? Iron deficiency and thyroid imbalance can affect your mood, your metabolism and your ability to control your weight - I've been there and done both of them, and they both went a bit crazy after I had my daughter, it's quite common for your hormones to go mad postnatally. I found that exercise - even popping my little one into the pram and going for a short walk - helps with my food cravings. Good on you for going to the gym - I know how hard it can be to get out of the house when you have a little one. I borrowed an exercise bike and even though I don't really enjoy it, having it in the house means I am more likely to get on it, and you can take advantage of a shorter time-gap (eg going to the gym takes 90 min, the bike takes 25min). I read trashy novels or mags when I'm pedalling away - it's a bit of 'me-time' which I'm sure you need!! Just one other thing before this turns into a novel - making sure that as far as possible you just don't have binge-foods in the house (for me it's chips, for my DH it's chocolate and ice-cream) helps with damage control. Bingeing on rice crackers, wholegrain bread, microwaved veggies and low-fat yoghurt is better than what I could be eating!
Anyway Christine, keep moving, keep drinking heaps of water, and keep at it. I know you can get there.
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