I weigh 217 and 5'4" is my heigth. I used to weigh 150 but then I got pregnant. And my child killed my metabolism. I enjoy eating always have, but it used to not affect me. Now it does. I have to get back down to 150 but my first goal is below 200! I am scared I won't make it my first week. I need all the support I can get so thanks for any.

Hi there . . . . . . you've found a great place for lots of support and encouragement. come here and post often, especially when you get a craving -- it's harder to eat if your hands are busy typing.

Good Luck, chickie . . . we are here for you. . .

Thanks! Its good to hear all the help Ill be getting. Thank you so much! Day one of my new life.

The best suggestion I can give to you is to write down everything you eat to keep yourself accountable. It also helps when you want to analyze how your body responds to different food with respect to weight loss or gain.

Hang in there for the first week It gets easier as you get the right foods in your home, better routines in your life, and re-inforce new habits. And your energy really picks up after you start eating better and being more active. I find that good sleep really helps too.

Hey and welcome! =D I just joined too, but I've been on a weight-loss journey for a little over a year now, and I'm half-way to my goal now.
My advice--tell yourself you can do it. Over and over. You might start out not believing it, but when you say "I can do this" over and over and give yourself positive encouragement, your body will actually start to believe it! Same with anything else. If you're working out and it's really tough, tell yourself it's easy, and your body will gradually start to believe it.
Also, I would also suggest planning out your meals for the next day the day before, including how many calories each meal has. When you do this, if you get a craving for something that might destroy your diet, you'll think back to your meal plan and you'll realize that you didn't have this penciled in, and if you eat it, that means you'll have to figure out how many calories were in it, which will often discourage you from eating it. Set realistic goals, however--don't starve yourself, and don't totally deprive yourself of the foods you love--just cut back on the portions.
This stuff might not be anything new to you, but I thought I'd throw it out there. It's definitely worked for me.

Susan, Oh yeah! Same thing happened to me. Child 1 - gained weight and had a terrible time getting it off. Finally did. Then came DS2. Repeat. The problem the second time - it took me 22 years to get around to losing those extra baby lbs. (and the additional 30 I added to them).

You CAN do this. Start slowly, and just keep at it. As you learn what works, keep doing it. If something doesn't - modify it or replace it with something that does.

A few things that work for me.
1. Calorie counting - no forbidden foods.
2. Journal - write everything down - hold yourself accountable for EVERYTHING you eat
3. Plan ahead - planning and followingyour plan can't be stressed enough - it is ESSENTIAL to success.
4. Small meals - I eat 6 small meals every day. They keep me on track and when I see something I just gotta have, I can usually quell the temptation by reminding myself that I have a snack or meal planned in just a little while. This keeps the blood sugar level which keeps me from carb binging as well.
5. Exercise -this was actually a 4 letter word in my vocabulary when I started. I despised, loathed, HATED it! But, I kept trying things and finding things that I didn't hate (I won't say love, because I don't). Now it has become a regular part of my day. I plan for it and do it. I allow myself choices - WHAT will I do today (cardio, yoga, dance, pilates, walk, weights, resistance bands, bike, ball) but I don't give myself the option to skip it.
6. Come back often - the support I receive from 3FC is a huge part of my success. The folk here are encouraging and wise
7. Daily devotions and prayer. I couldn't succeed without them!

You CAN do this Keep us posted on how you are doing. Take it one step at a time, and before long, you will be amazed at how well you are doing