Hi,

My name is Abby. I am 21 years old. I live in Arizona. I started my most recent weight loss journey the day I gave birth to my son. 3/11/11. I started at 333 and now I am down to 322. I had to have him via c/s so I am not cleared for any kind of exercise until the end of April.

When I look at my son I want to be everything that he deserves. I want so much to teach him how to grow up loving himself but I don't even know how to love myself.

I have lost and gained over 300 pounds since I was 12. I was sexually abused when I was younger and it seems like every time I get close to my goal weight I freak out.(I am seeing a counselor about that.)

Any tips, tricks and motivation would be greatly appreciated.

I want this to be my last attempt, I want to be the person I know I am inside for good.

children are a wonderful motivation!!

i know i want kids. and i don't want the risks involved with having a baby at my current weight, but i also want to know that i will be around to play with my kids, and watch them grow, and hopefully see them have kids of their own. and i know that staying so obese is not a way to ensure that happens.

when you're feeling discouraged, look at your son. he needs you, and he needs you to be healthy for him. i don't even have kids yet, but the thought of them having a mom my size keeps me pushing forward.

congrats on your loss so far, and welcome to 3fc!

Welcome Abby! I think you have found a great place for encouragement (and accountability - which is just as important for me). I'm still relatively new here myself (been here about a month), but everyone is just awesome. No judgement but tons of support and whatever issue youre facing from the physical tmi questions to the emotional to the technical questions, someone has been through it already or otherwise knows the answer. And tons of folks who are nearing the end of their loss phase that are truly inspirational. This is definitely the place to be!

Hi! I'm also new to 3fc and hey! My son was born on 3/11/10! :0) when I got pregnant I was less than 200 (not sure of the exact # since I've always been afraid of the scale) and I blew up-especially during the last trimester! At one point I went back for a weekly checkup and had gained TEN POUNDS IN ONE WEEK! how is that even possible?? So I started to drop weight while breast-feeding, and as soon as I stopped I put it all back on and then some. I hate that I can't wear any of the cute styles I see other girls wearing (I'm only 31) and want to feel young and pretty again! And, like you, I have a little boy who loves to play and I really want to be able to do that without running out of breath or feeling like my ankles/knees are going to break. I LOVE food and I constantly battle with myself.... It's like being addicted to heroin! I desperately need advice and support also! Maybe we can help eachother.
-Ewie

Welcome Abby!!! Make yourself comfortable and I am looking forward to getting to know you better.

Lynn

Welcome and congratulations on your baby!

To be the most we can be for others, we do have to take care of ourselves first.

Abby,

Welcome to 3FC! I am just beginning my journey as well and this board is the perfect place to start! Congrats on your beautiful baby boy and your weight loss so far.

I completely understand how you feel about freaking out when getting close to your goal weight. Two year ago, I lost 80 pounds and was down to my lowest weight in my adult life. I felt great for awhile but then something inside was telling me that I wasn't worthy enough to be healthy. Needless to say, I gained all 80 pounds back and then some. I struggle daily with self esteem issues but I am trying my best to change my way of thinking. This board and all the amazing positivity has definitely helped.

Whenever you need motivation, remember why you are wanting to lose weight in the first place. If that doesn't help, we are all here to help you in any way we can.

Best of luck on your journey. Looking forward to learning more about you.

Thank you all for your feedback!

I am currently breastfeeding and my doctor recommended not counting calories but just eating food that is good for me and the baby. vegetables, fruits, lean meats, light dairy. So thats what I have been trying to do. Gotten a ton of veggie recipes from the 101 list. So excited to try them seeing as I really hate veggies. Well let me rephrase that, I haven't found the ones I really like yet.

My goal is to be able to run after my son by the time he starts to walk without it hurting me.

Just the aches and pains that are associated with being this heavy are also motivation for me.

Breastfeeding is the GREATEST blessing you could ever receive!! It's like magic! I was absolutely starving every day.... I didn't eat fast food or anything extremely fattening, but let me tell you, I ate some HEARTY meals. I would bf my son on the couch and always have a granola bar within arms reach. I was burning calories so fast that I had to keep refueling my body constantly with food! And I was still losing weight! I so so so regret stopping. I seriously would recommend that you keep it up if possible! Even if you have to use a pump in place of the baby It's an amazing way to burn calories without even exercising!

Tell me about it!!! I am 31, not ninety! I hate that I have to grab onto the couch just to pull myself up from the floor. After sitting on the couch for a long time, when I get up my legs are so stiff I hobble around like an old woman. It's ridiculous! I want to feel like my age again.

Now imagine feeling like an old lady when you are just 21!!

Hi Abby!

Welcome and congratulations! And GOOD JOB on breastfeeding!!

I was 275 when I got pregnant. I ended up with a c-section, too. Recovery was tough and I think it had to do with my weight.

This is definitely a place to go to for support and encouragement. Such a GREAT group. And children are a great motivator. So many statistics show that children of obese parents are likely to be obese, too, and I absolutely do not want that kind of life for my son. I'm doing everything I can to get in shape so he can see what a healthy lifestyle looks like. It's so great to see him mimic my workouts and ask for carrots and cucumbers as snacks.

Best of luck to you and I hope you are recovering well. Keep up the breastfeeding and enjoy every single second with your wonderful baby.

Hi Abby! I'm new here as well, but wanted to say hello and wish you all the best!

Welcome welcome! Glad to have you here

My advice is - don't go on a "diet". If you do this, you won't see what you are doing now to get healthy as an "attempt". Get it in your head that you have now made a forever lifestyle change - a lifestyle that you will share with a healthy and happy baby. Kids learn what they see and live what they learn, so set the example every day for his whole life that only healthy foods are the foods your family will eat.

It will take time to learn what healthy eating really means, and how much you can really do. You can take your healthy life style change to a level that you can stick with (and what I mean by that is - do you want to do 100% of your cooking at home with whole foods, vs doing a lot of healthy pre-packaged meals - there is wiggle room in here for you to find where you are comfortable with).

Keep us informed of how you are doing!

pacifica,

thats exactly what I'm doing. I am starting out small so I don't get too overwhelmed. The things I'm focusing on right now are 1. Eating a fruit or vegetable every time I eat. 2 Drinking 10 glasses of water daily. and 3. trying new vegetables.