Hey Y'all. My name is Jessica and I like many people is overweight. I am married with three kids. After a recent move I gained about 40 pounds since September. I am 28 years old. I am 5'10" and weigh 255 lbs. I hadn't noticed the weight gain until these last few weeks when I gathered jeans out of storage and tried them on. My breaking point came tonight when I got in the tub to shave my legs and could reach my upper thighs because my stomach sat on it. I have never been this large and feel if I don't get control of this it could easily become much worse than it is now.

What hurts me the most is looking back at my photos 5 years ago. I was a Soldier in the U.S. Army who took pride in my strength. I have never been super small. I usually weighed about 155 lbs and wore a size 10. I never stressed about what I ate although I made more health conscious decisions.

Since I finished my contract in 2007 I have had 2 more children. With each pregnancy I gain between 60-80 pounds. I pretty much lost myself trying to be a good mother and wife.

BUT TODAY THAT CHANGES! I have been researching diets, success stories, medications. My problem is I don't know what would work best for me. I am not looking for a fade diet, although I will gladly start one to jump start my weight loss. I need something I carry with me forever. I'm a binge eater. When I get stressed or upset I eat. I may not eat all day but mentally I think I need to make up for in and indulge in huge proportions. I love snack cakes and chips. I know they are awful for you and they make me feel awful. I went to my doctor Friday who cleared me to begin my weight loss journey. He asked I contact him if I choose to take any medication over the counter. He prescribed me Wellbutrin 300 mg and Abilify 2mg to assist my anti depressant. I have been in these before and stopped taking them in 2010 when I got pregnant. Although extremely expensive with insurance I found it to be a wonderful treatment for me.

Knowing my whole life story does anyone have recommendations? Where should I begin? Can y'all recommend websites with quality meals for me and my family? I know I am easily discouraged so seeing results within the next few weeks is important. Is it realistic to want to be at 190 lbs by August. My physician said its possible and he doesn't recommend it for all. My lab results n EKG should be back by next week and if all is good he said I could set that goal. But I think those of you that have been through this have more experience and could give me realistic goals that stick. Has anyone done detoxing? Pros/Cons? Never tried it but if it helps along the way I am all for it. Also I carry much of my weight in the mid section and could really use exercise tips??? Also gym or at home? DVD/Wii recommendations?

Any ideas and feedback would be appreciated. I definitely need all the help I can get. Here's to living a happier, healthier life! Thanks again!

Welcome, I think 190 by august is possible, you'd have to lose around 10lbs a month, and the average is 2lbs a week... I can't tell you where to begin because you've already began by wanting to make a change. Don't think of it as a diet, maybe more of a life style change? I suggest counting calories and exercising 3 times a week for 30 minutes to an hour, and build from there. Just try any physical activity you enjoy doing! Only go to a gym if you want to, I know some people find it easier to not go to a gym, while others like going. It's all up to you.

Good luck.

Welcome and good luck on your journey!!!

Welcome to 3FC I wish you all the best in your weight loss journey.

As for some tips, I would try and re-evaluate your eating as well as targeting your triggers to turn towards food for comfort. You already noted that you eat when you are stressed, and that is a big problem for a lot of people. Instead of turning towards food, ask yourself if you are really hungry and whatever it is that you are planning to eat, would it be beneficial to you. Again, you note that you indulge in cakes and sweets, and you feel awful after eating it. Keep that in the back of your head when you feel a craving coming. Mind over matter! You may slip up for the first week or so trying to change your thinking, but that's ok! We are all human and make mistakes. Feel free to post in the "Daily Accountability/Lifestyle Change" in the Weight Loss Support thread for extra help from the community.

Also, another practice to put forth is to prioritize time to plan for exercise and meals. There are so many books out there in terms of diet, I just reduce it to having at least 1/3 of your plate with vegetables, 1/2 if you can; 1/4 protein and 1/4 grain. You can start from there, and from further research and observation of results, you can adjust from there. You can also check out the whole section of "General Diet Plans and Questions" for ideas and support.

This is a really great place to be, I am happy that I found it, hopefully you will too

Welcome!

Welcome and thank you for your service!

I'm a calorie counter. I've used both My Fitness Pal and SparkPeople. I'm using SP right now but both are good. I count calories because I'm a home cook and nothing is off limits which is what I prefer. That might be something to keep in mind when choosing a plan. Any plan that says I need to eat X, Y or Z or can't eat X, Y or Z would never work for me. Also, if you start a plan and realize it's not working for you, you can always try something else. There are tons of options these days and there is a lot of support on this board.

As for meals, start reducing the processed stuff and incorporating more whole foods and lean proteins (if it fits your plan). We used to eat meatless at least twice a week but got away from it. I'm going back to it and incorporating more meatless meals in our weekly rotations. I also cruise recipe sites looking for new ideas. EatingWell is one I enjoy and get lots of inspiration from. There are also recipes and ideas here on the site.

Good luck! You can do it!!

Thanks Everyone! I uploaded My Fitness Pal to help count calories. I have cut myself down to 1200 calories a day to start. Do y'all think that's too many? I also took the TV out of our bedroom because I tend to get caught up watching it & snacking. I will definitely keep everyone up to date and look forward to seeing everyone's progress. It's very modavating! Have a great week!

YES! that sounds too little for you... try under 1800 a day.