I am a married mother of two toddlers, 3 and 4 1/2. After my second child was born i worked hard on the LAWL diet with great success. Then my 1yr old daughter went through some major surgeries over the next year and I just quit on myself. I have gained it all back and more. I'm so disappointed in myself...high blood pressure and high cholesterol. I need to get going NOW! But...I love food!!! I love rich, fattening food, and I feel like I eat all the time no matter what I am doing. How did I get going again and take care of myself! I've never had high BP or cholesterol yet here I am now. I want to be healthy for my kids and husband and myself, but I love food and feel like I am addicted to it! Then I feel like it's such a cop out to make that comment!!

Our local LAWL center closed, and maybe that's ok. I need to make a lifestyle change, not just a diet. I need motivation, support, and enough strength to not give into temptation...I'm SO weak! I just put both kids down for naps, and right away I start thinking about what I can eat. Ugh!!

So....any guidance, support, words of wisdom to get more started and keep me going. I will take it! I know I need to do something now and I am ready to! But I also know I can't do it alone.

Thanks everyone!

What has worked for me to get the scale moving in the right direction is tying my goals to a financial incentive. It's not for everyone, but if you are the type of person who REFUSES to lose money, check out dietbet.com Aside from the financial aspect to it, there is a lot of support there. I am LOVING it! Oh, and it doesn't hurt that I have doubled my money.

Awesome! That sounds great! I will check it out right now!

For me it was growing up a little more. I am in my early 40s I realized that time keeps going whether you want it to or not. I realized that, yes, you can keep turning your back on things but they are still there. My son is 14, is more than half a foot taller then me, and wears a men's shoe size 12. He is getting older, even so he will still need is mama (even when an adult). My parents are elderly. I see their days getting closer to the end. I do not want to look at myself as middle age or even past middle age. I want to be around for grandchildren. I am my son's role model and in most things I have been a fabulous role model. I have not been the proper role model related to the best eating and exercise habits. I owe him, as his mom, to be the best role model in everything. He has other role models but ones that come and go. I am his main role model. I now consider my losing weight and living a healthier lifestyle as a job. A job that I need to do 100% and even do over time each day. I am losing my extra weight in a healthy manner and it will take tons and tons of hard work but it WILL come off and it WILL stay off.

And know who is my biggest supporter and the one that is rooting me on every day? My son! He is going to be a great husband and daddy someday. He sees just how hard I am working on this, has changed his eating and exercise habits without being directed by me.

I was the same for unhealthy foods. I thought they were the bee's knees! Then I started experimenting with vegetables and healthier recipes. Food doesn't need a ton of sodium and fat to taste good.

When you put the kids down for naps maybe you can research healthy recipes on line to make for dinner that evening.

I'm so sorry to hear that your daughter has been sick, I hope that she is recovering well.

I think you need to take a bit of a step back here and try and treat yourself as you would treat someone you love. If you had a friend with a toddler and a sick baby who'd put on a bit of weight would you be disappointed in her or would you have a lot of understanding for how her weight hadn't been her top priority in those circumstances? Why should you treat yourself with any less kindness than you'd treat her?

No one punishes themselves into shape, it take a bit of self love and kindness, maybe even a bit of selfishness. You're much more likely to manage to shift the pounds if you don't start off hating yourself. It takes an amazing amount of personal strength to see your child unwell, acknowledge that you're an amazingly strong person, who's done the best she can in difficult circumstances and use that strength for your weight loss battle.

I also found myself caring for everyone else except myself. Since I started to get healthy and lose a bit of weight though, I'm so much happier. I feel like I'm a better mom to my kids. They are close in age to yours (3 and 5) and I want to be able to run around with them, and play with them without getting winded. I also want to live a long, healthy life so I can be there for them. And I really wanted to stop teaching them the bad habits that they were witnessing for me. I feel such a sense of relief that I started this when they are young enough that they will learn good, healthy habits and see that their mom takes care of herself. That seems to be my motivation.