I'm having trouble figuring out where I even begin. I always weighed about 140-150 my entire life until 2013 (when I turned 41). I had a seizure, lots of other health problems, lost my job, became very depressed and gained 60-80 pounds. Now, 3 years later, I'm don't with the health problems, got a new job, but I'm still not comfortable in this overweight body.

I'm on Wellbutrin which is not supposed to cause weight gain and Prozac. I've tried to go off them but end up with extreme agoraphobia, so I have to be on them.

I have 3 small children and work full time so I don't exercise much, I get tired and out of breath really easily.

Where do I begin? I eat health sometimes, other times I eat what I want. I think I would do best if I had an exact plan to follow.

So I'm 43, single mother of three, tired all the time. I welcome any advise anyone would like to give me. I want to feel better about myself but I lack motivation. As much as I want the wait to come off, I'm looking for a magical cure that doesn't exist.

Thanks in advance for your feedback and any success stories you'd like to share.

The first thing you need to do is keep track of EVERYTHING that you eat. Put it on the computer on a spreadsheet or handwritten in a notebook or on a website like MyFitnessPal. The great thing about MyFitnessPal is that there are already items in their database with all the calories listed. You determine how many calories you are eating for a day. Most people try to limit theirs to 1200-1800 a day. From there, you will need to decide how you will cut down those calories, like baking instead of frying, drinking water instead of sodas all the time. Google recipes for low calories. Just a few suggestions. Hope this helps!

Make small changes and go from there, using the scale to motivate you or how you look and feel to make bigger changes.

Try eating healthy all week and see what happens.

Then maybe try to eat even more healthier by taking a questionable food item out or replacing it with a healthier one.

Or try a new exercise.

Or try skipping a meal.

There are so many combinations.

But you know what you need to tackle in your heart of hearts. Rather than do everything at once take bite size steps that motivate you to do more because you see a difference on the scale or because how you feel or look.

That's what I did. All the way down from 281lbs.

I eat and exercise nothing like I did then. But it all started by just cutting chips.

The heavier you are, the greater your advantage. Small changes work better at higher weights.

Thank you both so much that's a great help! I've used my fitness pal in the past but dropped it, so I'll pick it up again and just start making changes as I go along.

Thanks!

Kkim, I soooooooo relate. I think we are soul sisters. I, too, have three kids and have had a ton of health issues in the last couple of years. My marriage is in a bad place right now. I can stick to a plan some days but then seems like one little slip more than destroys any progress I make. I'll lose a few pounds then splurge on one little thing and two or three pounds come back. I get so angry and discouraged. It's so much work for so little progress and so easy to have all your work just get set back to square one. I hate looking in the mirror. I hate seeing friends and family. I hate having my picture taken. I hate the suggestion of meeting friends for lunch. I, too, take wellbutrin and Prozac. I tried coming off of them and it was unbearable for me and everyone around me. I'm almost at the point where an eating disorder seems like the only option left. I'm using myfitnesspal and that seems to be the best because you can literally hold your phone up to the barcode of whatever you are eating and it plugs in all the info for you and counts calories and tells you what you have left. No writing things down. No keeping track and counting up totals. I'd love to have you and me push each other thru this **** one day at a time!!!

Omg! You are me! I have 3 girls, I'm currently fighting for full custody for, I've been on Wellbutrin for year but the doctor just added Prozac to help me get through the custody trial and fighting. I am engaged to a wonderful man but feel bad because I am so far away from what I used to be 5 years ago. I don't have pictures taken of me either and would love to feel good about myself again. I'm so far from that though it's hard to even remember what that feels like.

I just went grocery shopping this morning and bought lots of health foods and bought a new gym bag so I'm ready to go! I need to see major progress fast or Like you I think, "why did I do all this work and miss out on all that great junk food just for this!"

We were meant to meet on here...I believe it!

Kkim. I hope you check back here and get in touch. We can both do this.

One year all the ladies from my church were suddenly skinny!! I always knew it was a little cliquish, but I was all, "What's going on???" Basically several families all decided to do Juicing for the summer!!! They were really strict with it, thus the dramatic weight loss.

I tried it and liked it!

It can be hard if you go all in like that, I'm not going to lie. BUT! Even if you blend/juice one fruit or veggie a day, that green drink does carry you for a few hours! Soon it becomes habitual and eventually you don't think about diet at all. You simply have a green drink at home, eat moderately if you have to eat out, and concentrate on the rest of your life.

Don't mean to proselytize, apologies if I have!!

Hi! I'm sorry I've been super busy with work. I haven't been working out but I've been eating a lot better and have lost 5pounds! I love your Idea about making goals for the week, like working out Monday and telling eachother something that we avoided during the week. I'm proud that I avoided pizza this week and had a chicken breast instead! I'm also proud to have had yogurt for breakfast at least 3 days. What I need to add...working out and I need to avoid soda completely!

Let me know what you think our goals should be this week. I'm thinking about working out today or tomorrow. Maybe workout three times this week?