Hi everyone, I've been sitting here on my butt wanting to be thin but have taken little to no action to achieve that goal. I am going to nutrition classes with my mother because she is planning to have gastric bypass surgery either the end of this month or first on March and I see the constant struggle she has had throughout my life and I don't want my 4 children to see that. I have always been the fat kid and I'm ready to be lean and healthy. I went on the Adkins diet about 5 years ago and went from 214 down to 166 in about 6 months and felt better than I had in I don't know how long. I kept the wait off up until last year after my 4th child and getting my tubes cut and tied. At my 6 weeks checkup I was back to 166 but have now peaked at 211. The weight just kept coming on and on....I have went from a size 12 to my current size 18 snuggly. I am planning to get married June 16, 2007 and I don't want to be "the fat bride" and I don't want to follow in my mothers steps and end up having the only option to loose being surgery. I have done it before and I know I can do it again, my only problem is getting motivated. I am 5'3 1/2 inches tall and currently 211. I need help and some suggestions to start slowly with the exercises. I have never been big on the exercising but I know it's something I have to do. Can anyone help? Thanks in advanced

Shyheart,

Oh my gosh, you can do this, and you came to the right place to get support. Since you did so well with Atkins, start back on the program. Find some exercise that you will stick too daily. Take it one day, one pound at a time and find a thread where you will get the support you need.
I'm doing WW, and I exercise to Richard and the gang. I don't know how old your children our, but maybe you could exercise with Richard and have them join you. Might be fun.

Just know that there is so much support here, and you are not alone. We all striving to loose the fat once and for all.

Cheryl

Welcome! I am also an Atkins girl. Years ago my husband and I lost lots of weight (he lost nearly 100 pounds and I lost 60). We gained it all back due to loss of control, and now know that we just can't eat any other way. Our bodies just aren't suited for other methods. Also, being a parent, it helps to be able to eat nearly the same as everyone else with the few acceptions. That way, there are a few alterations to your plate you have to make, rather than cook something entirely seperate. I agree that if you did well on Atkins before, give it another try. I would think that your pending marriage would be the motivation you need, but if that's not enough.. go through the success pages in this forum and read through those success stories. Very inspiring!

Good Luck - If you need to chat, you can drop me a private message.

Hello everyone! Let me start by giving some history. I used to be very small...5'6 and 103lbs to be exact. That was when I was at the end of 8th grade year before the sexual abuse that I endored for many years started. Once it started I went to a whopping 214lbs over one summer. From a size 3-5 to a 22. Big jump huh. It's amazing what stress can do for our bodies. I am going to be 30 years old in November and I'm tired of being a victim to something that I couldn't control. I want to take my life back and make it better for me and my 4 children. I am getting married June 16, 2007 and I want to be a healthy lean bride. I am currently 5'3 1/2 inches tall and 209lbs and want to get down to 139lb by the time I start my new journey with the love of my life. Weight has been an issue for everyone in my family, as a matter of fact, my mother goes the 23rd of this month to get a date for her gastric bypass surgery. She is 5'2 and 330lbs and I do not want to end of having that as my only option to loose weight. I tried the Adkins diet about 5 years ago and lost from 214 to 166lbs in 6 months and kept it off until my last child was born 6-18-04, since then, I got my tubes cut and tied and had alot of complications from it and ended up having an endometrial ablation (spelling) My weight has rocketed back to my almost highest weight. I can't take feeling tired and fat anymore. I need to take control. ANyone have any suggestions on how to achieve this? I'm not very good at counting calories or fat, I get aggrivated and give up so I need something that is fairly easy and doesn't require alot of effort. Thanks!

HW:214
CW:209
GW:139

Just wanted to thank you both for the warm welcome. The hardest thing about the Adkins diet is my kids are now 8,6,4 and almost 2. They always want mac and Cheese, spaghetti and pizza. They love potatoes and pastas and I don't want to deprive them but with it being there, I eat it! When I lost it last time, I cut down on the "bad foods" never cut them out by learning portion control and would stop eating when I felt full instead of remembering what I was taught about wasting food. I just need to get my head back on straight and start doing it again. Never thought it would be this hard thou.

Well, I just got on the scales and weighing 203 this morning, it's a start....hopefully it will keep coming off...a few pounds closer to my goal. Yippy!

From reading your posts, I see that the biggest barrier is going to be how not to eat emotionally. I'm not sure I can help there. I can make a few suggestions. Get a fitday account (www.fitday.com). Plugging in foods and numbers lets me see what I'm doing and keeps me going. Make a master list of foods that you can make that you consider healthy and that you LIKE. Don't forget to include ready made stuff, snacks, and healthier alternatives to your favorite cravings. Research new recipes and foods. Make it an adventure. I feel good when I have bad days because instead of eating a whole bag of candy, I limited myself to 1 serving. Portion control is another part of the key and I love that I am learning that. Obviously I don't want to do that everyday because then I don't get enough nutrients from other foods. Calories in, Calories out. Find excercises. Wear a pedometer. Tell yourself you will walk 10,000 steps+ all day. Yesterday I went snow tubing. FUN! For me, 1 trip to the gym a week is an improvement over last year (no trips to the gym). WATER, WATER, WATER. That was the hardest change for me to make.

Ok everyone is talking about drinking alot of water.....any suggestions on how to make it taste better? I hate water and as of right now, I only drink Mountain Dew(which I know isn't good) and Tea(sweetened of course) I want something with flavor, water just makes me feel bloated and blah lol.

Hi there, Shyheart! I think it's great that you're going to do this now, before your new life and long before you have to worry about repeating your mother's experience. If you did it once, you can do it again-- because you know you have that power!

As for exercise, you could try going for walks with your kids or dog. It would be a good way to get out of the house (and way from the TV) and talk about your days, and just spend some time together.

As for the water, you could try putting lemon juice and a slice in it to make it a bit more fresh and exciting looking. But definitely try to avoid the soda! If you drink a can of Mountain Dew every day, you're taking in 1155 calories a week-- kind of scary when you realize a whole pound is only about 3 times that. Maybe you should try switching to diet? (But it does take some getting used to!)

Good luck!

I'm in WV and right now, we have about 7 inches of snow and it has been really cold so the walking for now is out, but spring is just around the corner and to me, spring is the start of new beginnings so i'm looking forward to it. I've decided starting tomorrow, i'm going to cut my dew down to 1 bottle a day for a week. That is dropping it from between 3-4 bottles a day. It's a start. Maybe after this week, I can delete it completely from my diet. I am making a goal to drink hopefully 64oz of water a day somehow. My boyfriend is going to attempt this with me, he's about 5'9 and 180lbs. I have alot further to go than he does but doing it together should be more fun. I went to the fitday site and it finally sunk in how much the mountain dew really affects me. If I hadn't drank any of it today, my calorie intake would have been 1111 but because i had it was 2101. That's a big difference. I'm ready to make this change, wish everyone luck in my house lol. BTW...thanks for taking the time to reply to my post, the support is great here and I'm so glad I found this site. Thanks!

Thanks for the site...I love it!

Shyheart, If plain water is not thrilling you, try flavored water. I personally like the Fruit2-0 brand especially the grape. I also like the flavored sparking(carbonated) water. Have you tried diet dew? BTW are you still getting snow? I'm from the piedmont area of NC, and we got snow shower, (didn't stick but was pretty), but our mountains got a good bit--good for the ski industry. Did you really like Atkins when you were on it? If you did it may be a good place to start, but if you didn't maybe you could try something different. If you don't like the program, you're going to rebel and not follow it. I'm counting calories because I don't like to be told what I can and cannot eat. I guess it's the little kid in me.

Let me know how you are doing. Take care and keep warm!!!

Terina

Crystal Light makes a new flavoring pouch called flavor 2 go (?). You just add it to your water (mine is bottled) and go. 5 cal.

I can tolerate Diet Dew, think it's more of just habit of buying the regular. I'm going to hold off a few days on this diet because yesterday my boyfriends dad passed away and I'll admit, I'm on an emotional eat cycle which I know I'm gonna slack on the plan so I'll just put it off. Get a new start when my nerves are settled and everything has been taken care of. I liked Adkin's diet alot except for the fact that you weren't suppose to have potatoes. As far as the snow, it's stopped for the moment, we still have about 7 inches on the ground but it's suppose to be in the 60's Thursday and Friday so hopefully it will all melt Take care, Jess

Jess, I'm sorry to hear about your boyfriend's father. I know how stressful it can be. Please take care of yourself and I'll remember you and your boyfriend in my prayers.

(((((Terina))))))
That's me sending you hugs