Sheri, welcome! You'll find lots of support here! I too used to be fit, trim, and healthy. I too am a homemaker (I stopped teaching in 2001). I too suffer from bouts of depression and anxiety, and although it's not weight-related, my weight does not help my self-esteem. I too do not have close friends to talk to, I am more family-oriented, so I completely understand! But you are so lucky that your mother directed you here, because it really does make a difference! About a month ago, I weighed 216. Just today, I weigh 199! Just think about what I can weigh in another month, and a month after that! And you can change your body too! The thing is, you just have to make up your mind to make a real change. You have to be sick and tired of being buried in a body that is not the real you! And instead of beating yourself up about it and eating even more in resignation, make a change! It's your brain, your body, you have control over it! You're not in a race. You don't have to lose weight quickly (believe me, that kind of thinking derailed me plenty of times!). You have to change the way you think about what you are going to put into your body. Read lots. Learn about good foods, what they can do for you, what balance you need, what effect they have on your insulin level and blood glucose. Those things affect hunger. Once you learn about the right foods--protein, complex carbs, good fats, etc. and the right portions and you incorporate those into your eating--it won't be so hard! Remember, there is no all or nothing. You won't be perfect and you will make mistakes, but hey, that's life. You just learn by it and continue on. You don't give up, because there is no giving up. It's not a diet you can "blow"; it's a healthy lifestyle that you can slip-up on sometimes, but you can't stop, because it's your life. That's how you have to think. And you will start to see a difference and you will start to be happier and prouder of yourself! You can do it Sheri! This is a great place. Come here everyday. Get involved. Read lots and post lots, and think about getting involved in a challenge under "Chicks up for a Challenge." It will help to keep you accountable. Good luck! You can do it!
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