I need some help

[kt_mom]

I need help. I have gained 20 pounds in the last year and it seems to just keep coming. I am 5 foot 7 and this time last year I weighed about 153. I'm almost at 175 now. I was at about 160 in May. This is the heaviest I have ever been except when I was pregnant with my DD4.

I did WW once before I had my daughter and went from 160 to about 145 between february and may. I did really well on it. But I didn't have a little girl, or any snacks in the house and I followed it very strictly. And I walked about a mile and a half almost every day during the week. But I just can't seem to get in the groove with it anymore. I've tried several times and end up just eating for convenience instead of following the plan.

I know I'm in terrible shape. I'm tired all the time and I've gotten very lazy. I had Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis when I was a teenager which is gone now, but has affected my joints and how I feel about excercising. I have to get up at 5:45 for work and by the time I pick up DD and get home its 6 or a little after. By the time she has dinner and a bath and we spend a little bit of time together its 8:00 and time for her to go to bed and I'm worn out.

I need some help. I want more energy. I want to learn how to eat more healthy. But when it comes to making the choice I would rather have comfort food. Especially if you can melt cheese on it. (I love cheese, its a huge weakness for me.) And I really don't know how to cook healthy food.

I feel fat and miserable, but yet not enough it seems to do anything about it. I think about it all the time, especially after I finish eating something. I like to munch though, and I think I eat out of boredom.

 

[mom2alix]

I'm a cheese lover too. You might want to check out the South Beach diet. You can have cheese (lowfat varieties). It's low carb, but I can do that so long as I can have cheese.

For cheap/easy exercise, try getting a pedometer and counting your steps each day, then increasing them. Take the stairs at work, park in the farthest parking spot so you have to walk a ways, both at work at at the grocery store, etc. Make a goal each day as to how many steps you're going to do - you may find yourself walking in place in front of the tv at 8:30 after your DD has gone to sleep because you "just need another 500 steps".

Maybe sign your DD up for swimming lessons on the weekend and do a few laps yourself while she's there. Think of outdoor activities to do on your off days - take a hike and look at the fall foliage or just a long walk around your neighborhood with your DD.

 

[princessrunner]

We all hear your plea. I am up at 4:30 a.m. and working by 5. I have pretty much total kid responsibility as my DH works for himself and that means early mornings to late nights. My DD is a gymnast, field hockey and softball nut. My DS is a soccer and ice hockey nut so needless to say, I am in constant motion, just not always the right kind and eating quick and convenient is an easy trap to fall into. Join the resistance!!!

As far as DD and her snacks in the house. I only allow 100 calorie packs, pretzels, Smartfood, whole grain Goldfish and lots and lots of fruits for my kiddos. Funny that they get used to it pretty quickly and don't ask for much more. The South Beach worked wonders on DH as he lost 60+ pounds in a matter of months. I also have found a lot of recipes in the Biggest Loser cookbook and they entail cheese (my dad's nickname was Mouse ) and we also use cheese sticks as a snack around here.

Exercise can come in any of the ways suggested before but also consider your lunch time as an opportunity to exercise too. I get 30 minutes and can take 20 for a walk/jog and 10 to eat. Bike seat on the bicycle or bike trailer, jogging stroller (when DS was little he liked to push the stroller until the hills) and I have also put DS on his bike with training wheels and gone for a brisk walk.

Keep tuned here and you are sure to find the motivation to keep moving toward the light!!!!!

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

Seems like there are good suggestions that you can try. I know that you can do this. You know you need to. Believe in that thought. Your young ones will appreciate you more when you are feeling better about yourself.

Small steps will make you find your way. Keep on keepin' on.

 

[kt_mom]

Thanks for the support. I ordered a couple of workout videos off of Amazon. I got one that is sort of a dance workout type thing. I'm hoping that will be one that maybe DD and I can do together. She loves to dance around. The other two will be for when I have time to do them on my own. Their all three Denise Austin I think. I don't know much about her but I'm hoping.

I am and always have been a heavy soda drinker. Mostly diet soda but I go through phases of regular. So yesterday I had about coffee in the morning on the way to work then water, water water until I thought I would pop. I drank a can of diet coke with my lunch and then back to water water water. I had instant oatmeal for breakfast, a Weight Watchers meal for lunch and a granola bar for snack yesterday afternoon as well as a 100 cal pack of cookies. Then when I got home I gave into the craving and had a beer. I opened a second one, but only drank about half and poured it out. But my DH was off early and wanted to get take out so I ended up having filet and mashed potatoes for dinner. I had a small glass of milk with that. I felt like I did good all day and then blew it at dinner.

So I'm starting again today. I'm almost done with my coffee and then I will switch to water. I stopped at McDonalds and got one of thier fruit and walnut salads so I would have some fruit to snack on. I like to munch on stuff all day, so that is hard to give up. Luckily I'm not a big candy person so DD's spoils from tonight won't bother me much.

 

[princessrunner]

Don't feel like you blew it, give it another name like you indulged. Sometimes, I find that I have to focus on the good things that I do during the day and not the 1 bad thing, otherwise it gets overwhelming. Stay on the path with a few deviations, we are all human!!!!!