New mom, new life!

MandaElaine11

Hi everyone! I wanted to introduce myself here and give a little background.

My name is Amanda. I'm the wife of a wonderful man and the mother of an amazing 6 month old little boy. I have always struggled with my weight. It seems like I've been gaining and losing weight in a constant cycle since childhood. After getting married in 2007, my husband and I decided to have a baby. After years of testing, fertility drugs, and tears I decided that I was never going to become a mother if I didn't get healthy.

When I stepped on the scale, I couldn't believe what I saw. I weighed 294 pounds. I was 6 pounds away from 300! I had always been heavy, but never that heavy. Between the fertility drugs and stress, I had gone from a size 16/18 to a 20/22 (24/26 in some brands). I was unhealthy and miserable. I took a break from the fertility meds and joined Weight Watchers. I lost almost 60 pounds and decided to give motherhood another try.

In March of 2012 I found out I was pregnant. We were thrilled, but my weight was still a concern. After nearly 5 years of struggling to get pregnant, I was terrified of losing the baby. I still tried to eat healthy, but I was too scared to exercise. By the end of my pregnancy, I was back up to 292. I felt like I had let myself down. After dealing with an unexpected c-section and the craziness of a newborn, I stepped back on the scale. I was right at 260. I had lost a lot since the baby, but I had a long way to go.

I joined WW again, but couldn't get back in the groove. I needed something different. After my weight jumping up and down for months, I started researching alternatives. And now here I am. I am counting calories, doing C25K (after walking 12 miles a week for a month, I finally felt strong enough to pick up the pace!), and looking ahead. This morning the scale said 247.2. I see a change in my body already. I have never jogged in my life, but I am loving it. It's a struggle, but I am almost done with the first week and already feel accomplished. I want to be healthy for my son, my future children, my husband, and myself.

I look forward to getting to know everyone here and participating in such a supportive community!