Completely disgusted with myself because of my weight!

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I am 27 years old, a mother of 3 children (six and under). I started a life change a few months ago and did amazing a for a few weeks and then because of two illnessess back to back (horrible chest cold and stomach flu) I completely got off track! I gained the 14 pounds I had lost and added 3 more pounds to that! I now weigh 293! I am only 5'2 so as you can imagine I am very overweight! The highest weight in my whole life. I am disgusted with myself and I don't recognize myself in the mirror! I am depressed and feel overwhelmed like I don't even know where to start! It's so sad that I let something as simple as food control my life! I know fully that vegetables and fruits are better than chocolate and that fast food is bad but I still choose the worst foods possible! I over eat most of the time and if I try to diet or do I life change I feel like I am starving! I really want to be healthier for myself, for my kids, for my husband, until I am hungry again and then I put all those thoughts aside and eat, eat, and eat a lot!!! I know there are people out there with success stories and helpful tips! I would love to hear them all!

Replies

  • IAMTHEREALSTIG
    IAMTHEREALSTIG Posts: 2 Member
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    You always got to start somewhere. Add a structure; Im doing low carb, and many low carb foods are filling. Find things that you can eat if youre hungry, but aren't high in calories or carbs. Find something to do if youre distracted. Stop buying unhealthy foods, youll probably pay less for groceries, and have fresh foods. Once you get over 2 weeks of being "clean" it gets easier, and your body adjusts. You can do it, I know you can.
  • MadamChick
    MadamChick Posts: 52 Member
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    I am of mom of 4 and I know how hard it is. My secret is I log no matter what....even if I am having a bad day and totally go over. As long as I log I don't feel bad.
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,578 Member
    edited May 2015
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    The best tip I can give you: just take it one. day. at. a time. And you have to want to lose weight way more than you want to eat, eat, eat. It took me a long time to get to this point. I've been trying, off and on, to become "unobese" for 9 or 10 years. I really didn't get my UUUMPH until this January. Why? the dumbest reason. I couldn't fit into a pair of size 18 jeans that I wanted to wear to a concert with a friend. Really stupid. But it made me mad that I gained so much weight that even the 18 stretch mom-jeans couldn't even come up to my belly, let alone fasten shut.

    The biggest mistake I made the first time I tried MFP was to get so darn discouraged when I had an off week. Not just an off day, but an off week. I got so mad at myself for not even having the simple willpower to do THIS SIMPLE THING that I gave up. I said "I am doomed and I will always be this huge!!"

    What I should have done was say "Ok, self, you had a bad week. Get back with the program now!" If I had done that, I probably would not have gained even more weight, and I'd probably be close to my goal weight now.

    SO...understand that you will have weeks where you don't lose, or where you don't lose as much as you'd like. You may have a day where you over-eat. You may even have 2 days where you do that. The trick is to get RIGHT BACK ON THE WAGON as soon as you fall off...or wander off intentionally.

    Be patient with yourself. You didn't get this overweight overnight, neither will you lose it overnight.

    Like Dory said to Nemo: Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming.
  • MakePeasNotWar
    MakePeasNotWar Posts: 1,329 Member
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    I think the biggest piece of advice I would have is to stop shaming yourself. Yes, you gained some weight and now you need to lose it. It doesn't make you a bad person, it just means you made some poor choices and now you have some work to do.

    Low self esteem and shame are two big reasons that women overeat in the first place. Getting to a point where you can feel some compassion and love for yourself will make it easier to treat your body well and give it the proper nutrition you know it needs.

    From a totally practical point of view, if you aren't ready to jump in with both feet yet, try just eating a salad (light or no dressing) or a broth based vegetable soup at the beginning of lunch and dinner every day. It will partially fill you up, and displace some of the higher calorie food in your entree, so your total calorie intake at the meal will go down. You may also notice a change in your energy levels as you start eating more veggies. This will not take you all the way to your goal, but it is an easy and painless way to get started.
  • xquisiteluv
    xquisiteluv Posts: 82 Member
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    SW 250
    CW 212
    GW 150
    want to lose about 50 60lbs myself looking for motivation and friends feel free to add me my name is Luekisha I'm 26 a mother of 2 and I'm from NJ btw...With the support and encouragement from others we all can do this!! Stay blessed everyone! :)
  • PopeyeCT
    PopeyeCT Posts: 249 Member
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    wizzybeth wrote: »
    Like Dory said to Nemo: Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming.

    I love this!

  • professionalHobbyist
    professionalHobbyist Posts: 1,316 Member
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    Sometime circumstances and life back us into a corner and we need help getting out.

    It is always ok to seek books or help on self esteem. We get insulted and shamed enough over weight. It is especially hurtful when we do it from the inside.

    Some people have a degree of body dysmorphia and will never be satisfied with how they look, always feeling a degree of less than.

    I encourage you to set realistic goals and live one hour at a time thrunyourndaybto reach them.

    Celebrate your own victories! Enjoy your encouragement from other of us on here!

    Best wishes on your journey. You can do it.
  • wennim
    wennim Posts: 276 Member
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    It is all one day at a time some days even just one hour at a time. I started this last time in March of 2014 at 292 lb and 5'3". Today I am around 170 lb. I know things come up and make it darn near impossible to keep going but I have learned that I just have to keep pushing through it. You will be hungry at first until you learn what foods will fill you up. There are still days that I am starving usually due to a big work out but if I do need to go over my calories I make sure to do it with healthy foods.

    I started out with trying to lose 10 lbs. The small amount seems pretty doable and it gave me a sense of accomplishment and some motivation to go to the next 10 lbs. It isn't an all or nothing thing. Gradually make changes. Try not to bring the bad food into the house. That way if you really want it, you will have to think about it before you can over indulge. I don't know about your kids but having to get mine headed in the right direction when they were younger was a chore not taken lightly and would seriously cut down on trips for bad food. If you feel you must have fast food opt for a grilled chicken sandwich or another lower calorie item on the menu.

    I had five kids in 8 years so I know how busy being a mom is but if mom is unhappy then the kids aren't as happy as they could be. I had/have very low self esteem. I am working on it and have become more accepting of myself and being able to move on more quickly when I make a mistake. I still see myself as I was 15 months ago and I don't know that that is ever going to change. But as I have taken on this challenge I have a sense of accomplishment in myself.

    Losing weight is not easy or there would be no overweight people. There will be set backs and there will be days where you wonder if it is worth it. Those are the days when you need to come back and reread your post to remember why you started in the first reason. Good luck...you can do this!
  • faithyang
    faithyang Posts: 297 Member
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    Hi Britt, I know how you feel! Don't feel bad, and don't let the weight get you down. If there's one thing I realise, weight can always, always, always be lost. So don't give up hope that the weight you have gained is somehow here to stay.

    I reckon you are more disappointed by the fact that you have "failed" to keep your weight within your expectations. But being a mom is not an easy thing to do. Its a massive lifestyle change, it means you don't have the time, luxury and many times, energy to be able to just do anything whenever wherever on a whim as you're busy looking after 3 little rugrats!

    As the posters above said, a day a time, small steps at a time. It seems overwhelming when you look at it as a massive blob of weight/things to do to lose that weight. But just as weight takes time to creep on, so does it to melt off, so the best way to do it, is to slice it up into manageable, no fuss steps which you can incorporate into your busy mom lifestyle, and its harder to slip up. You'll also feel great ticking them off.

    Start by simple things - if you drink lots of sugary drinks, cut that in half, or if you're game, all at once. That will shed a significant amount of weight straight away. Never drink your calories! If you have binged on a big meal - don't fret. Exchange one meal the next day or later that evening with a light vegetable soup, and end it with a piping hot cup of tea. Hide ALL treats out of sight, in non-clear containers. I read an article that people with junk food kept in sight and in reach are at least 8 pounds heavier than those who do not!
  • mrsfrazier078
    mrsfrazier078 Posts: 13 Member
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    Hi Britt, I know the feeling. I have 3 children 7, 4, and 3 myself and it is hard. I am also at my heaviest as well. Maybe we can encourage each other and keep each other accountable. Feel free to add me as a friend