Needing some help

Hello. I am Sarah and a single mother of an almost 2 year old.

I weigh 2x what I did before pregnancy and would like to get back to my prepregnancy weight. My excess weight is starting to cause me heath problems (diabetes, hypoactive thyroid) and is starting to effect my relationship with my daughter (due to having NO energy).

I am not very active due to always being to tired to do anything. After my daily tasks are done I do not have the energy (and motivation) to do anything extra and I really need help with that.

I soley take care of my almost 2 year old so I do not get any alone time. That also effects what I can do.

I also suffer from extreme depression. Some of which is weight related. I'm at a loss. I have tried this before and given up because I have seen no improvement. This is my last hope.

Replies

  • bearondiet
    bearondiet Posts: 53 Member
    Good luck. Once you find a working method making progress, weight loss is simple. You will reach your goal eventually.
  • moonlighto6
    moonlighto6 Posts: 2 Member
    Try taking your daughter for a walk. A little exercise will elevate your mood, entertain your daughter and help your weight loss. You dont have to go far the first time. Try just around the block.
  • christina_odis
    christina_odis Posts: 6 Member
    Sarah think of how good you will feel with yourself if you eat and look healthy. Try to find some time for your self to get out of depression! You can start a 30 minutes walking for a beginning
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
    First off, you've take the first step. Which is good. ^_^ Thing is, we all kinda have our own ways of losing weight, though they all follow the basic concept of burning more calories than we consume. I can give you suggestions on what I did, but you'll need to find a method that you consider sustainable that works with your schedule. The key word is 'sustainable'. If you try one of the fad diets (Atkins, paleo, whatever is out right now) and it's not a way of eating that you'll be happy sticking with for the rest of your life, it's not for you. It's ok to stop it and try something else.

    Second, it's ok to start small! I would suggest weighing your food for a week to see where you're starting from. It will be a shock to see just how much you normally eat, but that's ok. You're here to change that, but you need to know where you're coming from first. Once you know, change one thing at a time. Like, swap out soda for a lower-calorie drink you enjoy instead. Once you get used to that, change something else. Little changes, over time, will add up. You'll also be retraining your brain and body to what proper portions are, which will help you keep it off.

    Third, exercise is NOT needed for weight loss. You can lose weight by just controlling your calorie intake. There are lots of people on here that have done so, me included. Now, exercise is good for other things, so if you can add it do so, but if you can't or don't want to exercise right now, that's fine. If you do want to start, what moonlighto6 suggested is a good idea. Go outside with your daughter, walk in one direction for about 10 minutes, turn and walk back. Bam, 20 minute walk! Doesn't have to be fast, doesn't have to be far. You'll probably be limited to how far your daughter can go right now, but that's ok. The important thing is to start somewhere, even if it's a short start. You can build on that when feel ready to.

    Fourth, you will have off days. Unexpected dinners out, celebrations and holidays, days you just don't care. Just log it and move on. Going over doesn't sabotage your progress or makes you a failure. It just makes you human. We've all had off days, it's normal.
  • fedman79542
    fedman79542 Posts: 15 Member
    Good luck to you on your journey. I have tried many different diets before which included taking prescribed medication.. in my opinion my fitness pal by far is the best way to keep an up to date average of your daily calorie count allowing you to lose weight and maintain your ideal weight. I myself started using my fitness pal off and on well over a year ago. Up until now I personally never used the app to its full potential ( weighing in, using the community, etc) but I did use it to keep track of my calories and fat in take. I have lost over 100 pds with the help of my fitness pal and have had no problem keeping it off.You can lose your desired weight as well. I wish you the best.
    Fedman79542