Help! Advice! Encouragement!

CouponQueen09

I'll take whatever! I'm a SAHM mom to two little ones. I've been overweight my entire life (I'm 31). I'm 200+ pounds right now. I have family members who are easily 400-500 pounds or more. My grandpa died in his early 50's from a heart attack. He had diabetes and high blood pressure. My 82 year old grandma just got diagnosed with diabetes. My dad has it. My aunt has it. I had gestational diabetes (diet-controlled) while pregnant with both kids.

I've tried to start exercising some. Lost my focus the past few weeks because of sickness and stress. Don't have the money to join a gym.

My eating/drinking habits are bad. Mostly because I make sure the kids drink and get fed pretty nutritiously, and then, I just don't feel like eating or drinking. I'm slowly making myself eat some more fruits and veggies.

I'm starting to make more foods from scratch. I'm reading labels more closely trying to avoid things like High Fructose Corn Syrup, MSG, and other bad additives.

I have a hard time drinking water. I just don't like to drink anything unless I'm really thirsty. So, I'm pretty bad about doing that. I might get 3 glasses on a good day, along with an occasional glass of skim milk. I only drink diet sodas if they are in my house (which is rare).

I don't want to end up a diabetic. I want more energy to be with my kids, and work in my garden when the weather warms up. I want to find clothes that FIT!

I don't have a supportive family, and seeing that most of them are diabetic and/or beyond morbidly obese, I just can't rely on them to help me with weight loss.

Also, looking for healthy meal and snack ideas that are affordable and a 1 year old and a 3 year old would eat along with a picky husband, and me of course.

Thanks for any help!

drvvork

The water... look into buying flavored water that has no calories and especially no sodium (you have to look... I was surprised). My mother would not drink water - said it made her ill so I bought the flavored water from Aldi's for her to drink when she came home from the hospital only she didn't come home. So I started drinking it (I didn't drink much water before this either) - I find it much easier to meet my water requirements drinking these. I put 4 bottles to chill every day and get one out in lue of going to the coffee pot between meals now and so far I've hit my water goals daily:drinker: .

As far as the children:flowerforyou: ... you might want to calculate how many calories they are to be taking in daily and make their menu plans accordingly as theirs and yours will be different. I can't suggest anything for meal plans, sorry - my diet is very restrictive as to what I can eat due to health issues... :ohwell:

I know what you are talking about with the non-supportive family - I've been dealing with the type my entire life. :grumble:

Good luck on your journey I know you will do great!... :bigsmile:

fooja

hi, and welcome!! this place is excellent for support and motivation! im a sahm of 4 (with no help) and im a lil over 200 (215) i have no support and motivation at home either. ive lost 14lbs this past month and my next goal is to lose atleast 16 by march 9th!!! i have an elliptical here at home, its not as nice as the ones at the gym, but i cant afford anything that nice. i joined a gym last april and just wasnt feeling it, so i only went for like a week. i got totally ripped off because i didnt know they were charging my credit card. so i wasted over 100$ on nothing. i will never go back to Bally's anyways, at home machines are kinda expensive but can be worth it, ur gna waste just as much at a gym. currently its easier for me to work out at home because by the time i get the kids ready and load them in the car, i dont wanna go anywhere anymore!!!!! maybe buy a work out dvd to start, or find exercises u can do around the house. or if u have a wii u can do wii fit. it may take a while, but just find out what works for you! also, id advise to get all the crappy food outta the house, makes it easier not to snack if its not there. i keep some snacks for the kids, but i buy things i know i wont eat. after a week or so i found it easier not to be eating all the time. although, i have days where i want crap but i just dont give in. the important thing is that you've made the decision to lose weight and join mfp!!!!! just keep on working at it and dont give up!!!! and im very sorry to hear that u have family members that big....maybe u can motivate them good luck!!!!!!!


also....for my water, i buy the crystal light (or the store brand) packs. u can put one into a bottle of water for flavor and theyre like 5 calories. it definately helps me get my water in. theres lots of different flavors!

Romba

Hey NBC's Biggest Loser is searching for candidates!! You should try to sign up, with your story they may pick you!!!! They said they are casting for a new season.

If not, lol, my fitness pal is the place to be for encouragement. If it weren't for MFP I would have already went back to my old ways but every day I log exactly everything i eat so I see how much I am overeating.

Good luck, you have the right attitude and I know you can do it.

BassBoneBabe

Welcome! For exercises, involve the little ones. Play follow the leader around the house, it gets you moving and them too! Also, if you have stairs in your house you can make it a point to go up and down them so many times then try to gradually increase how many times you go up and down them. You don't have to have fancy equipment to exercise. i find that my son is a big help in the "exercising" department.

I hope that you can find the kind of encouraging family here that you long for at home. I agree with fooja, maybe you can be an encouragement to them. One piece of advice I would have, if you are going to go over to any of their homes, eat before you go, so you aren't tempted to eat the goodies that may be lurking!

Good luck, and enjoy the start of your new life!

TwentyTen

Welcome to MFP!
I am new here myself and just beginning this journey. You will find all the support, encouragement and motivation you could ask for here. The tools help, and there is alot of great advice.

You can find many many great meal idea's here. I am not much of a cook myself, but there are just a ton of great recipe's and easy snack idea's, so I would suggest looking at them, there are pages and pages of yummy things! Surely you can find meal idea's that will please everyone, as well as being healthy. Your kids are young enough too that you can train their taste buds to prefer healthy foods over bad ones.

And the water.. I have been dehydrating myself for years. You have to teach your body to feel thirsty again I have found. I have a 90 year old aunt who is very active, and what she has done for years is drink water hot, as if it were tea. She does not even put a slice of lemon in in or anything, but you could, and just sip it. I guarantee, once you start introducing water into your day habitually, you will start to want more of it. That's how it works for me anyway.

Your already off to a great start !

Romba

oh and by the way... www.eatbetteramerica.com is a great place to find "healthified" recipies. They take member submitted recipes and make them healthier and there are tons of recipes, and advice.

Essence320

:flowerforyou: First of all, CONGRATS on finding a safe place to work on improving yourself. I too have a family of obese and morbidly people with diabetes and heart problems. I know how hard it can be to make changes with no support. You'll definitely get that and more here.

I have found the that the easiest thing for our family meals is to cook a great healthy meal and add something extra for them to enjoy. Ex) last night was grilled chicken w/low cal, low sodium teriyaki sauce, green beans and for them mac &cheese. I also use a smaller plate than I used to. You can find alot of great recipes in the message boards here.

The smartest thing I did to tackle the water issue was buying a Pur Flavor Options Filter. Its sink mounted and you can choose from a few different flavors with no calories or sodium. My entire family has benefitted from increasing our water intake.

Workout DVD's have been my saving grace. I actually like going to the gym but sometimes time just doesn't allow it. I can get in a late workout once the kids are in bed.

Good luck:happy:

cathomer

Hi, I've just joined, also needing motivation, but here's my thoughts.
I'm also a sahm, to a one year old, it's hard feeding her and feeding myself. People say I should eat at the same time, which I can do at breakfast but other times she's eating earlier than I want to, and I need to keep an eye on her more. I find that I just snack all day and don't have a proper lunch. The thing is though, I think this could work if they were healthier.

I suggest keeping carrot sticks and hummus in the fridge, maybe some frittata sliced up, cherry tomatoes, fruit, and yoghurts. You could also have some pita or breadsticks to dip in the hummus too for some carbs, or make your own dip, there are some great recipes out there. That way you'll be getting more fruit and veg and not having to worry about having a proper meal, other than breakfast and dinner.
I think that's what I'm going to try anyway, must not give in to temptation when I go to town for coffee with friends though.

For breakfast I'm planning on having yoghurt and banana. I used to do this when I was trying to lose weight at school and I found it kept me full quite a long time, plus if you're snacking throughout the day then you won't need to worry about being full until lunch. They're quite good snacks for the kids too so you can eat the same stuff.

Hope you get where you want to be. I know what it's like, I've been overweight my whole life too, I'm 25 this year. I feel like it's now or never as I've got everything I need now to be able to lose it. I've joined the gym, classes and swimming only, which is great, but if you can't then get walking, are there places near you that are accessible and pleasant? It's important I think to enjoy the walk, that was my problem before, I could go out and walk but it wasn't very pleasant. I'm also having a go at the c25k, I want to do race for life in July.

shaggys

Congratulations on changing your eating habits!
Your children are small,and you can help them by feeding them fresh fruits and vegetables now,before they develop a taste for junk and processed foods.Think of their future-only you can permanently wipe out that family pattern of obesity!
Most gyms are really not that expensive,and you can pay on a monthly basis.Golds is just $35 a month,and for an extra $15 you can bring the kids!They can have fun and play for up to two hours!That is equivalent to just ONE drive thru trip to McDonald's a week! Planet Fitness is like $10 a month,but they do not have childcare...
Get outside(weather permitting)take walks with the kids,the park,anywhere -but get away from the TV and temptations.
Good luck and stay strong!Don't let anyone at home discourage you!Keep up the good work!
:flowerforyou:

kgrutch

i think walking is a great place to start, dont just stroll but try to go as fast as you can. every week try to go a little faster and a little farther. push yourself.

with foods, when i first started eating really healthy, i stuck to similar foods every day. it was easier for me this way, also i didnt keep any junk foods in the house. first, get rid of all white processes flours, sugars (stuff like icecream, chips, white bread, cookies, crackers, etc). change your bread, rice and pasta to whole grain. of course as you had mentioned add fruits and veggies. stick to lean, unprocessed meats and fish.

for months i ate steel cut oatmeal, skim milk, blueberries for breakfast, egg white omelet with whole grain toast for midmorning snack, always a sweet potato and cottage cheese throughout the day. i then mixed up fish, chicken, turkey along with veggies and 1-2 pieces of fruit. i lost all of my weight with this plan and now i have allowed some other options in. i just found it too difficult to come up with healthy new ideas every day so it was easier to stick with the basics.

good luck on your journey!!

HonestOmnivore

A good start can be to rid your house of junk food. No more Twinkies or cupcakes (if you have those) - take them to a shelter or food pantry where someone who NEEDS calories might be grateful for a treat!

Make sure you have a TARGET RICH ENVIRONMENT of healthy snacks! If there's something easy and within reach you probably wont have the urge to make an effort to find something bad. I keep the five pound bags small crisp apples around- if I'm hungry, grabbing an apple does wonders! Also baby carrots and broccoli spears - celery if you can like it (hate it!). Hard boiled eggs are cheap sources of protein and fat and have great staying power!

Once you have your junk food gone and healthy foods on hand, start working to build healthy easy and quick meals for your family. I buy dream-field pasta and substitute it for the pasta in the package mixes on a lazy night - at least I'm cutting back a little on some of the bad stuff! Keep some sugar alternatives on hand, like stevia and Splenda and buy sugar free when you can. Almost anything that comes in a "low fat" version will be an easy substitute for the full fat flavor!

If you husband wants junk food - treat it like cigarette smoke and have him keep it outside and eat it out of your site. He can understand what a dangerous health situation you are trying to save yourself from, and keep your kids healthy. There is no reason to think you're hurting your kids by only giving them junky treats every once in a while (like school parties or Halloween).

Look for an elliptical machine used in the classified ads or on Craig's list or eBay - or get a standard stationary bike! OR if you're broke - walk and jog in place! It really doesn't matter as much what you do, as long as you break into a sweat and keep it up for at least ten minutes but eventually 45 -50 minutes several days a week (I try for six).

GOOD LUCK!!!

mrsbeck

Most kids, even picky ones, will eat fruit, so definitely work that into their diets. A lot of little kids like feeling like they are in control, so serve things like sliced pita or baby carrots with hummus...they'll have fun picking up the food and dipping it. Depending on how old they are, there's lots you can do to improve their eating habits, so that your food and their food isn't completely different. You'll burn out quick making two separate meals.

Again, depending on how old and mobile your kids are, try dancing. Put some music on and all of you bounce around to the music. Every bit of movement you can wring out of your day is gonna be helpful. Bundle them up and walk to the park.

You seem to have the right attitude to be successful at this. Just don't stop looking for ways to be healthier. It may take baby steps, it may take a really long time, but what the heck, you've got a lifetime ahead of you, and two little ones to live and be healthy for.

CouponQueen09

Thanks for everything so far. Believe me, I'm reading and taking it all in!

Gym memberships and exercise machines ain't happenin' around here. We live paycheck to paycheck. Simply can't afford it. That's why I joined MFP because it's FREE! :laugh: I have enjoyed doing Zumba routines uploaded onto YouTube though, and I have a couple of Leslie Sansone DVDs.

I don't have a park within walking distance. My neighborhood is very hilly, and I'm beyond out of shape. I've also had both babies via c-section, and it pulls so badly when I go up and down those hills! So, the only time I've gone out to walk was when my husband could go with me because I was afraid I wouldn't make it between the hills, the c-section scars, and pushing two kiddos in a double stroller!

I don't really keep a lot of junk food in our house. My main goal (besides losing weight) this year is to steer clear of bad food additives. My husband and I are planning on a bigger garden this year, and I want to learn how to can.

I made homemade strawberry jam a few weeks ago after being thoroughly disgusted that high fructose corn syrup was the main ingredient in the jams you find on the store shelves. The taste is so much better, and I know (and can pronounce) the three items that went into making the jam.

My kids love to dip things (and so do I), and I'm even more appauled to find high fructose corn syrup as the main ingredient in ketchup AND in the light ranch dressing we eat (and MSG in that). I'm on a mission to make and bake more on my own this year rather than buy the processed junk on the shelves.

With that said, that's probably one of my biggest downfalls: my love for baking and cooking. There are time I want to bake (like today), and then I have this tempting pan of cookies, brownies, or bread before me. Then, of course, if I get depressed, I tend to eat more of that stuff to 'comfort' me.

drvvork

Someone on the MFP site mentioned Hungry-Girl... they have nutritional items to bake - you might try some of those... I haven't had the opportunity as of yet. I only bake at Thanksgiving and Christmas but this coming year I will be trying some of them.

mrsbeck

Ah, but if you bake it, you control how good/bad it is for you! Substitute applesauce or pumpkin puree for the fat, reduce the egg yolks, tweak the sugars, use dark chocolate instead of milk...You can definitely feed your baking urges and cooking creativity by experimenting with "light" cooking.

Do you have a Half-Price Books Store where you live? I go there and check the cooking section. I come home with Cooking Light magazines with dozens of low cal and healthy recipes, and I get them for 99 cents. Cover price on those things is like 4.50! They're a great resource.

As to walking around your neighborhood-please hear this in the kind, gentle tone in which I am saying it:flowerforyou: - You will never get in shape to walk those hills unless you start doing it. Walk 200 yards from your house. Turn around and walk back. Or 400, 600, whatever amount you can handle. Every couple weeks, go a little farther.

Obviously, if you're not recovered yet from childbirth, start small and slow and work up. But you won't get anywhere unless you start moving.

Also, kudos for all the home-cooking and food research you're doing. That is the best gift you can give yourself and your family in terms of getting and keeping all of you healthy. I definitely applaud your efforts there!:drinker:

drvvork

Someone on the MFP site mentioned Hungry-Girl... they have nutritional items to bake - you might try some of those... I haven't had the opportunity as of yet. I only bake at Thanksgiving and Christmas but this coming year I will be trying some of them.

Here's the link:
http://www.hungry-girl.com/chew/index.php

newDZ

the best thing is to keep at it. i made the decision last year. and i'm glad i did

lreed

Congratulations on working on yourself! I know as a busy mom, it is the last time we have the energy for! You sound like the walking is hard, I would still encourage you to get the hubby out there with you maybe twice a week and get to walking. I walked this morning for an hour and burned 540 calories (and really enjoyed the walking time with my man)
Re: the water, Please please please, buy a large container and figure out how you will drink it. I find that if I have a 24 oz bottle with me I will drink more if I am in the car, or just goal 1 by noon, 1 by 4, 1 by 7 then I got in 72 oz, not bad. Also I HAVE to have lemon in my water and it's pretty cheap, 1/2 lemon will last me all day! Good luck! You can do it! Cutting out that high fructose cornsyrup will up with the sugar cravings!

ractayjon

i have 4 kids and I can tell you that at 1 and 3 you are at a perfect place to be able to feed them and teach them to eat the right way as they grow up.
For meals for the kids why do they need to eat something different then you eat - if you are eating healthy then they should be too and vice versa. I always make 1 meal and it feeds us all ever since the kids were able to eat. some of the staples in our house are baked chicken breasts, mashed potato/baked potato mashed up - not made with lots of butter and veggies. You can cut the chicken breasts into "squares" and tell them they are eating chicken nuggets. My girls were 5 before they realized that "chicken nuggets" were different then what I made. :laugh:
Other meals in our house that are a hit with all ages:
Pasta with chicken meatballs (ground chicken and spices) and veggies (usually broccoli) and maybe red sauce or olive oil with some parm cheese -messy for the little ones, but I serve this before bathtime
Chili - this is a great one....lean ground turkey in the chili, made very mild with kidney beans, onions, peppers - the veggies are there, the protein, carbs - and I will serve it over Whole grain tortilla chips - like "nachos" - for the baby I just serve it as I would soup/baby food
We love turkey sandwiches on whole wheat bread. I will add lettuce, tomato and sometimes turkey bacon, sometimes cheese. the little ones usually take the sandwich apart and eat it all individually but thats ok with me. I will pair this with homemade chicken soup sometimes or other times I will skip the lettuce on the sandwich and serve with a salad - the little one may not like the salad at first but after they continually see the others eating it they will want to too...sometimes this entiremeal winds up getting eaten with their fingers but thats ok with me.
Another favorite in our house is homemade pizza - the kids LOVE it at all ages (cut it into little pieces for the baby). Use a whole wheat/grain crust - made very thin, I add a bit of olive oil (rather then red sauce) light amount of cheese and load it with veggies (mushrooms, peppers, onions, broccoli) let the kids put the veggies on - even the 1 year old....they will earn to like healthy pizza rather then "take out"
My 4 year olds favorite meal is grilled cheese -- I will make that for everyone on whole grain bread, no extra butter, cheese, ham, tomato -I serve this for lunch a lot with some yogurt (plain, for no sugar) with fruit (Strawberries or blueberries)
There is no reason for you to eat differently then they do and you can do it healthy all around.
Good luck!!

ltlhmom

Food planning helps a lot. Weighing, measuring helps with portion control. I think if you set down the night before you go shopping for the week groceries figure out what you will make for the week. Some meals you can make into two meals. Bake a whole chicken and with the leftovers make chicken salad, chicken pot pie, or soup for the next day lunch or supper. www.myrecipes.com is also a great website for recipes. Try to add more fruit and veggies for meals and snacks. I have tried to cut back on the starch a little bit so sometime we have a meat, veggie and fruit with our meal. Or instead of having a veggie I will serve a fruit with the meal. Maybe make a list of all the family members name on it and list all the foods that each one likes. I always encourage my children to try something new. You never one you might like it. Even when I know I don't like something I will try it. I have food that my taste for food has changed as I get older. You can also try cooking it different ways. You need to keep food interesting. You don't want to get sick of eating the same thing week after week. No one said that we only could have one meat, starch, veggie per meal. Maybe serve smaller portions of each and add in another fruit or veggie to the meal.

Exercise is hard. I haven't add it in yet because I didn't want to take on to much all at once. I want to be great at logging and staying at the calorie allotment for the day and drinking my 8- 8oz of water a day. You can try adding a lime or lemon wedge to you glass. Wake up early or wait for the children to go to bed and do a work out video. Your local library might have some you can rent. Turn on the music and dance with the kids. Run in place. Clean like a mad lady. Take a walk with the kids. Go for a walk after the hubby getting home. Play tag with the kids. Take the kids to the park or beach/pool when it gets warm.

Keep up the great work. Stay positive. Positive is catchy. Keep telling the ones you love and your friends how much you have lost week to week. They will start asking you what you are doing. They will catch on and will what that for them self also.

Good LUCK! HUGS!

If it is to be, it is up to me!

annah1212

First take a deep breath and congratulate yourself for taking the first step towards a healthy lifestyle. You deserve it! Second, you have to reset your "food mind". We have been told all our lives that chips, pop, prepared foods etc.. are ok to eat. The truth is there is little to no nutritional value in most of the items in the middle of the grocery store. Think about what is around the perimeter> fruits, veggies, grains and proteins. Here are some simple rules to help you differentiate "good" and "bad" foods. A healthy diet consists of whole grains, lean proteins, a variety of fruits and veggies and water. The easiest way to start is to prepare meals yourself. Start to cook with smart balance or a healthy oil instead of butter or man made butter. Use honey as a sweetener instead of sugar. If you like FF try oven baked sweet potato FF. These little swaps will start the process of elimination. After a while you will start to recognize the good and bad foods quicker and easier. It can be fun for the family to figure out which foods are the most healthy and what they can do for your mind and body. Did you know that adding in some blueberries at breakfast will boost your child's brain power! Go ahead take control of what your family eats

CouponQueen09

Still readin'!

I've definitely baked things using substitutions: applesauce, dark chocolate, egg whites. I've also used whole wheat flour.

I haven't bought packaged french fries in a long time. I cut up potatoes and bake them with a little olive oil and seasonings. Just need to get away from the HFCS in the ketchup!

My kids LOVE fruits and veggies. In fact, it's about the only thing my three year old will eat.

Oh, and we also eat ground turkey in place of hamburger. Sometimes I still get hamburger, but I make sure it's 93% lean.

Mina133842

couple of things: congrats on your decision, it WILL impact your life, and your kids' lives! on the walking thing- I also have a hard time with the hills, etc. I can tell you there are a couple of options that are free: your local schools may have a track, I have organized walking groups with friends and other moms, and met there at least on a weekly basis around 7pm or so in the summer time, or when it's still light outside at that time. There's also a walking group at the mall in the mornings, so you can check with your local mall about walking groups, I don't know if they are all free, but it's worth a shot- that gives you some flat stroller-friendly places to start. as for the recipes, the internet, and the library are GREAT resources, my MIL also "rents" DVDs from the library - so you can try different workout tapes as well. Living on a budget, I have also found Yard Sales, or Craigslist are great places to find cookbooks, and exercise equipment. start small, and work your way up. good luck!