Fat... Fat... Fat...

awwwwwwwwwwwwwww I can truly relate...I am a youth minister and my youth did a skit last month with me as the "joke" and put a ton of pillows in a girls shirt to represent me...it hurt deeply but I didn't let them know it...join friends that will support you here...I have a TON on my wall...add me if you like as we all have over 100 pounds to lose or you can join one of the groups that have alot to lose...the key is getting the support you need, exercising, drinking your water, and logging in everything you put in your mouth! Hope you find the road an encouraging one!

Make small goals in between your ultimate goal. Try and take a walk with your son or perhaps a bike ride. Include him on your weight loss journey and celebrate with him as you reach your small goals. Kids are absolutely awesome at holding you accountable and they love you unconditionally and want to see you succeed especially at that age. He already believes in you so now it is your turn to believe in yourself. Good luck with your journey....

^^^ Exactly what she said! I have a 20 mth old niece who loves to run me ragged!!! Feel free to add me!

Kids really know how to get to the heart of things, don't they? But look at it this way, you have an amazing opportunity here to turn things around and be not only a positive role model for your son, but also happier and healthier for the rest of your life as a dad!

You can definitely do this. I looked at my kids one day and realized what a poor role model I was being for them. That was almost 3 months ago and I haven't looked back yet. Feel free to add me.

Do it for yourself, but klnow you're teaching your children how to be healthy!

Fitbit is awesome! Keeps me motivated!

Log your foods and water -- drink lots of water, when it gets boring add slice of citrus, cucumber, mint, or if ya need a sweet, add a mio or crystal light type mix.

Lots of veggies are almost "free" garlic, onion, celery, peppers, cabbage, lettuce, greens. great to saute, stir-fry (i use water or low sodium broth instead of oil), you can have several cups of these type veggies and minimal calories. Add other veggies and protein for taste and nutrition!

You can do it! Oh yes you can!

Welcome and congrats on the first 5 of many that you lost. You are off to a great start. You did not put on all the weight overnight so dont expect to take it off overnight. It is a gradual process to a new healthy you and the weight lose is just an added benifit. Take it one day at a time. If you look at the total all at once it is overwhelming and defeating. If you look at it as I just need to get thru this one day you can do it. Pretty soon that one day at a time adds up and you are on your way. You can do it!

I'm 25 and my mom landed in the hospital. She ended up there for a variety of reasons, but one of the big ones was not taking care of her type 2 diabetes. I was scared crapless, and since she's, you know, still smoking with COPD and whatnot, she's not taking care of herself. I REFUSE to let my girls go through the hell I went through thinking I was going to lose my mother and that's my main motivation for losing weight (aside from looking good of course).

I have my health now and I DO NOT want to lose it. I won't take chances anymore.

I'm glad it hit you when your son said that to you. It would if my girls said that to me. They're still too young to really understand fat and skinny and things like that.

Put one foot in front of the other and take a step towards your goal. Do at least one thing every single day that moves you closer to that goal. Remember, you didn't get fat overnight, it won't go away overnight either. Remind yourself why you're doing this. As many times as it takes. And never, ever give up.

Congrats on your first 5 and here's to the next one, two, three, and so on!!!!! My wake up call came 1.5 years ago when my father passed away from morbid obesity related issues. I was so broken to see my 69 year old dad die and I didn't want my own kids to be going through that 30 years from now. So I made changes and went through lapband surgery and have continued to learn how to eat healthy and MOVE - exercise will come to you as you drop weight - the key is to get MOVING - walk, walk, and walk and it will get easier over time. I also have a fitbit and yes it is a huge motivator! Add me if you like - I am 46 lbs down and have just over 100 lbs more to get to my goal. I know I've made the right decision and you will too when you see some of the small victories!!!! CONGRATS and welcome to your new life!!!!

wow, that story really resonated with me, and my little kids are the main reason I have made the changes in my life. There came a point for me when I knew that my getting fat and unhealthy was a selfish lack of effort - now I have more to think about than myself.

My first piece of advice would be not to set unrealistic goals for yourself, the idea of losing 100 pounds in 4 months is unachievable, and I'm sure I don't have to tell you that no safe way will get you there. You are doing this for the long haul - get used to that concept now. Start off by making a couple of small changes, not overhauling your life completely. Firstly, find a way to get some regular exercise in, just some walking or whatever you can manage - do something every day without fail!

The most important factor is of course diet. Use MFP but don't think you have to eat like a rabbit to lose weight. There are a number of strategies you can try such as pre-logging your food and planning meals/days in advance to avoid temptation and bad 'spur of the moment' choices.

Lastly, I would implore you to keep a mental picture of that moment your son asked you to lose weight. That may come in handy when you are struggling for motivation in the coming months - and I can almost guarantee that you will at some point.

This is a great place with some really knowledgeable people, use the forums and add some supportive people as friends - we want nothing more than to see you succeed!