Unhappy and stuck in a rut

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/14158-lean-on-me
Great support and motivational group here at MFP!

Hey!
I wouldn't say being over weight is something that you should feel ashamed about it! But I also get the feeling that you just don't want to go out there and look fat when lots of females are looking fit, hot,etc.
But lets be honest it is like an endless cycle: the more you stay at home, the more you eat, that also means less active life! And gain even more weight!
I would be glad to share my journey with you! Just know that you are not a lone! We all feel awkward sometimes, out of place,..!
Saying all that feel free to add me!

I think you are in the right place. I find the food journal helpful and educational. I like to play around with different foods to see what they do to my numbers. The fat and calories in junk food are really shocking! Just seeing the calories in a food would make me not want to eat it. I'm tracking my food and being honest with myself and so far I'm doing well. You can too!

It's great you've joined and want to start losing weight to be a healthier you, and Mom (which is very important). I'm a Mom to two great girls, a wife and used to be a size 22/24. It's hard, but once you start eating healthier and start moving (even taking your daughter to the park and pushing her on the swings is exercise) you'll see results. Those results will motivate you to lose even more! Add me if you'd like. I can always use a new friend on here

Good Morning: Congratulations on taking the first step with MFP.
May I suggest you spend alot of time in the Success Stories section.
There is plenty of inspiration and motivation there.
And they all changed their lives and their health in less than a year.
But it took a committment on their part-no one else could do it for them.
May I also suggest brisk walking.
Put your kids in the stroller-load it up with snacks and toys and diapers etc...and go for an adventure.
Walk it off! Shake off your defeated attitude.
You are a strong woman-stuck in a rut.
It's your choice to stay there or start digging yourself out!
Just think that by this time next year you could be a totally new woman!!
Concentrate on the goal-not the problem!!
And just in case no one has told you in awhile--Being a Mother is the toughest job-but the most rewarding!! And you are AWESOME!!!!

First step already there -- posting your current situation is always the hardest. Get lots of friends on MFP to track with you. Everytime you want to eat outside of scheduled/planned meals jump on MFP and get in a conversation on community or post how you are feeling to your friends so they can jump on and give you support. Start by saying I will only eat scheduled and planned meals (put a note on your fridge to yourself). Get brave and go out of the house. Your jouney is yours to succeed. Who cares what a neighbor and quite frankly someone you don't know is thinking. I know this is hard - self-esteem and confidence are key elements to your success. If you don't find these qualities it won't matter how you attack the extra weight. You can do this!!!!!!! Add me as a friend if you want. Therese

Hey I've lived your life, done that. I'm 64 years young now and looking back I remember those days. I was born weighing 11 lbs and my life was a tortured existence of being teased and bullied in school, an abusive relationship and marriage, finding myself after the divorce, enjoying life and having fun, and now struggling to lose the weight I gained after I was retired from a job I loved during the last economic downturn.

Don't give up. Life is worth living, you will lose the weight but don't expect it to happen overnight. Feeling bad about not being able to do things with your kids because of your weight is a burden I understand. But you must get out of the house with them, take them to the park and stroll peacefully, wake up at dawn and take them for a stroll in your neighborhood, let them run wild in the playground and enjoy every moment. Color with them, make silly art projects. Find things they love and encourage them. Take them to the YMCA for swimming lessons, or other appropriate venues.

And take the time for yourself. Ask a friend to babysit. Get out with girlfriends, or invite them over for a simple lunch or breakfast.
Treat yourself well. You have to take care of yourself, your kids love you and they want to see you happy. Enjoy each moment with them, they grow too quickly.

hey, don't be depressed. There are a lot of people who are over weight the numbers don't mean anything. The first step is realizing you have a problem. I lost 53 lbs when my oldest daughter was 6 tht was 16 years ago. Since then I went from 140 to 230.... that's almost 100 lbs. Even my fat clothes are tight. Now my health is becoming an issue. I want to lose 80lbs. That's seems like such a high number but my doctor told me not to think like that. Think 5 lbs at a time. That 5lbs would be excellent for my heart health. That's my goal right now. 5lbs. I bet you are a great mom and your kids love you know matter the size. All they see is their mom. Just go day to day. That's what I'm trying to do and hopefully I will learn to like life without french fries, cup cakes and most importantly potato chips.

Bernadette

You've already taken two steps on your new journey, just keep taking them along the way and you'll be achieving your goal in no time. Don't look at the big picture, break it down into easy to do changes, that will eventually become life changes. This way you're not overwhelming yourself. Take baby steps and work your way up. You will get there. I know for me, whenever I looked at all the weight I had to lose, it overwhelmed me so much, when I stopped looking at it that way, and just did a little at a time, it helped so much and I've learned a lot. I've been counting calories since last July, I'm only down 33lbs, but that is okay! I've learned SO MUCH from taking baby steps. I also am a runner now too, something I never thought I'd do, but by taking it one thing at a time has helped. I've also learned that the scale number means nothing, focus on how your clothes fit is so much more rewarding than the number on the scale. You will get there, hang in there!! Make a list of 5 things you want to "learn" in this, and start there! Then make another 5 and so on.. It will help you get to your goal and learn a lot along the way! You can do this.

Hi. I started using mfp a week ago because i feel like i tried everything else. I was never skinny but i always had a healthy weight, but after the birth of my first child, i began to gradually gain weight. Six years, two kids later i went from weighing 180 lbs. to 330 lbs.! I'm so embarrassed and ashamed of the weight i gained i became depressed. I don't want to leave the house, it takes alot just to take the kids outside because my daughter would want me to play with her and i'm just too embarrassed. I get so overwhelmed with day to day life i eat and eat (mostly bad foods) to cope with my day. I want so much to be happy and outgoing like i used to be, but right now i just feel stuck.

Hi, I'm going to be cruel to be kind. You need to stop feeling sorry for yourself. You put yourself in this situation, BUT YOU can take yourself out. You've clearly wrote why you've become this weight. Now motivate yourself for the sake of your health and well being and for your lovely daughter. Do what's right. All the best!

Hello and welcome to MFP. I can relate so much with your story. The lowest weight I have ever been in my life was 160 (when I was a teenager) Got married young, and 12 years and 2 kids later, I had ballooned to over 200 lbs. I became depressed, and like you said, didn't want to leave the house. I had tried many different ways to lose weight, with no success, and I felt at the end of my rope. Then, in April (of this year) I said, I have had enough.....I deserve better, and I have to learn to love myself. I never ate junk food, my problem was that I ate too much, so I started cutting out the mashed potatoes, the rice, the packaged foods. I started leaning more to veggies and fish. I started drinking more water, and less diet soda (which is just as bad for you as regular soda). I didn't just cut it out cold turkey, but like another poster put on here, when you start tracking your foods, and you see how many calories are in the foods, or the amounts of foods you have been eating, it's like, OMG, wow, and then you don't want to eat it. I have always struggled with exercise....I HATE IT. I envy people who love exercise, because for me, it is downright horrible, but again, I started out slow. The first week, I went for a 10 min walk everyday...just 10 min. The next week, I made it a 20 min walk in the morning, and my son and I would do some push-ups, jumping jacks, sit-ups and stuff like that...it was more of a fun thing. 5 weeks in, I have lost 22 pounds and yesterday, I went for a 3 mile walk at a brisk, constant pace. Man, I felt good about myself! That may not seem like much, but it was huge for me!! Lol. I think my biggest mistake in the past with dieting is that I would get all excited to lose weight, and after a week or 2, I would only lose 5 pounds and my motivation would be gone. I have learned it is a process, sometimes a long process. It took me 10 years to put the weight on, I can't expect it will come right off. Start out slow, but start somewhere, and if you take a wrong turn, turn around and get back on track. Don't beat yourself up, but be honest with yourself as well. If you need motivation, look to some of the forums on here, there have been SO many people with motivational words, and it really has helped me keep my spirits up and my determination strong as I continue on my journey. All my love and support to you and everyone out there on their health and fitness journeys!!