I'm struggling...

GIrl, just stick to it. Have a "normal weekend" like you said but dont try to eat more then you normally do. Just watch your intake. You do this for yourself and for your kids. Its not a diet its a lifestyle change and there is alot of out there right with ya! Its all about being healthy if you weigh 200 or 100 as long as you are healthy

This is just my personal opinion: I don't think you are eating enough. 1200 calories in the bare minimum. You should be eating at least what your BMR is. You are starving yourself. So when you did eat more, your body is holding on to those calories because it's thinking you are going to start starving it again. Eat at least your BMR and give it a couple of weeks. It will take a while for your body to get out of starvation mode. I think a lot of people here will agree with me. I quit losing weight after eating 1200 calories a day for a month or two and someone on here told me to up my calorie intake. I did, and I also upped my exercise. After 2 weeks I dropped 3 pounds in a matter of four days! I wasn't eating enough. I can't emphasize that enough: you need to eat more than 1200 cals. I think it's okay for jumpstarting weight loss, but not for a long period of time. Again this is just my opinion.
Melissa:flowerforyou:

Listen to your inner voice of logic - you are right - there is no way you gained 22 pounds of fat in a weekend. Water - maybe (esp if you ate salty foods, etc.) But water weight comes and goes quickly.

What I found works for me is not to focus on how long it will take me to lose weight - but just focus on this day, or this hour. Tell yourself: "For this hour, I will eat healthy" and "For this day I will walk 10 minutes", etc.

I got rid of all the junk food - I buy all the gorceries, so I just don't buy any junk. I make dinner, and the family eats what is on the table, or they can make themselves a sandwich. The rule is they must try everything on the plate - and slowly, they are learning to like some of my "rabbit food" :laugh:

For exercise motivation - get a pedometer and see how far you walk in a day. Then try to beat that number each day (even if it is just a couple of steps).

You CAN do it! :flowerforyou:

I have to agree, for your weight, 1200 calories is very low. I'm on 1200 cals but I weigh 181 right now... I think you may need more food..
My thoughts on your situation are: It sounds like in your family, you are the cook right? well if that is the case your family doesn't have a say in what they eat. If you prepare something healthy the kids will either eat it or go hungry. If they go hungry, put their plates in the fridge until they decide they're ready to eat it. If your husband doesn't want to eat it you can't force him to... but seriously, if he wants your kids to grow up healthy and happy and to be a good influence on them he WILL eat what you prepare. There's nothing wrong with having a treat now and then but they NEED their nutrients and so does he. That said, there's also nothing wrong with you having a treat occasionally. Just make it one you can live with. They have AMAZING dessert flavoured yogurts out now, and a wide variety of 100 cal sweet snacks. And of course, a fresh fruit salad served over a little light sorbet is a yummy treat that won't leave you guilty. You and hubby just really need to exchange a few choice words. If he wants you to keep losing weight and becoming healthy, he is going to have to be more supportive. You're doing it for you... yes, but you're also doing this for your family, and he needs to give up his bad habits for the sake of his family as well. good luck :flowerforyou:

You CAN do this, Lauri! It is a struggle sometimes, especially when everyone in the house isn't on board with the healthy eating. Just keep your fridge and pantry stocked with healthy foods for yourself. Pack some healthy snacks to take to work as well.

I agree with some previous posts that you might need to increase your calories a little. Your body may be telling you that you need more, otherwise it will store those calories. Are you eating your exercise calories? I've read several posts about how important it is to eat those calories.

We are all here to support you! You can achieve your goals... just take it one day at a time!

Sweet lauri70 don't give up, you are doing good. I have family that doesn't want to eat healthy either. But when I make them hamburgers for instance, I have just gotten used to making mine a turkey burger. Not all food has to be "diet food". There are lots of food that are tasty and not all that fattening. One I use that my family likes is chicken taco salad. We like taco's. Maybe yours would too. I use chicken breast cut up or turkey burger cook it with taco seasoning. Serve with tostitos instead of a taco pile it all with salad and salsa and sour cream. Very tasty! There are lots of recipes out that that you can change to fit your lifestyle. I make spaghetti with turkey burger and they don't know. They eat it and hardly notice. My husband and daughter have learned to give and take. Some nights they eat what I make and it's healthy and some nights they cook and I eat what they make. Sometime I have to eat a salad on their day of cooking at lunch so I stay in the calories but I really like salad. Also don't cry either, don't do that to yourself, don't bring yourself down . Just because it's in the house doesn't mean you have to eat it. Have plenty of fruits on hand or if you like veggies(I do while I read) do those. But no eat's healthy 24/7 but don't let it upset you. Just keep trying and if you need to vent then do so and post.
We'll be here to listen and offer support.

I am struggling too. but this group is GREAT. KEEP IT UP. The 21 lbs is off somehow. You mis-read the scales before or after. but don't get stuck on that part of this. The goal is to get yourself healthy and noone but you can do this. If others in your household are reluctant to take weight off then they will do everything they can do to make sure you go back to your old ways - it will be more comfortable for THEM. That said.... I would do something if I were you - but I'm sort of an 'all or nothing' type of person.

1) throw out ALL unhealthy food from your house REPLACE WITH ALL healthy food - it would be good to enlist family members to help in this process so they are on board with a healthy change.

2) Announce that anyone who wants to eat unhealthy should go to the corner store and eat that crap. BUT NOT in your house anymore - and NOT in FRONT of you. PERIOD - lay down the law woman!

3) Put around healthy snacks in the house. A dish of celery with carrots with a low calorie dip. bowls of cherries, peaches apple slices with no fat fruit yogurt for dipping.

4) Make a meal plan with all family members present.

5) This is a pain in the butt but works for me. PACK YOUR LUNCH AND SNACKS for the day and put them in a lunch box - and DO NOT eat anything that is outside your lunch box.

6) Here is something someone here told me to do and I used it this past weekend and IT WORKED!
put in your foods ahead of time. AND STICK TO IT.

7) EAT a small bowl of oatmeal as the afternoon snack before going grocery shopping. Make sure you are eating throughout the day so you don't get cravings when your blood sugar drops.

8) keep coming back to this site EVEN ON WEEKENDS.

9) DON'T eat at your desk, get up and walk somewhere to eat. and when you do eat, EAT SLOWLY.

9) REMEMBER - you are probably doing better than you thought.

10) DON'T EVER GIVE UP!

I know how frustrated you are and so do dozens of others here. I was just going to write a note that I was getting frustrated too! Keep up your good work - you are going in the right direction girl! chin up

I know how frustrated you must be right now, but you can do this! Just think about how hard you have worked! All of that sacrifice and suffering was for a reason. You will continue to lose and feel so great, you just have to get your motivation back!

The weight didn't go on overnight (even though sometimes it feels like it!) so it's not going to come off overnight either. :grumble: I would suggest increasing your caloric intake for the day. 1200 seems so low! Try keeping some 100 calorie packs at work. That's what I've started doing. Hershey's has a really great snackster bag, which helps with the chocolate cravings and if you really can't resist that junk food then just try a little portion control. Have a few chips, just not the whole bag. Depriving yourself is only going to lead to binge-eating, and no one wants that!

You're so strong and motivated, I know you will get through this! Good luck!

I read all of the other responses and it sounds like you've got some great advice and I agree with much of it. Increase calories some; increase exercise. The one thing I want to add about eating is to learn to eat in a way that you can live with so this is a lifestyle change. You can't "diet" forever, so you need to make lifestyle changes. I recently subscribed to Taste of Home Healthy Cooking magazine and I love it! And - I'm a horrible cook. But, I figured since I needed to learn to cook anyway I may as well learn to cook healthy. It's what I call "normal" food but lightened up. You could check out their website to see a sample, but make sure you look for the healthy recipes because not all on the website recipes are. The magazine gives nutritional information for each recipe, which I like. Because before, if it was any kind of casserole or mixed type of food I didn't know how to count calories. Just make sure you watch portion sizes. Last night I cooked Sweet and Sour Chicken and had it over a 1/2 cup of rice. It was pretty darned good if I say so myself. And my husband, who's not a chicken fan said it was very good! Good luck...hang in there. I don't have as much to lose (this time around), but I have in the past and that's why I'm back to changing my habits now (because of those bad habits are so much easier than the good ones). One other thing...I don't forbid myself anything because if I do that's all I think about. However, I make myself go out to get the "treat"...like a small DQ cone or even if I crave chips, I go by a single serving size so I can't overeat. Hang in there!