wanting to lose but lacking the confidence

I had the exact same issue (except I was a sedentary 16year old and 175lbs.) I went through a phase of guilt for eating ANYTHING-- lettuce, veggies the lot! I jumped for joy when I added up my calories one day and hit 758! However, I was also sad, tired, anemic and had a really low immune system. :sick:
You could try viewing your food and calories as fuel rather than an indulgence? Once I started viewing things like that hitting my goals was easier. I still freak out occasionally, especially since I'm on maintenance calories, but seeing food as an energy source rather than a naughty, bad thing certainly helped.

(On a different note, I'm in awe of anyone who can handle two kids under three! :noway: )

I hear you. I am 5''6 and got to 153. I decided I wanted to get healthy, so I bought a USED treadmill (it was not a fancy one, and only $150), so I started walking three times a week for 30 mins. Then I did it 5 times a week. Then back to 3 but for 45 mins and at 3.6 speed. I felt better for exercising, so it made me not want to eat all the sweet stuff. I got MyFitnessPal and put my food in and it made me chose my calories well. Rather than Oreo Double Stuff, I'd eat a a Skinny Cow lowfat ice cream that was 90 cals. Sweet and yummy and not so fatty. Anyway, buying the treadmill was the best thing I could do. I had young children, but I did it when they were napping. I just bouht a FitBit One to track my activity also. It was amzaing that after exercising for a couple weeks, it became a habit. And I wanted to. I also felt more sexy and more willing to show myself - also, it made me feel like more with myhusband, since he noticed my dedication. Good luck and don't give up. Just ask yourself if you feel like something sweet or salty if it's worth the calories and the guilt. I'd rather have a handful of salted peanuts than a bag of chips - healthier. Or like I said, a Skinny Cow ice cream over those fatty cookies - and they have Special K foods (I ate frozen breakfast sandwiches because I could see they were low cal) and they have low cal ice creams. Good luck!!

My best advise is always to start small, make small and manageable changes. The best success is about making lifestyle changes that you know you will be able to maintain even after the weight loss. Also keep in mind that this is not just about how you look its about your health and improving it so you can be around longer and spend time with your babies.

Start first by logging a typical day and see how your calories add up and where you need the most alterations - is it breakfacts, snacks, do you graze, etc?
Then you will know where to start it could be cut out sweet/ sugary drinks or cut out one snack or adding extra vegetables, something small and you will see the ball roll from there.

Good luck

Take it one day at a time. It's so easy to get caught up in the big picture and how you feel at the current time. It's even harder just after a baby. I didn't know my head from my tail after my daughter was born and I certainly was not happy about my appearance. What I started to realize is that time was going to just keep ticking by and if I did nothing then I would only stay where I was or get worse but if I kept plugging away at it every day, it'd eventually get better.

Don't feel guilty about eating. Try to focus on whole real foods... things that don't come in a package. Take it one meal at a time, one day a time. Also, exercise always helps. I started with 15 minutes in the morning. It was easy to commit to because it was such a short period of time and I knew I'd be able to get in 15 min while my daughter napped. Eventually I was able to build up to more but start slow and just keep at it.

Hello! I am also two days in. I love this myfitnesspal website, it is so easy to use!
If you're 5'6", I personally think 130 is maybe too thin - but I assume you know you best - so go for it, but be careful. If you find weight loss comes easy to you, please don't go too far. Being healthy is much more important than being thin. I am 5'4" and my doctor said try for 20 lbs. lost. I am about 208 now, so I personally think I would like to lose 50 total. Maybe even 60 in a perfect world. But even in high school, I was running around 140, and my body carries this extra weight the same as my other family members. So genetics happens to play a role. Something to think about.
Good luck!!

Im also 5"6 and 160 lbs age 28,but my size is 8.
Im thinking you have put on fat due to the pregnancy,you can start with daily exercise and calorie counting and weight lifting,weights help the fat percentage go down and look lean.Although I would like to get down to 130-140 ish Im still happy with the muscle definition I have.Im not trying to ridicule you,im just sharing my experience,I have been at your place and weight training has helped me a lot to get rid of fat pockets and shrink them down.Having muscle on the body also helps with the weight loss tremendously.Good luck.

I had a major sweet tooth in the past, so bad that I was eating some kind of sugary treat with every meal. I craved sugar all the time, I'd eat it, and then I'd feel guilty like you. I broke this bad cycle by becoming committed to MFP with my husband. We've turned it into almost a game. We share with each other what we've eaten at every meal. As you watch your calories add up you find yourself not wanting to spoil your day with 600 calorie frappuccino's and slices of pizza.

The biggest thing that has helped me is agreeing to change something in my diet every week. This is what I did:

1. First I committed to giving up pop and sugary drinks. High calorie drinks add up quickly. I just drink water now, no calories/no sugar!

2. Second, I logged every meal and if the meal was high in calories I tried to figure out what I could cut out the next time to lower the calories, it's amazing how easy it is to lower calories by leaving the cheese off, or changing your salad dressing choice. Never beat yourself up for a high calorie meal, just commit to finding better choices next time.

3. Third, I decided to determine the calories in a snack or meal before deciding to eat it. If you check the calorie content before committing to eat it, you're more likely to not to eat something because it's high in calories.

4. Fourth, I searched for low calorie indulgences. A skinny vanilla latte at starbuck's is 100 calories! You need to satisfy your cravings somehow.

5. Fifth, I made my meals simple. The simpler your meals the more healthy they probably are. A piece of chicken, some vegetables and some fruit makes a meal.

6. Sixth, choose your carbs wisely. Whole grain is better. My husband and I rarely eat pasta. If we eat bread, it's wholegrain of some sort. Whole grain pita pouches are only 100 calories, and you can stuff a lot of yummy things into them.

7. If I craved something unhealthy, I would drink water and tell myself I'll go look for something to snack on in a half hour if I'm still craving something. Usually by a half hour I'd forget about wanting food.

8. I found healthy, yet satisfying snacks. Kind bars, fruit, snow peas and red pepper hummus, nuts and dried fruit mix. At first they may not seem all that great, but as you start to eat healthier you will feel better, and your body will adapt to your new food. You just have to be patient.

Here's a recipe my husband and I love! 4 ingredients, absolutely delicious and only about 245 calories! That leaves plenty of room for some veggies, fruit and maybe some whole grains of some sort.

-6 oz Thin cut chicken breast (I found at Kroger, prepackaged) (150 cal)
-1 piece of thinly sliced prosciutto (can find it at the deli counter) (20 - 30 cal)
-1 piece of muenster cheese (70 cal)
-1 tsp spicy brown mustard (5 cal)

Heat oven to 450. Flatten chicken breast with a meat smasher. Layer prosciutto, cheese and mustard on top of chicken. Fold the chicken over. Brush with a little bit of olive oil and place in greased pan. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until brown and no longer pink inside.

Oh and I forgot to add with my stats that I'm a size 14 right now as well...

I'm 5'4, 160 lbs, but I'm a size 10. If I had your stats I would really try to focus on fitness, especially lifting. Best of luck and go easy on yourself. You deserve it.