Here I go

We are all here for you. You can even join my group on facebook if it helps. http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/home.php?sk=group_174769109231499&ap=1

It's there to give different advice and to just be there for one another. It's for EVERYONE.

I have 3 kids myself and it is hard to fit in exercise...but just be creative. Maybe do 10 here and there until u do 30-90 min a day..it all counts. The calories is hard...I do cook but I just dont eat as much as I used to.

Hello!

First of all, you look great, and your husband is right to say you're beautiful. But i agree that losing some weight would make you feel better, svelter and happier with your reflection. So go on, put some effort in and see how well you can do!

I think a healthy diet should be a life choice, not just something you do for a few months and to reach your target. So I think my advice is: cut on sauces and condiments but maximise your food's own flavour. Chicken tastes great with sage and a squirt of olive oil for example. Add beetroot and boiled potatoed on the side and some salad and you've got a meal. Another advice is this: change your husband and kids' diet too to reflect yours. That will kill a whole lot of birds with one stone making your diet easier and theirs helthier too.

Anyway, good luck with your goal! You'll do great!

Aww I understand that it can be tough - I live with my family and cooking/eating well is very very hard. I suggest planning your dinners throughout the week - and have a few staple snacks for when you get peckish. Exercise - if you can find even ten minutes a day - will lessen your hunger and give you a positive buzz. You could just take your little ones (in a pram) for a brisk walk - make a game of how fast mummy can push them along

And most of all, focus on how good it will feel knowing that your children won't ever worry about your weight xx

Some thing that worked for me (as someone who really loves to eat!) was to try to substitute lower cal things for stuff that I would normally eat (like rice cakes in stead of crakers, and an orange instead of a cookie). It is hard to just totally go slim fast and tuna when you are used to feeling really full after eating whatever you want. You have to kind of analyze where all the cals are coming from too (eating when bored, the types of food or portions, overeating due to starving all day, or whatever it may be) to try to get a handle on reducing. Good luck to you...there are lots of people on here that can give a lot better advice than me, so check in often You can do it!!

I had to start small. After a year of marriage, my husband said that I have finally masterd cooking some meals. Everyday is a challenge to find healthy meals to cook, that are quick and easy. I also have a picky husband and have to find a way to not have the same three ingredients every night. All Recipes is free and has a lot of great recipes that are easy. It is hard to change, we used to eat Hamburger Helper every night! Not only did it get old, but they are so unhealthly, so when we bought out house I started trying all sorts of recipes. Some were good some were not so good. I have found crockpot recipes that are healthy and on All Recipes I can adjust the serving size so I don't cook more than we need.
MFP will really help with the calorie tracking. I find myself now asking 'do I really need this' or I will say 'lunch is in 30 min, you can wait to eat until then.' Also getting up and doing something for 10 minutes has worked to take my mind of eating something. Exercising has been hard for me. I have been starting small, but it is still difficult. If it is possible what if you and your family went for a walk? Hubby and I used to walk around our neighborhood at our rental and after 2 months I lost 10 pounds. It was a really nice time for us and we talked and got closer by just walking and talking, no distractions. It might be a nice family thing you all could do together. Even if you only start one night a week and work your way up to 3-4 nights.
I wish you much luck and this place is great for support and ideas.

I agree with the person who said you can't go slim-fast and tuna, cold turkey, from 3000 calories per day. Looking for smaller swap-outs would be better to start with. Maybe there's a lower-calorie creamer you could use in your coffee, or you could have a sandwich at home instead of at a fast food place. Eating out is absolute MURDER on me, so anytime I can eat at home in stead of eating restaurant food is an improvement.

Don't expect too much from yourself at the beginning. If you do, you'll get discouraged and quit.

One thing about this site that I find especially useful is the recipe tool -- put in your recipe, and it calculates the nutrition values per serving. It makes it easy to cut back, because you can look at the 1-cup serving you USUALLY eat, and say "Yikes! 750 calories!" but if you cut back the serving size to 3/4 or 1/2 cup, it cuts the calories. You're eating the same food, and just cutting back a little bit, but making progress by altering the serving size.

Make sure to get your 8 glasses of water a day in too! I was never a water drinker before, but now I love it. I'll put it in the freezer for a little bit to make it nice and cold and icy. It does help to make you not feel as hungry (does me anyway) )

lol I got it!

Well, Der Spouse might not want to join you, but will he mind if you ask him to encourage your efforts to eat more healthfully? Like, by not complaining when you decline to eat a Whopper and go for the Whopper Jr. instead, or when you change a recipe so that it's more healthy?

Yeah, you have to be careful about not cutting back too much, too fast, or you WILL make it up with animal crackers later! I'd say shoot for a 1/4 reduction in calories every two weeks to a month until you get to where you want to be. If you are eating 3000 calories a day to begin with, try to cut back to 2250 per day and see how you feel and whether you can maintain that without feeling like you're starving. Once you can do that, cut back to 1500 per day and see how you do. I'd definitely take it in stages.

And be frank with Der Spouse about what you need from him. He loves you, he'll at least try.