I'm a addict!!

Welcome Carol...!

I think the best thing you can do is start thinking of this differently...this is not a temporary diet (throw that word out of your dictionary), this is a lifestyle change to a healthier you. So start out by changing your eating habits...bit by bit...ridding your home of as many processed foods as possible would be a step in the right direction...setting yourself up on a structured routine would help as well. Planning is HUGE. So plan your meals a week ahead (as much as possible), plan your work outs.

It'll get easier with time even if it seems like a huge undertaking now...you're on the right path already being here.

So welcome. Add me if you'd like :flowerforyou:

Hi Carol,

Truly having the support of everyone here is a good thing, and yes we all encourage each other when we are doing good or bad. The important thing is to be open and honest. There are many people with many good suggestions and advice. Now as far as sodium, you need to cut it down as much as possible, which is to say eat as naturally as possible even though you are a parent. Limiting processed foods as much as possible. You will find that when getting in here and making changes it is really not quite as tough as people think. If you really like things like that there are many low sodium options, or things that have a lot of flavor and lack the sodium all together. As far as sugar. I would suggest making sure that you are getting enough fruit in your diet. Others eat sugar free puddings and jellos. There are low cal dessert options too, like healthy choice 100 cal fudgebars, skinny cows of any kind, Vita tops. . . And there are a lot of good recipes here on the site, as well as many of us know of a lot of low cal recipe sites. Hope this helps! :bigsmile:

I feel your pain, After my son was born I really liked just hanging out enjoying the baby. Packed on 50 pounds from already being overweight... I love my sweet treats, heck food in general is Awesome. What i am mid stride doing is trying to cut down on all the sweets. Converted from regular soda to either diet or plain ice tea with the goal of cutting out the diet soda completely. I also try to budget myself at least something a little sweet to help with the craving. I also found that hard candy isn't a bad way to get a lil sugar fix. the hard disc and jolly rancher sized hard candies are about 20 calories each so you can have 2-3 and not destroy your daily goals. Hope one day to not have the sweet tooth i currently do..

Hello and welcome. I too crave sugar like crazy!! This being why I'm here.. to lose all the cakes and candy bars that have stuck to my butt for to many years..lol. When I want something sweet I eat Quaker mini rice cakes.. chocolate or carmel. Also pudding, yogurt or 90 calorie snack bars. This usually settles my craving for a while. Also if you have that hungry feeling alot of times your dehydrated so always drink a glass or two of water and see if that may take your mind off it. I've found that drinking warm water (room temp. bottle water) makes me feel full. The more water you drink the better. Hope this helps and good luck:)

Welcome...You are among many just like you, including me! I have had 5 children and like you, weighed more when I started here than I ever did w any pregnancy....I mean REALLY. Anyway, after yoyoing for most of my life and starting a new diet Monday (and being done w it by Weds) I decided that I needed something that would help me lose the weight by eating foods that I like to eat, ya know, the breads, pasta, potatoes and yes even desserts. On MFP, I have learned to do that simply by modifying the amount, choosing low calorie breads and limiting the amount of desserts. I have also incorporated exercise(I've always been active, but I mean EXERCISE). Started slow and have added more gradually when I felt like my body was ready for more. I have lost 12 lbs. in three months (ticker says 9, but lost some b/4 I started), not 20, not 40 not 80 like some of my friends that have been on here the same amount of time as me, but my objectives have been met... Into one digit clothes, BP at a healthy level and I feel great! BUT HONESTLY, I am sure that I would not have still been with it if it were not for the wonderful folks on here...their incouragement and motivation have kept me going and I'm sure you will feel the same in about a month. Would love to be your friend and join you on your journey.

You and me sound alot alike. I too am a busy mom of two young boys. And work full time with a husband that works opposite shift than I do.. so finding me time is hard... but with that said.. you need to. I have been making time for exercise. It is a must. Also log everthing you eat.. this will help alot with knowing what calories you take in and need to cut out. I will friend request you because I believe we can help each other. I too am looking to loose about 20 lbs before swimsuit weather. Good luck to you.

You can DO IT!!! Here's a trick: In addition to keeping a food diary, try also writing down your feelings when you are craving a specific food that you know you should not have (for whatever reason, i.e. had not banked calories for it or it's a habit food). For example, I really like to have cereal before bed (a sure weightloss killer). Oh, yes it is healthy cerial, but by the time I'm done, I've consumed over 300 calories b/c I like raisins and walnuts in it. Anyway, I started writing in my journal one night and wrote how I was CRAVING cereal. I asked my self "why? I'm not hungry. I ate plenty of healthy dinner and if I eat this cereal, it will just put off yet another day of weight removal.... etc" You get the point. So, give journaling a try. Write whatever comes to mind.

Feel free to friend me. (I'm new to MFP too).

Hi...yeah I hear ya.. I too am a food addict especially carbohydrates!!! I find that by cutting out all bad carbs, I crave them less. What I mean by bad carbs (for me not everyone) is things like white bread, white rice, white potatoes, and sugar...you get the idea. I also really restrict my sodium because I retain water alot and it's not good for me. So when I'm wishing I could have a sweet/salty treat...I usually go for grapes and cheese. I particularly love those mini Babybel light cheeses. I hope this helps you. I'm kinda a newbie on here and am still learning. Please feel free to friend me and we can help each other along this journey to a healthier life!!!