Determined

Great job! You can do this. Happy to help with accountability. Ankdworak

Hello there made4more71!! First off, don't feel discourage, it's a wonderful thing you are doing for yourself and your children. Congratulations!!

You're post really made me feel for you. I was the same. I am 4'11" (short, I know) and before I had my two children, I was at 98 pounds. Then after my last child in 2005, I skyrocketed to 198! It has been a long and hard road. I've fallen off the wagon more times then I'd like to admit. I've tried every diet pill/fad/detox/trend out there and never seem to lose more than a couple pounds only to gain triple those pounds back when I stop taking those pills. I've even gone so far as to set up dieting groups in my area so that all my friends and I can work out together to motivate each other....which doesn't work because eventually everyone gets busy and you're alone and no longer want to work out.

I am now at 146.6 and am only intending to get to about 115. Through it all, here's what I found:

1. DON'T VIEW THIS AS A DIET!! I think the number one reason why I failed so many times before was that I would go from diet to diet in order to lose weight. It's not a diet!! It's a healthier change in your eating habits. Don't eat less to lose weight, choose better portion sizes, and better food groups to eat healthier and live longer. I now eat tons of veggies, and fruits per week whereas before I would go weeks without touching anything but meat and rice. I think if you change your mentality from diet to eating healthier, it's easier to lose weight.

2. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. I think that our bodies are very smart. Before, I would listen to experts after experts all on differing viewpoints on what we should eat and what we shouldn't. It gets extremely overwhelming and intimidating after awhile, not to mention how expensive some food are. But I think that if we just listen to our bodies, it'd tell us what we should eat and what we shouldn't. Does it make you sick, bloated, gassy, headaches, migraines, depression, etc.? Then don't eat it. I'm Asian and therefore rice is a huge part of our daily meal but it always made me bloated and sick. Pork, beef, and bread gives me a lot of stomach problems. Thus, rice, pork, beef, and bread are no longer in my meals. I haven't had any headaches, depression, stomach problems since. The foods that your body doesn't agree with will always be different. We are all different people with different bodies. Just listen to your body and do what your body tells you.

3. DRINK LOTS OF WATER. My biggest problem in the past was not drinking water...mostly sodas, lol. I never felt good and never even connected the two. Now I ONLY drink water and I feel sooooo good all day.

4. BTN!! Better than nothing. My favorite Humanities teacher and her words to me. Do something, even if it's a little of something, it's better than nothing! Oh, how I love her!! Awesome words to live by. You don't have to run a marathon, climb a mountain, race an avalanche down (I think;-)) etc., you just need to do for you. Every day, do something, even if it's all you can do that day, it's better than nothing. If you have a goal of running a marathon, that's great! But seriously, if you compare yourself to all these fit athletes, you'll only feel discourage. I know some people are going to say, "but you should look to them for inspiration and encouragement!" Ummm, no! All I see is what I'm not! It makes me feel small. Go at your own pace.

5. Another great quote from my Student Advisor; What you eat in private, shows in public!!


At the end of the day, it is your body. Don't worry too much about dieting and focus on feeding your body better. Instead of cheap gas, find premium gas. Fuel your body in a way that feeds your soul, your mind and allows you to live long.

These are my opinions learned from my mistakes and experiences. Everyone's experiences differ. Do your research for your own body without trying to eat for anyone else's body. Good luck and feel free to friend me!!