Need encouragement

I had postpartum depression with my first daughter. I know it's a hard thing to go through. The best thing I can tell you is to keep yourself busy. Sorry if I didn't help much. If you want to add me you can. I know what your goinig through right now.

Sounds like you need a little break.

35 lbs is an amazing accomplishment First off congratulate yourself!!! YAY!!!! YOU!!!!!

A couple of thoughts it really depends on what works best for you.

You can:

1) Figure out your maintenance calories, keep on tracking, but work on maintaining and don't stress about losing until you get a little wind in your sails

or

2) Give yourself a range (I swear this saved my life)

1200 is my rock bottom
MFP setting for lose 1 lb/wk was my target now (I'm closer to my goal so lose 1/2 lb/wk is my target.) and
Maintain my GOAL WEIGHT calories was the top of my range.

So I wouldn't go too far off the deep end on a bad day, I also figured out the calories to maintain my current weight (remember to adjust you progress)

(what worked for best me was: 2 or 3 days around my target and then a day closer to the top of my range then go back to 2-3 days close to my target. Trying to hit 1200-1290 everyday was torture. And if it's torture is really hard to stick with it long term.
Before I did this when 1290 was my target and I had 1600 cal a day. I thought I was a horrible failure and was ready to give up. But when I realized that 1600 was less than my maintain GOAL I realized I was still losing and doing much better than the 1800 cal I was eating before MFP)

3)
I feel I've no right to saying to a sleep deprived mother of 2, (especially, when I'm so bad at it myself) but if you can fit in a little exercise. It doesn't have to be a hardcore work out. But it might do wonders for your mood. I know how it can seem like an insurmountable effort, but it's spring, put the kids in the stroller and go for a 20 minute walk.

4)
Make small changes over time. If you completely revamp your diet, it's way easy to revert to old ways in times of stress. And we all have stress. If you make a series of small changes, food still offers you some sense of comfort, sort of a comfort continuum, and after a while the first small changes will seem comforting in themselves.
You don't have to be perfect you just have to do better.


5)
Watch your sugar it will mess with your mood. (Calcium makes your muscles relax and sugar prevents the absorption of calcium. Eat too much sugar and you'll always be stressed.)

It will also increase your appetite and make it harder to keep to your calorie goals.
It takes between 2-3 weeks to adjust to lower levels of sugar. So give it 3-4 weeks and see how you feel. Really hard to stay with in the MFP target, but you'll see how much sugar is hiding in things that are sold as *real food* (Yogurt has a ton, Nutrigrain bars are sold as a healthy option, but they have 11 types of sugar)

6)
Food is our friend not the enemy it is here to nourish and nurture us.
Make a list of foods you like (even "bad" foods) then go back and circle all the healthiest options on the list and make sure you work some of these into your diet. Make eating health food a pleasure not a chore.

Good Luck
Feel better
and
HAVE A WONDERFUL MOTHER's DAY