need major help

I can't stress the importance of diet along with exercise. To lose 1 lb. of fat, you need to create a deficit of 3,500 calories. So, if your BMR (base metabolic rate) is 2,400 calories, then you should cut that by 500 to about 1,900 calories per day in order to lose 1 lb. of fat per week.

Cut out food that you don't need. I started my diet by cutting out little things that add up quickly - like mayonnaise, and instead of ground beef I use ground turkey instead. Also replacing your snacks with healthier options. Instead of grabbing a bag of potato chips, grab some carrots or even a 100 calorie serving of pretzels. When I started tracking what I was eating, I was absolutely shocked! I would easily consume 7,000 calories in a day without even realizing it. Fortunately, I was blessed with fairly high metabolism and didn't gain an extreme amount of weight - but my health was suffering without me even knowing it. I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, hypoglycemia, and had been in the hospital several times for severe chest pains.

I started my journey mainly to get healthy, even though I could stand to lose about 40-50 lbs. It all starts with diet. Replace bad habits with good habits. Eventually it'll become second nature. I've never been a healthy eater and don't like the taste of a lot of "healthy" foods. However, I do cook a lot and I've created a lot of my own recipes and tweaked a lot of things to create some amazing healthy dishes. My family won't even eat regular beef tacos anymore since I perfected my turkey tacos. It takes time and effort and it's hard. You can still eat most of the foods you love, but only in moderation. Also - if you mess up, it's ok. Everyone does. Just get right back on track.

I lost 4 lbs. in the first 2 weeks just by changing my diet - no exercise at all. I'm now 6 weeks into my exercise program and I'm down 17 lbs. and a pant size.

Exercise is great and it's necessary. Start out slow! Your body isn't used to it. Start by walking around the block. Try to work up to doing 30 minutes at a time. Once you can do 30 minutes - increase your pace a little. Stick to low-impact exercises at first. Elliptical and recumbent bike machines are my favorite low-impact machines at a gym. They're fairly easy on the joints compared to a treadmill.

Just remember - it's going to take time! If you're able to lose 1 lb. per week, I would call that a huge success. As your body gets accustomed to exercise, you will likely start losing more, but don't burn-out by trying to do too much! You didn't get to 330 lbs. overnight and you're not going to lose it that fast. Health and weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint. Small improvements, achievable goals, reasonable expectations, and most importantly - consistency. These things will help make you successful in your long-term health and weight. Avoid fad diets, supplements, or anything that promises that you'll lose 10 lbs. in a week. I know it's tempting, but just don't do it. Also, take all advise that people give you with a grain of salt. What works for one person may or may not work for you. Also - don't let anyone tell you you're doing it wrong. If you're working hard and seeing results - no matter how small - then you are successful.

Best wishes and best of luck to you. Also, congratulations on having a baby! That's definitely a great reason to get yourself healthy!

Feel free to ask any questions you may have on these forums. There's a lot of really great people out here willing to help in any way they can.

Is your treadmill at home? If so, you could try splitting up your walking sessions. Five-10 minutes in the morning and then 5-10 minutes in the evening is a good start. After a week, add an additional day or walking session or add a couple of minutes to each session. Take it in baby steps. Don't worry about meeting a recommended guideline for exercise at this point. You are a beginner and anything you do today is better than you were doing last year at this time, right? That bit of exercise will add up and eventually become easy. Between it and watching your calories, you will see success.

Good luck and congratulations on your son!

Does your gym have personal trainers? The YMCA does a free wellness consultation. Perhaps consult with a personal trainer on where would be a good place for you to start to best prevent injury. Diet has a lot to do with weight loss so even if you're just getting in 5-10 minutes of exercise here and there, that's GREAT with a good eating plan.

GOOD FOR YOU taking charge of your health. Children are good motivators - my 6 month old son is a HUGE part of why I woke up and realized it's time to get control of my weight. I'm 5'4" and was 242 lbs, down to 233, going the right direction... How in love with your gym are you? The pool is my best friend (have some knee problems and the treadmill/elliptical just KILLS my calves after about 10-15 minutes).