5 pounds down... Is that all?

5 pounds down at a time. Set mini goals and reward yourself for each goal met. I too have lost a baby, so I know how you are feeling. A word of advise that I have discovered is that you can't control bad things that happen to you, but you do have control over what you put in your body. Concentrate on making your body a healthy temple for your next baby to thrive in.......

Girl, 5 pounds in one week is great. It is hard to resist temptation when you have it around you all the time but you are doing good. Don't focus on the end number it can be depressing (believe me I know). Work toward smaller goals and keep up the good work. Remember why you are wanting to lose the weight.

5 lbs is great, just think by next week if you lose another 5 you will be 10 pounds lighter. it sounds like you are well on your way!

Hi!
First...I am sorry about the loss of your baby. I have no idea how emotional that must be. But you will get through it! Every hard thing that you survive makes you stronger!

And...five pounds in one week is awesome!!! :happy: Most people lose about 1-2 a week when eating right and working out - and most guidelines tell you that the healthy average is 1-2 pounds a week. Sometimes when you first start a diet/fitness routine, you'll lose more at the beginning and then it slows down the more you lose.
And 96 may seem like a huge amount but it is possible!!! I'm trying to lose about 80-88 pounds and I've lose 30 so far and I'm still losing! There are people on here who have lose over 100 pounds - so it is possible!!! You may have some plateus (sp?) now and then where you may not lose anything for a week or two...but don't let that stop you! You'll get over the plateus! I did!

Try setting mini goals for yourself. I do 10-pounds by 10-pounds. So my first goal was to lose 10 pounds. And when I reached that, my new goal was to lose another 10 pounds and so on. Ten pounds seems less much overwhelming than the ultimate goal that you might want to lose. Just take it step by step and before you know it, you will have lost 40 pounds! And then your're almost half-way there! And don't be too hard on yourself! Remember to tell yourself that your worth it everyday! You deserve to be healthy and happy! :happy:

Emotional eating can be a struggle when you've had something tragic happen. Sometimes eating helps you forget the sadness that you feel. Maybe try replacing that eating with exercise. Exercise is a stress reliever that can help you work through emotions too. Or you could try yoga.

And it would be hard to work in a McDonalds and eat healthy...I'd be tempted by those fries all the time. Try and bring pre-made snacks, lunch, dinner, etc. with you. Like for a snack you could have an orange and some almonds (not too many though) or some carrot sticks or an apple with a little bit of peanut butter. As for lunch and/or dinner, you could make a healthy sandwich at home (whole grain bread, a lean protein such as white meat turkey or a veggie burger and lettuce and tomato (and even more veggies on the sandwich if you want). Try cutting out the mayo and just put mustard on your sandwich.
For breakfast you could try egg whites and whole wheat toast. Or a healthy cereal (whole grains, minimal or no added sugar and low-fat milk), a whole grain waffle with a non-trans-fat margarine such as Smart Balance or Promise. And if you want something sweet on the waffle, try a non-sugar jelly/jam instead of syrup ( you can get fruit juice sweetened jams that are delicious!)
Eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies, lean protein, whole grains, and a lot of WATER!!!

Also, pop is something that can really put you over your calories - and they're empty calories. If you drink a lot of pop try cutting down on it until you cut it completely out of your diet. I used to love pop but I cut down to once a week and now I rarely ever have it. I just drink water now and I don't even miss pop anymore!

I hope some of this helps! And you can do this!!!
Tell yourself everyday that you're worth the hard work!!!


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You've gotten some really great advice and encouragement here. I just wanted to add a few things. First, your mindset has to change if you want to be successful for the long term. This isn't a race and as much as I would LOVE my body to transform over night, I know that it is going to take me a long time. If it helps you to think for the shorter term, adjust your goals in MFP for a 10 pound loss and then adjust it again when you make it there. Hey, you're already half way to your first 10 pounds!!!

There will be weeks when you don't lose, where you may gain a pound or two or where you only lose a small amount. What matters is the measurement for the long term. I stayed the same this week but if I look at the last month, I've lost 7 pounds. I haven't lost 4, gained 5, lost 2, gained 10, etc. Try to keep that in mind and don't let it discourage you. You CAN do this!

Second, you may have already sought counseling but if you haven't, don't be afraid to do so. In the very least, find someone positive and encouraging to help you cope with your loss. I cannot fathom the feeling and I'm sure it is easier said than done to tell you to talk to someone. Just understand that food is not the answer and it's only masking the pain you're feeling. It will not numb you, it will only compound the issues. While I haven't dealt with the loss of a child, I have dealt with a lot using food as my comfort. Had I dealt with the issues long ago, I would probably only have 15 pounds to lose but instead, I ate myself into oblivion trying to make the feelings go away. I wish you the best and hope you can find the peace you deserve and lose a little weight in the process.
:flowerforyou:

you also have to remember that some of us who are posting ten pounds or so to lose have been working on it for a long time and that's just the last ten pounds or whatever. I have 10 posted, but that's the last of 50 pounds, and i've been at this for more than a year now. (jeez, like, 18 months.) five in a week is amazing! just keep plugging along.

Hi, welcome to MFP. This is a wonderful support group, here, with great advice! You will find, as you visit the messageboards, everything from warm and fuzzy to a little "tough love" out there, but you will ALWAYS find they are a group of people who really care and share. There are so many who have been where you are, I hope you can find your kindred spirits to help you get through this rough time.

blindwebguy! That was such a great post!!! Thanks for your perspective - I love PIES!!! I will keep that in mind from now on.

One thing I would like to add is from the perspective of this taking a long time. For me the thought of only losing a pound or two a week felt like it would take forever for any meaningful results to happen. What helped me was to think about how quickly time passes for other things in my life.

Even something as simple as sitting here watching the leaves come out on the trees and realizing that it seemed like only yesterday I was shovelling snow! When I was shovelling snow I was 30 lbs heavier and one full pants size bigger than I am now. I couldn't walk around the block without stopping and bending over to tie my shoes actually hurt. I feel so much more fit and capable now!

At first I would just pat myself on the back for making it through another day, then another week of logging my food and staying within my calories. Then I would reflect on little milestones like feeling more flexible or walking a little further. Measure how far you look back to when you started this journey rather than looking at how far you have to go. Take one day or one week at a time and the results will take care of themselves more quickly than you know.