i feel selfish for eating healthy and exercising :S.

I felt this way too at first. Now I just integrate the kids into my workouts. I do leg presses with them as the weight and they love it. They bike while I run/jog. Last week all 6 of us, yeah you read that right 6, were spread out on the living room floor doing pilates, and push ups and crunches.
You need to be healthy in order to do the things you want to with your kids. As long as you're not taking food out of their mouth then don't feel guilty. They will benefit greatly in the long run.

It can seem selfish, and it sort of is, because it is just for you. But think about it this way. Unless you take care of yourself first, you won't be able to take care of anyone else. You won't be able to do the things you want to do with your friends. This is one time you are allowed to be selfish!

I feel that way too. But I remind myself that I can't be good to others if I'm not healthy. My hubs has even started taking better care of himself so I guess I've been a good influence on him.

Yeah I tend to avoid family and friends more because I know family = eating out = :explode:

As long as your agenda is different from those around you it is inevitable. Find friends who share your concerns, or try to meet your friends and family in the middle. I hope the next time I go home and there is nothing going on, I would like to make dinner for my family. And if they come here I would like to walk them around my campus. Work in the better food and exercise with them. If you explain, maybe they will care enough to try to meet you in the middle as well.

my husband calls me selfish because I dedicate a lot more time to exercising and cooking healthy foods (which cost more money than cheap foods do) and he says I have an "obsession" with health. Well if a person has an obsession, I would think that health would be the best one to have!
I see where he's coming from as far as the money issue goes... I could be buying boxed macaroni and cheese and ramen noodles instead of chicken and fresh veggies/fruits, but I really think that your health and your self esteem is a much better time AND money investment than anything else!

Don't get down on yourself because YOU are worth it!!

There's a beautiful scene in the movie "Defending Your Life" where Rip Torn's character tells Albert Brooks' (recently deceased) character that he was a pretty good guy while he was alive, but there was one person on Earth he could have been a whole lot nicer to - himself.

My suggestion is to keep in mind that you cannot provide 100% of your all for the ones you love in your life unless you take care of yourself. When you eat nutritious foods, take a few minutes to exercise your body, or get enough rest, that's giving you strength to help your parents, spouse, kids, friends or pets when they need you. It's contributing to a positive state of mind that makes you someone other people gravitate toward. In short, it's all win-win. You might try thinking about this the next time that guilty feeling comes along - you're doing this for you and the ones you love.

By eating well and exercising you are ensuring yourself the greatest possible chance to be there for those you care most about, whoever they may be. By being fit and healthy, you increase your ability to GIVE of yourself...

True that