New - Trying again

Hello everyone,

My name is Patti. I am a 36 year old mother of two children (boy - age 2 1/2, little girl - turning 1 in 6 days!).  I have done everything to lose weight. I used phen/fen..worked great...lost 100 pounds..they took it off the market.  I understand why, but it was still frustrating. 

Had gastric bypass in 1999. Lost 100 pounds. Kept it off for 4 years until I had my son...gained 40.  With my daughter..gained another 40.  If you are contemplating gastric bypass wait until you have had children!

I am now at 273..which is the highest I have been in over 10 years.  I am frustrated, sad, exhausted, and feeling powerless. I have never been able to control my food. I was obese at my 1 year old checkup.  Hence the diet pills and surgery.

Now, I have to find a way to make this work for me as my kids need me. I love them dearly and I don't want to be a fat mom. They don't notice now, but they will soon.

I need your support and I am not sure how to even start. I should...I know all the rules about what to eat and what not to eat. I know to exercise but have trouble taking away from the two hours I get with my kids before they go to bed.

Just lost...

patti

I completely understand-my kids are young too, and I want to be able to have fun with them.

I would recommend small steps-first step is to remove as much 'white' from your house as possible. White flour, white sugar and white rice. Once you take those out, alot of the cravings will go away-it's better for the kids too. My kids are 100% better behaved and focused now that we've banished the sugar monster. lol They still get the occasional treat, but they now have a stronger reaction to sugar, so they don't really even want it all that badly.

You can still find things like ice cream and puddings with reduced sugar or no sugar added. They still taste great too!

As for exercising, take the kids for a walk around the block. They get some fresh air, and so do you. :) You only need 15 minutes of moderate exercise a day to have positive results-you don't have to slave away for hours in the gym if you don't have the time or the inclination.

Just choose small changes you know you can live with, and make further changes as you feel ready.

Patti.

Welcome and a giant hug from another mom in the same boat!

My kids are 5 and 3, and they are the best focus tool I have.  I don't want them to have to learn as adults how to make good food choices, so that's what they see at home now.

I can't tell you how much I love it when my kids finish their dinner (always a lean meat, veggie and starch) and then ask for dessert - and ask for an apple or an orange or strawberries!!!

I've added you as a friend (hope that's ok)  we moms need to stick together!

Thank you so much for writing and a giant hug back to both you moms!  I appreciate the support so much.  I am going to try the small steps and try to get the white stuff out of the house. 

Right this minute, in our house, there are mini-donuts, brownies and chocolate pudding cups..not to mention the pop-tarts and 'fruit' snacks.  I actually can honestly blame my husband for that stuff this time as he did by all of it when he went shopping on Friday, but I have bought similar items myself.  Time to clean it all out! 

Our son loves fruit so I need to get that back in our home full-time!  Luckily, he is a skinny one so far. My daughter on the other hand is my little chunk and I fear she will end up like me!

Thanks for the support!  I need it and I hope I can give it back in return!

Patti

Mine are exactly the same - my son has always been on the small and slight side, whereas my daughter looked like the baby Michelin man!  When she was littler (oops - younger!) she had so many rolls of fat - it was adorable, but obviously want to make sure it's only saved in pictures!

Now the kids both do gymnastics once a week, and we severly limit their television time, so they're either doing something creative to improve their minds or physical to improve their bodies.

Are yours picky eaters?  (Ok, not the 1 year old - too soon to tell!)

My boy never used to be but as he is approaching 3 he has begun to voice his opinion. He doesn't like things mixed together..other than spaghetti. All items have to be separate (meatballs, mashed potatoes, pasta, chicken etc.).  He will eat broccoli and just about any vegetable though.

My daughter has begun to show a distinct taste for carbs! She loves pancakes, bread, rice, etc.  She also eats a ton!  My son will eat until he is full and rarely cleans his plate. My daughter just keeps eating!  I swear if we let her sit there and kept feeding her she would just keep going.  I'll give you one guess as to who was like that as a child!

I need to get them involved in something like gymnastics..just haven't looked into it yet. I guess I keep thinking they are too small, but maybe there is something available! 

Gotta run..boss is calling. Will write more later!

My daughter used to be an eating machine until we took the sugars out of the house. Sugar always seems to want more sugar for company-so she ate and ate.

I've been really pushing fluids on the kids too-I'm convinced most of the time when they say they're hungry, they're really just thirsty. I ask them to have a drink first, to see if that's what they need.  If they're still hungry, that's when I know it's true hunger and they get a snack. :)