I Cant Loose the Weight!!!

Dr. Dean Ornish's Eat More, Weigh less book. He has been on Oprah and is a heart doctor. I did his diet, which is a low fat vegetarian diet. It is super easy to do and doesn't restrict how much you eat, just what you eat. I lost 90 pounds!

You can always get someone to buy you the book and points finder and do weight watchers from home, that would only be a one time cost of about $30. I have a few random tips though.
cut out most soda, punch, coffee, etc. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. No calories in herbal tea. If you drink milk go down to 1% if you are drinking 2%.
Fill up on 'watery' veggies, carrots, celery, they tend to be '0' points for WW. Progresso has some new soups that are 0 points. stick with broth based instead of cream soups.
people tend to confuse thirst with hunger so have a glass of water before getting a snack.
stop eating by a certain time each night.
use yogurt for spreads on sandwiches instead of mayo.
raisins are a great low cal snack.
quakers mini rice cakes are tasty and low cal.
a rough estimate forWW would be 1 point for every 50 calories and 3 grams of fat.
as for exercising I really enjoy my windsor pilates dvd, and when I stick to it I can start to see a difference pretty quickly. hope some of this is helpful.

Considering your weight gains, I would definitely see your doctor about insulin resistance/diabetes.
Most of us get discouraged early on in dieting when we don't see immediate results. It's important to keep going, week after week after week...after week. Plateaus are reached around 6 weeks, but if you keep walking or exercising, you will build muscle.
It's hard to avoid carbs with three young kids in the house, but I would second the no refined carbs approach (no sugar, no white flour or white rice, etc.).

T. - I hear your frustration!! The things we put our bodies through to have a family!! :-)

Great input from others on this board. I'd check with your doctor first, maybe get your bloodwork done up, and make sure there isn't something physiologically out of balance with you (diabetes, thyroid, hormone imbalance, etc). It would be a shame to be putting so much hard work and effort into losing weight, only to find out that there's some bigger issues that needs to be addressed.

With that said, I personally find that being aware of everything that I actually put in my mouth, makes a huge difference! Do I really need those chips? Or that chocolate? Could I replace it with some vegetables instead? or even just drink a glass of water when I'm hungry (oh the hunger!). It's all the little things that add up. Watching your sugar intake, making sure you are eating enough fruits and vegetables, and limit your complex carbs. And of course, you have to move your body to either maintain, or reduce your weight. Eating right, finding the time to exercise (and the energy), however, isn't always easy. As moms we don't always have the time to take care of ourselves and eat properly (trust me, I know!). Nutritional supplements (vitamins) make a huge difference for me in terms of how I feel (doesn't necessarily help with weight loss). But I know I feel more energy when I take my vitamins, and I drag if I forget.

You might also want to consider doing a detox (I don't mean a fasting detox, I mean a natural cleanse to 'eliminate'). This is a great way to hit the 'reset' button on your body, and clean out your digestive tract (every now and then a good pipe cleaning makes things run better)! Toxins build up over time, and can result in weight gain, fatigue, stress, etc. If you want more information, please contact me direct.

(DISCLAIMER: My business is in the Health and Wellness industry - I've been a consultant with Arbonne for 2 years now. We do carry a line of detox products, as well as nutrition and weight management products. I'm happy to share with you some options, but know that what works for one, doesn't necessarily work for all. What's important is addressing your particular needs, so you can get the results you are looking for, and get back to the weight you want.)

Hope this helps. Good luck, T.!!
Pam
www.pamelagreb.myarbonne.com

Hi, I know how tough it is! I am a mother of a three year old girl. I had her when I was 35 which made the loss tougher. I am a gym owner and personal trainer. First of all I would look at your current diet. You don't have to have a fancy plan to lose the weight. Just looking at the right nutrients and calories ensuring that you are not to low or to high with the intake. Don't count out the crunches, lunges etc. because it all goes together.
Diet, cardio and resistance training will work hand in hand. You just need to keep a positive attitude and it will happen :)

Hi T.~

I wanted to let you know that I am in the same boat as you as far as loosing weight and going to the City Church in Kirkland. I love it there. 8 am service on Sunday I usually go to. Keep praying about the weight lose and it will come first off!! Second I know you said that weight watchers is expensive but there are a few ways to keep trak of your daily points which I have the book that lets you know how many points you can have buy your weight if you feel comfortable letting me know your weight I can help and let you know your daily points target for food weise. For lunches I always have a SmartOne and I usually buy them at Target becasue they are cheaper and they say the points value on the package. Most veggies are free of points as long as you dont eat a giant bowl full but as my WW leader says we didnt get the way we are by eating to many veggies, right?=) Small friuts are only 1-2 points. Just maybe consider trying out a WW meeting to see if you like it and maybe they can give you some more pointers too. Portion Control is a big thing. I have a hard time with that because I want the whole thing instead of saving it for later but weight wathers is working for me. I have lost 27 ponds since October and I need to loose about another 20-30 more. I am on my way there. If you have any questions let me know and I will help as best as I can. Check out weight watchers cookbooks to at the store! Good luck and I wish you the best!! Also I go to the Weight Watcher meeting in Redmond on Wednesday morning at 9:30 if you want to come!!
Good Luck!
A. N

I gained 75lbs after getting MARRIED! My doctor always told me to do Diabetic Diet. And I tried a couple of times but only half heartedly. Then I was diagnosed with Gestatinal Diabetes with my son (first). I was able to control it via diet alone no insulin. And I LOST 65LBS! Which was okay because dare I say I was obese, so it was healthy for me AND my baby. I was allowed 30grams of carbs with 2 meals and 3 snacks and 60 grams w dinner. And if it had more than 9 grams of sugar it was a NO NO. And walking 20 min a day 3X wk should do the trick. O and NO fruit for Breakfast. There is a great book or website Calori King www.calorieking.com Good Luck.
S.

Try www.SparkPeople.com it's an online community where you find diet, exercise and support information.

And it's free.

F.

Dear T., I can totally sympathize. I can say one thing, don't hate yourself every morning like I did. Love yourself unconditionally. We have started a family support group that meets once per month giving each other ideas and eating a healthy meal. Cut out all birthday cakes which the children don't really eat anyway. Light candles on a mousse our something light. Buy Dr. Phil's book. It is the best.
Get an exercise tape that you can do with your children. That little body is still under there.......find it! M. S

Hi T.,
I just heard a doctor talk about women becoming insulin resistant after a large weight gain during pregnancy. He said that regular dieting and working out are not enough. His suggestion was to get on a diet with no simple carbs...white anything and no sugar, and work our at least 5 days a week to reset your body. Talk to your doctor about the possibility of your being insulin resistant. He may have a great diet to help you. Good luck!