Losing weight has never been easy for me, and from what I see from people on the streets it must not be easy for them either. It's absolutely incredible to realize how heavy I am. In my mind, I see myself as the 125 pound college girl. But that's not true, and it's so hard to make myself do what I know I should do. I used to be rail-thin...well, not exactly that small, but I had the perfect body....up until I turned 20. I was in college and the weight started packing on, in spite of my activity. When I started taking birth control pills a couple of months before I was married, I gained weight quickly. About 30 pounds resulted in 9 months alone from the time I started taking the pill. Six months into my marriage, I weighed 155....that was an incredible jump from the wedding day when I weighed 130. Of course, having children also increased that weight gain, and I just managed to not lose the pregnancy weight like I wanted to. Now, after my 2nd child, I have lost the pregnancy weight, but I want to keep going this time and get my weight down to when I was in college. So, that means around 70 pounds needs to come off, and for GOOD! Thinking about losing that seems like an unreachable goal, but then I look all over the internet at all of the people who've lost 50-100-even as much as 300 pounds at times, and I think "Why can't I do this? There's no reason I shouldn't be able to succeed too.

Hi, J. Welcome to the Bravenet community.

Getting rid of unwanted pounds can be really tough, I know. Especially after childbirth. But I've found that a sense of humor, combined with proper nutrition, exercise, and all the other ingredients that make up a successful plan really does help.

If you'd like, you're more than welcome to join my forum, called "Weigh to Go!" Just click on my profile pic, and it will take you to my journal. Then, look at the sidebar for the link to Weigh to Go! and come on over.

Meanwhile, try not to put too much pressure on yourself. We seem to get it in our heads that because we don't want the extra weight, that weight should just disappear when it's told to. Wouldn't it be nice if we could do that, eh?

You might wish to consult with your doctor about the difficulties you're experiencing, though; it may be that the birth contol pill, among other possible health issues, might be contributing in some way to the struggle. Just a thought.

Stay positive, J, and keep telling yourself that you can do this. Keep that image in your mind of your goal weight. As long as you hold fast to that, you will get to where you want to be. It might take awhile, but you WILL get there.

Good luck!

Oh, and by the way, J: Don't forget to reward yourself when you achieve a goal you've set for yourself. That's very important...

Happy Halloween From Me To YouI hope you enjoy your treat!

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