advice for Losing weight with stress issues.

[selenamdz]

Hello everyone. I am new here. My name is Selena and I am hoping and praying, that fitbit will be that thing that helps push me to a healthy lifestyle again! I have 4 children, all boys, ages 8,6,4, and 2. They are my everything, but also the reason I am so unhealthy currently.. haha I gained about 60 pounds with each pregnany ( I was on bed rest). I, amazingly, lost almost all of it each time. I was about 160 before I got pregnant with my last son (which isnt bad for 5'7). But, I am so far from that now. This last one has been so hard . My husband deployed when he was a few months old for 6 months, then he returned and our baby started having seizures. Now my husband is testing for a fatal disease in his family that he believes he has, with no cure (huntingtons disease) The stress has been beyond imaginable and I am a stress eater. I just want to  be healthy again. I was hoping to find friends who want to lose like me or are trying to walk 10k or more steps a day. Thank you all. 🙂

[Raviv]

I would try to go at it from two sides - teaching your kids that there are certain times during the day when you are allowed to have 30 minutes or so of "Mom time" (easier said than done, but possible) and maybe learning some kind of relaxation technique like certain types of stretching yoga.  I have a CD called Candlelight Yoga and it's perfect for that.

Can you afford a gym?  Some of them have childcare included, and you could maybe do that while the older two are in school, so only two are going.  Or if you work outside the home during the day, maybe schedule in some time at the gym on the way home or just some alone time at a nearby park before you pick them up from daycare or school.

Obviously none of this changes the things you're stressing about, but it might make coping with them easier.  If you're stressed out and available for every possible need 24/7, you're not going to be very healthy, and you won't be much help to your kids in the long run either.

I honestly believe that teaching kids how to respect their mom and see her as an individual with her own needs is a huge step toward teaching them how to have healthy relationships when they grow up.  So if you start feeling guilty about it, maybe keep that in mind.

[emili]

I am a mom and I 100% agree with Raviv. Your kids and husband and everyone else on the planet can do without you for 45 minutes everyday. I know it sounds crazy, but I promise they can. It won't be perfect and you will come back to something different than what you left, but you will save yourself in the process. Walk, jog, stretch, lift- whatever, just move. You will actually release chemicals in your brain that will help you cope. You will get time to have your thoughts be your own and no noise. Please do this for you. As far as overeating- its emotional-its a behavioral trigger. You will need to train your brain to want something else or trick your brain by delaying gratification. Your body does not want it-its really your brain. when you feel the emotions kicking in, and your brain is saying comfort me- set a timer for 15 minutes and do something else. when it goes off, check in. if it passed- yay, if its still there, be strong- reset the timer and get out of the place that has food. Keep doing it until its actual meal time and prepare yourself for portion control. Train your brain- it will get easier. Our brains are designed to be trained and to learn new skills and behaviors- give it what it needs- not what it wants. Best, E.

[divedragon]

Welcome to the community! 

Wow! Anyone would be stressed under those conditions, so make sure you aren't blaming yourself for anything.  There are things you can do to help relieve that, but they do take time.  One of those you are already in process of doing (I'm assuming since you are here) and that's being more active.  Taking walks that get your heart pumping and lungs working will help.  If you have the option, take those walks in the woods or country setting as there is evidence that between walks and nature, the human can derive great benefits.  The Japanesese have a word for this, but I can't remember it right now.

Try meditation.  You can find mediation websites that can walk you through how to mediate.  Try to do that every day.

Eat healthy.  Having said that, there is a lot of controversy on what that means.  I have views that go against the typical nutritional guidlines.  High fats (good fats), low carbs and select proteins.  There are studies which show that certain foods cause the body to produce excess insulin.  Fats like butter, olive oil and coconut oil cause very little insulin to be produced where as steak is pretty high.  Fatty fish such as tuna are low.  Vegetables such as advacado's are quite low, but fruits are intuitively high.  Here's a link to get you started if you're interested in researching this futher:

https://intensivedietarymanagement.com/insulin-index/

The website to that link is run by a Kidney specilist out of Toronto.  He treats a lot of diabetics and has studied the relationship between food and obesity and he is a strong proponent of a technique knows as Intermittent Fasting (IF).  Among many benefits of IF, one is to lower blood pressure, lower inflamation and balance the hormones which can help with managing stress.  I've been practicing IF since October of 15 and feel great.

Lastly, try to cultivate an attitude that doesn't have to stressing about your weight or the process of loosing it.  Try to accept where you are now and recognize you're starting on a journey thatwill take time.  Try to enjoy the journey and look at it as an opportunity to explore new things and even new places on your walks.

I wish you the best of luck and please feel free to contact me if you have questions or need someone to share your journey.  Most of us here are on one type of journey or another!

[skrumshz]

If you ever need someone to chat to while your husband waits for his results from his Huntingtons test I am here

I have been through the testing

None of it is easy

And its nice to have support