Need help and encouragement!

Hi and welcome! I think that if you change your habits now, and make plans for good foods, that are easy to eat once the baby is born you can have success! I will give you the same advice I give everyone...

1.  Start a food journal NOW

2.  water water water

3.  eat every 2 to 3 hours, whether you feel like it or not

welcome! the netherlands is definitely a place i'm wanting to visit.  like others have said, since you are pregnant right now and have a long time before you have surgery (if you do decide to do it) you might as well give it a try. i'm not sure what the MD would say about trying to lose weight while pregnant, but you can at least start making small, maintainable changes so that by the time baby comes, it will be routines. just focus on small things. more veggies, more water. start weighing your food and paying attention to nurition facts on the side of the box. journal your food. even if you eat crap. it can be interesting just to see what you eat when you are not *trying*  to eat well. is there anything you can do with your young son? like baby and mom swim classes or walking groups? i know in the US they have "baby n' me" or something classes. maybe find out if there are any other young moms in your neighborhood who you could go on walks with or eat healthy lunches with.  those are my thoughts.

Ms. Carina.. ((((((((BIG HUG)))))))))) My weight piled on as a result of my babies, so you are in good company. I actually was the "thinest" when I was pregnant... that figures huh?? I am an newbie here too and you will see that you are among some TERRIFIC guys-n-gals who are truley rooting for your success!! Don't be too hard on yourself during the pregnancy, ok?? We are glad to have you here!!!!

Carina, Also check Andy113's profile.  She did soooooo good!!!!! (Sorry Andy, I do so admire you, also.  I just forgot.  I'm 55 years old, you know. Senility is setting in.) Bren

Thank you everyone!!!
I feel welcome and hope to be able to contribute some support myself. And if anyone visitis the netherlands, I'll be your personal tour guide

Of course my intention is not to lose a lot of weight during this last stage of pregnancy. I strated out at 158 kilograms (348 pounds), and lost 10, as I always do. I am stable at 148 kilograms (326 pounds) for 3 months now. I would love to stay this, or not gain more than 4 to 6 pounds, or maybe even lose up to maximum 10 pounds. This is because I know in my last trimester I am getting full easily again, so not so hungry.
Hey, I should make a banner if I find out how Already lost some, didn't I?

My intention IS however to get started IMMEDIATELY after giving birth. Don't worry, no crash-stuff, because I am really looking for something I can do the rest of my life now. And to get some good habits in place NOW, might help me after delivery.

So I'll take your tips: water! I have started to substitue most of my diet coke for water.
Journaling, will start doing this. I KNOW it works very well, the problem is always to keep doing it for the rest of your life... :-0
Exercise! I will try to get out and about more with Brent, but I am having lower back pains which make it impossible for me to really make a caloric difference right now. But maybe it is more important to set habits than actually burn fat now, right?

THANK YOU for your warm welcome to this foreigner. I WANT to make this work so that I can avoid the surgery. I am scared of the complications, the bathroom issues, malnutrition, skin etc etc. So I HAVE to avoid it!!!!

Love
Carina

more water and less caffiene and sugar substitute is good for you AND baby - I read somewhere ages ago that caffiene and fake sugar actually inhibit weight loss.  Caffiene because it gives you a source of engergy besides your fat stores and sugar substitutes because they can mess with insulin.

I dont know if that is accurate or not.  What I do know is that since I dropped my pot and a half a day coffee habit and stopped drinking anything carbonated I feel better, I sleep better and I am losing weight.  I drink one cup of coffee or tea a day now, and if I want it sweet I use real sugar. making a banner is easy.  Go to www.thetickerfactory.com and make one.  Then copy the actual banner (not the code) into your signature.

I journal online and I carry a notebook.  I write down everything I eat and unless I am at a resturant I measure everthying.  Like other's here have said over and over - the only one who believes the lies about what we eat are us!  The rest of the world can clearly see we overeat. 

Do what you can for exercise.  Maybe you and Brent can have "dance time" where you put on a great CD and boogie for 10 minutes.  EVERYTHING helps and is a step in the right direction (says the woman who has not added any sort of exercise to her program yet - veggies first, exercise next LOL)

Have a great evening! (It is 9 am here, 5 pm in London...  so 7ish there?)

The great thing about exercise is that pretty much an activity you do is exercise.  If you can get a pedometer I would highly recommend it.  I'm usually around 7500-12000 steps per day.  When I notice that a day has not been in my desired range then I try to do a little more the next day.  Everything counts, like doing laundry, cleaning the house, parking one space further away in the parking lot.  It all adds up.  Nothing beats cardio for burning fat and strength training for gaining muscle to burn more fat efficiently and stretching for flexibility but at least you can use that as a guide.  I wear mine when I exercise and throughout the rest of my day so some of my steps are also cardio, but whatever you can handle.  It's also great b/c you see your progress over time.  I enter my daily steps on the top of the page in my food journal each day. Welcome and I wish you all the success in the world with your journey and that new baby on the way! Beth :)

Carina,

THAT WAS ME!  I was fat and 30.  I hated it.  I started my weight loss journey when I turned 33.  I have now lost 57kg and am nearly half my original weight 117.5kg.

It can be done.

Em

Thank you for all of your kind answers, I feel welcome already!
Violamom, it is 1 hour later than London here

About exercise. I really hate it, but what's new at my weight... I dread that I see NOW that I will have to maintain an exercise regime the rest of my life, or else I will fail. I will also have to journal the rest of my life. But hey, if I have the DS, I will have to monito (and journal) my protein and vitamin intake, and will have to execrise as well! So there's just no way around it.

Now that I am 6 months along, I get lower back pains. But I must try and do something anyway.
Yesterday the sun was out, so I just took Brent in his stroller and we walked to town and back (about 30 mins total in my wobbly state of walking right now)
Better than nothing, right?

Hey the dance tip sounds nice!!! Brent loves music!