Danie_Prime30
New member
Posts: 2
I'm new to this site, literally just found it from one of those, "incredibly powerful sites you've never heard of" reels on Facebook. After scrolling around the webpage this looks exactly like the kind of place I needed. I'm 35 years old and I weigh over 350lbs. I've always been on the heavier side but always healthy and moved around a lot. After I had my first child (at 21) I had severe post partum depression and post partum OCD. I relied a lot on food, finding the comfort of a homecook meal a reliable source of instant seratonin. After my second pregnancy (2014), I didn't struggle as badly mentally, but I had 4 children under 2. I was not sedentary at all, but eating constantly. In 2018, after some family drama, I finally cut ties with the brother who had hurt me as a child causing a rift in the family. My Mom, who knew about the abuse, told me that she'd forgiven herself for her inaction and that I needed to move on. She was one of my best friends. For a couple of months I was sick with anxiety, but something in me had an epiphany. I was free from all of the stuff that I'd been hiding under. I quit smoking cigarettes and gained nearly 40lbs, but my body actually felt better than when I was still smoking. I found myself so proud of quitting and breaking ties that I had the confidence to try for school! I went back to college and was extremely motivated. I ended up losing 100lbs over the next year and a half - and then COVID happened.
I know it was a difficult time for the entire world, for me, it completely upended my life. At the time I had 4 school aged children. They were supposed to be "learning" virtually but the connection on the Chromebooks never worked, or I'd find them literally just sitting at the computer while the teacher played a slideshow. I was terrified they'd be left behind and because I was lucky enough to be a stay at home Mom college student I refocused my energy from nutrition and weightloss to their education. I made my kitchen into a classroom and taught myself the curriculum for them (for context I have triplets and an older child so only two grades to learn). This was March of 2020 and they didn't return to school until the following January 2021. After they went back to school I'd lost so much motivation. My kids were good, happy and healthy, but the world was so different. My husband lost two co-workers to COVID and several of my friends lost parents. On top of that, most of my husband and I's friends came out of COVID with divorce petitions. My friend groups were gone. My support system gone. I began relying heavily on alcohol to sleep. And my husband, who has always been thin and active, fell into his own depression and became addicted to kratom. It was a difficult time.
Fast forward to now, 2026. I graduated college in 2022, became a traveling counselor and my life is okay. I finally went to the doctor and got medication for my depression. My children are doing wonderfully in school and I am building a small group of steady friends from work. I feel like I'm ready to start again. I went to a local indoor rollercoaster spot with my kids (now 12 and 14) and could only ride one of the rides with them because I'm too heavy to safely ride the others. I wasn't especially embarrassed, I'm under no delusions about my weight, but I did feel a hefty sense of shame because I want so badly to participate and engage more actively in their lives. I'd like to be able to not move the entire bed when I roll over in the night. I want to walk my dog without getting out of breath or walk a mile without needing to stop every few minutes. I'm hoping this site is the first step to my new normal. I look forward to chatting with you all.
I know it was a difficult time for the entire world, for me, it completely upended my life. At the time I had 4 school aged children. They were supposed to be "learning" virtually but the connection on the Chromebooks never worked, or I'd find them literally just sitting at the computer while the teacher played a slideshow. I was terrified they'd be left behind and because I was lucky enough to be a stay at home Mom college student I refocused my energy from nutrition and weightloss to their education. I made my kitchen into a classroom and taught myself the curriculum for them (for context I have triplets and an older child so only two grades to learn). This was March of 2020 and they didn't return to school until the following January 2021. After they went back to school I'd lost so much motivation. My kids were good, happy and healthy, but the world was so different. My husband lost two co-workers to COVID and several of my friends lost parents. On top of that, most of my husband and I's friends came out of COVID with divorce petitions. My friend groups were gone. My support system gone. I began relying heavily on alcohol to sleep. And my husband, who has always been thin and active, fell into his own depression and became addicted to kratom. It was a difficult time.
Fast forward to now, 2026. I graduated college in 2022, became a traveling counselor and my life is okay. I finally went to the doctor and got medication for my depression. My children are doing wonderfully in school and I am building a small group of steady friends from work. I feel like I'm ready to start again. I went to a local indoor rollercoaster spot with my kids (now 12 and 14) and could only ride one of the rides with them because I'm too heavy to safely ride the others. I wasn't especially embarrassed, I'm under no delusions about my weight, but I did feel a hefty sense of shame because I want so badly to participate and engage more actively in their lives. I'd like to be able to not move the entire bed when I roll over in the night. I want to walk my dog without getting out of breath or walk a mile without needing to stop every few minutes. I'm hoping this site is the first step to my new normal. I look forward to chatting with you all.
Posts: 489
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Welcome!
two things that have helped me with consistency are: