Celia, I have a friend who just lost 40 lbs., after trying for years to lose weight. She says one of the things that helped the most was writing everything down, like Sveta just mentioned. Another thing she said was having healthy snacks and meals ready at all times -- lots of planning ahead.

My kids are now 7.5 and 6, but I used to take them for walks in a jogging stroller until they were 5.5 and 4. If you can find an inexpensive used one, it's a great way to get out and walk briskly or even jog. Several times a week, I would walk 20 mintes to the park and bring lots of stuff to play with (sidewalk chalk, bubbles, sand toys) and snacks, stay for an hour and then walk 20 minutes back. My kids loved being out and seeing the neighborhood as I got some exercise.

Also, I like to make hot water with lemon juice to drink at least once a day. And I often make smoothies with lots of fruit, and some chard. My kids even like them!?

Small healthy steps will add up : ) Good luck!!!

Celia, you've had incredible suggestions from so many, and I'm certainly not the one to pontificate on how to stay thin. But I can make you this offer. If you think taking long walks with me and Reva sounds like a good idea, you're more than welcome any time. It would be good for us all!

Big hugs Celia!
Many malls have groups who go out and measure the distance of a walk around the mall and what that translates in distance. See if this exists at your local mall at their info desk ---collect a couple spins around the mall as a mile walk with DD and get some window shopping done with a nice healthy drink as incentive for darling scale breaking daughter--you didn't need that thing anyway!

I understand and sympathize. After 2 kids, my body isn't what it used to be.

I have found that simply taking care of myself - not necessarily diet or exercise, but things like mental stimulation, social interactions, self-care like pedicures - goes a long way toward helping me feel less down on myself.

Your body is capable of amazing things. It's hard to struggle with a few extra pounds, but taking some time each day to appreciate what it's capable of can help build you up a little bit.

You've gotten great advice here.
From a medical viewpoint I'll say this: walking at work, taking the stairs, etc doesn't make as much of an impact as taking time off to do nothing else but walk/exercise. With no thoughts of getting kids to a playdate or fixing their meals or what have you: just walking for the sake of walking: having that me time: let's your cortisol levels sink and endorphins rise: this improves mood, energy and gets pounds off. I would suggest asking your sig other or parent or friend to give you a break 3-4 times a week for 45 mins- an hour where its just YOU!

You need to act right now, one pound or two doesn't matter, but you need to eat right and exercise! When I lost 10 kgs (almost 2 years ago). Ladies at YLF gave me a good adivice: go and buy a fab wardrobe, you'll feel motivated to keep the same weight to fit in your fabulous clothes!

Celia I can empathize on 2 fronts.

1)I know what you mean about walking with a 4 year old not cutting it on the exercise front. SO TRUE. I walked km with mine when they were little but at this age, even if they will go in a stroller, I find we are constantly stopping for them to look at things, or because otherwise I can't hear what she is saying (and she talks constantly) or so she can have a go at pushing it herself (read : snailspace).
I think Sona's point is right - you need to find some time to do it yourself. For me, that meant joining a gym that had a creche and/or getting up in the morning before kids awakened (not always easy in the past) or going out at night after they are in bed.

2) Earlier this year I had put on a couple of kgs too. Like you I don't think anyone would have noticed, but my jeans were getting tight and I was wondering if this would keep on happening. My reasons for the weight gain were a bit happier than yours - I got addicted to the Masterchef show and tried out way to many of their dessert recipes (plus I always struggle a bit with overeating). I wrote to YLF at one point feeling a bit despairing.

So I know where you are coming from. What helped jolt me out of it was a particular function coming up which I realised would be full of people who hadn't seen me for 10 or 20 years and that I'd been thinner then. Once I committed to it, I lost 3kg in about 3 weeks (this is very fast for me) and have pretty much maintained it ever since. I agree with the above posters that changing food intake is key (I was already exercising)

Wishing you well, Celia. You've got some good advice here. Your psychological AND physical well-being is important, as are your children's.

It's ironic, but I tend to associate weight LOSS with depression, poverty, or illness. Isn't it funny how CONTEXT works? It might be some fallout from being raised by parents who immigrated from countries that were war-torn or impoverished, and so food - particularly rich in calories, starchy foods, and red meat - was scarce, and the "chubby" people were the well-off, healthy people. Interesting, eh? Now in popular culture here in the West we have an arbitrary size or number that is considered acceptable, and we all jump at it.

Be kind to yourself! Your job as a mom is VERY important - be proud.

I just wanted to say that I thought Sona's advice was excellent - it's important to make the exercise a whole separate thing, rather than thinking we'll work it into our daily routines. Now granted, I've been slacking on this front quite a bit myself (I call it slacking, but truth be told, my exercise is pretty much non-existent right now) - but the thing is, I do remember how great it was to be taking long daily walks at least five days a week. Sona is so right about this - we think we're going to park the car far away from the entrance, or that we'll make the effort to walk more at work or whatever, but there is nothing better than getting out for an actual walk.

Even if we're going to the gym, taking classes, lifting weights or doing videos or home routines, there is nothing better than a daily walk outside. I can't explain it, but there really is something to be said for being outside in nature. Extremely good for the psyche and yes, it does really help on the weight/fitness front too.

As somebody who struggled with a lifelong weight issue, I am sending you love and hugs, Celia!! And two suggestions:

1. If you want to stay slim, do whatever you can to get a handle on it now and make stopping further gain a priority. If you don't gain, you are winning!

2. There is a lot of fascinating literature out there about how the standard Western diet promotes overweight. My personal favorite is "The End of Overeating" by David Kessler. Fascinating stuff that alerts you to some common dietary pitfalls, for both yourself and your family.

Please realize that women's bodys fluctuate. Women are so fluid, as Keith Richards said in his book. What a smart man. I'm 57 and my body has a mind of it's own, still. I've spent too much time hating my body, now all I can say is, I am a woman and my body does what it wants to do. I'm not going to beat myself up about this anymore!!! My husband mentioned the other day that my boobs seemed to be larger than usual, you know what, I'm not taking this judgement any more. I am what I am, and I'm a woman, and I'm fluid.

I adore you for saying that, San! Smart, smart lady!!!

Oh thankyou! Not smart, just know that women are special creatures yet we don't realize it until much later.

Amen, san!

I hope this is helping Celia (and all women who go through these periods of self-doubt and the blues). Keep it in perspective - your body is still healthy (the most important thing!) and although its shape has changed after giving birth and/or from not having the most athletic schedule, it is still beautiful!!! Always keep that knowledge near.

Celia, I was going to reply to this yesterday but didn't have time, and now I see that many people have posted helpful replies and there's not much more I can add! But hang in there. It's true that metabolisms change over time, and calorie expenditure fluctuates according to lifestyle changes, and these are things that are only partially under our control. But no, just because you've gained a few pounds doesn't mean you're just going to keep gaining and gaining and there's nothing you can do about it! If you were already running for an hour five days per week, and you had a personal trainer helping you weight train, and you ate only fish and veggies, and you STILL couldn't lose the weight, then I'd say there was some metabolic factor that is out of your control! But that's not the case. You said yourself that you haven't been exercising.

The trick is, of course, to find a way to develop a fitness routine and eat healthier when you've got a young one to look after. I know how hard that can be. My kids are older now, but when my second child was a young and I was getting no sleep and didn't have the energy to exercise or remember to eat properly, I gained a bit too. Once life gets under control and you get a routine going, the weight will most likely just come back off. But it's got to be a routine you're happy to stick to, as I'm sure you know, and you can't diet. You have to eat healthy all the time, and work some treats in there so you don't feel deprived.

Big hugs! It'll all work out.

Celia, big hugs! I know having children totally changes your lifestyle in every way. And your body too! I managed to make it down to my prepregnancy weight, but my body is a totally different apple shape and nothing in my old wardrobe fit right anymore, so I can totally relate to what you're saying. It's so hard to find time to exercise because as soon as I get home from work, the kids are glommed onto me till bedtime and the little one still wakes up to nurse a couple times a night so I'm too tired to wake up early to exercise in the morning. I was doing a 20 minute Jillian Michaels exercise video (30 day Shred) after the kids went to bed over the summer but have totally slacked off. I think I'll try to exercise more again starting in January. I agree with the others that it's going to be a lot of baby steps and small goals, don't get discouraged about the overall weight gain but focus on little ways you can sneak in healthier eating and exercise when you can. Have you thought about doing exercise videos if you can't join a gym? Also, I've seen a lot of mommies on my mommy board who are members of Myfitnesspal.com, it's a community of people trying to lose weight and forums/support. I haven't used it but I see them post tickers under their signature with pounds lost and apparently it's a very helpful community. Finally, have you had a medical checkup? Things like thyroid disease can cause weight gain and depression so you should make sure there's no medical issues contributing to the situation. I hope things get better for you soon but remember big picture is you've got a wonderful family who loves you--a few pounds is nothing to worry about in the grand scheme of things as long as you're healthy...and hopefully you can make changes for a healthier lifestyle in the coming year. Cheers!

Dear Celia, I'd typed something up and then found out I wasn't logged in and lost what I'd written. You've received so many wonderful suggestions here and we can all relate. I don't have any children, but a friend of mine has a little one and works out by putting a DVD in her computer as her little boy plays nearby. Nature is wonderful inspiration and taking a walk in your neighborhood is something you can do. (I loved the photo you posted in the other thread).

There are times when I tend to hibernate and don't get to the fitness center and I'd rather be here on YLF. So, I get on the floor and do a few ab crunches or leg lefts. When I'm brushing my teeth, I'll do leg lifts or stand perpendicular against the wall until my Sonicare toothbrush stops! Sometimes we need to be on Team Baby Steps and be gentle with ourselves and make small changes in our lives.

Above all, be sweet to yourself.

Celia, I just wanted to say that I know how hard it is to stay home with a little one, especially when you feel as if life is passing you by. That alone can lead to feeling blue. I can honestly say that my memories of when my kids were small are a blur. It was so stressful, especially around this time of year, to feel like I had to make everyone's dreams come true with very few resources. Even my childrens' innocent excitement wore me out mentally.

I hope you realize how important you are and what a great job you are doing. You will get through this rough spot and I hope tomorrow seems a little brighter! Sending big hugs your way.

Celia, I know exactly how you feel. I had always been very slim, but about three years ago my wacked-out menopausal hormones rebelled and gave me a "menopot". I felt horrible, sluggish and well, ugly! I did the South Beach diet and lost 12 pounds, mostly belly fat but definitely slimmed down in my hips and thighs as well. I continue to use the South Beach eating plan as a guide to healthy eating. In my experience, WHAT you eat is a larger part of the weight loss equation than exercise. Mindful eating and gradually easing into regular, enjoyable exercise is the way to go. Being a mom is the most important job I can think of - hard to believe that my adorable "little" boy is 26 years old! Just want you to know you are not alone.

Just wanted to add how much I appreciated your photo of the park today - and how important spending time in nature really is. While I realize this is way off topic, I though I'd include a link to a news story I read a few years back - something about 'nature deficit disorder' (don't laugh...seems everything is some sort of 'disorder' these days).

Denver Post article:

http://www.denverpost.com/education/ci_9199398

It's not just for kids either. Trust that time spent outdoors is just as beneficial to adults as well.

Hope that you had a wonderful time at the park today and that you're feeling a bit better about things as a result. If you can't get to the park, there's always sipping a mug of tea out on your balcony/back porch/patio in the evening, bundled up in blankets, looking out at the stars. I know it seems kind of dumb, but I swear - doing something like this once in awhile will help you feel a lot better. The stars in the sky are friendly, and it's a good thing to take a tiny bit of time out for yourself - even if it's winter, even if it's dark outside or what have you.

Time in nature will help - even if it's just you in your yoga pants and slippers out on the back porch at like 9pm at night, clutching a mug of tea, admiring the stars in the sky.

Here's hoping you're feeling a whole lot better.

@velvetychocolate: Richard Louv​'s "Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder" is an absolute must-read!

Nothing makes me feel better than being outside, breathing in the glories of nature.

Barbara - thank you for the recommendation, I just added it to my insanely long wish list on Amazon.

In the meantime - I think it's true that spending time outside matters a whole lot. There is nothing better or more grounding than spending time outdoors, no matter what the weather is doing. Even if it's just for a few minutes a day (due to inclement weather), being closer to nature is one of the best things you can do for yourself. When things get very stressful and complicated, taking even just five minutes to shut everything off and just look up at the sky is incredibly restorative and joy-inducing.

I think sometimes we get so busy and involved that we forget these things.

Here's hoping you're feeling much better Celia - I sure loved that pink dotted scarf you got for Christmas - just beautiful, and it looks great on you.