S-J, it is interesting what you say about fat clothes and offence...

My midwife chastised me when I referred to myself as Fat (I said it in an accepting, matter-of-fact tone, I wasn't down on myself), and she said "we don't use the F word here!".

So it is plus-sized, larger, curvy, volumptous...whatever...I am comfortable with fat! 'cause that is what it is, biologically!

I focus on my overall health rather than how I look. Since having kids I have found it easier to accept me as me, and not give two hoots how I might appear to others. This does lead to shock when I see me in photos...I think really? That isn't what I see in the mirror! Having kids has made me LOVE my body. I can MAKE people! I can nurture them and care for them, all with this body...I am cuddly! Nurturing, and HEALTHY!

Yes, I am 'at risk', yes I am putting stress on my bones (apparently)...but I am healthy. I choose to live in this moment. I wasted my 20s focused on 'when I lose weight', or 'when I have a baby"..now I try to live in the day.

In 2002 (pre-kids) I had alot of success with 'easyslim'. this has since be absorbed by another weightloss company (can't remember which). It involved a weekly meeting/weigh in, which talked about different foods and exersise, had success stories for inspiration. The diet part involved 'units', you had to eat a minimum of 15 units a day, divided into veg, meat/alternative, fruit, grains...and then depending on your weight, extra units. So my minimum a day when I started was 17. You could 'earn' units through exersise, so if you had an event where you knew your food would go over the units, you could cancel them out. If you did exersise but stuck to your minimum units: bigger loss! It was very much about energy in versus energy out, eating a variety of healthy (but interesting foods) that you prepared yourself (they had menu and recipe guides).

Interesting for me, though, I found my best successes were when I was away on field work (I was a marine biologist back then), and food was restricted alot more and meals were social. At home I was much less careful, often ate alone, and would eat much bigger portions than I needed.

Having kids helps with the social thing: they are watching! They are learning from me.

Eat conciously - definately, but denying the 'treats' leads into greater temptation!

Being pregnant it is very important to be active. Walking is the best, cheapest way to do it. It is great for your mental health to.

When you have kids it is often hard to find time to walk properly. I found that before my eldest was two I could march around town, her in the pram and away we go! I even had a bike with a trailer, and would ride that around even when I was pregnant with number 2. But after number 2, it got harder. My DD wanted to walk, so walking became a stop and smell the roses exploration (which was great, but didn't get my heart rate up).

I liked it when we would all walk as a family, so dad could carry DD (shoulder ride), and I had DS in the carrier.

If it works, you can walk alone (or with a friend) early in the morning or later evening?
I used a wii fit until the batteries ran out on the board...really shoudl replace them, as that or exersise videos can be a good way of getting active. We borrow binde fittness, so DD and I could move together.

Being Active is not necessarily about weightloss as the aim, but rather fittness. Stamina.

I'd be interested to hear everyone elses ideas for being active: the more ideas the better!

xoxo