Overweight Moms: Would you post your weight on the fridge?

[Anonymous]

I really need to lose weight, but have fallen into the dangerous habit of letting myself not think about it. When I was a kid, one of my friend's Mom had her weight written in BIG numbers on the fridge. I am thinking about doing this, to keep myself focused and also to 'own' the fact that I have let myself get about 40 lbs overweight.

Would you do this? Does this focus on a number send the wrong message to the kids, with the new age attention on body health rather than weight?

[Anonymous]

No, bc I wouldnt want DH to see it.

[Anonymous]

That would just make me feel bad. I tend to lose inches before I lose actual weight (clothes fit better, etc) so having a number rule my life like that would be really depressing and probably would make me give up. Instead, I keep a calendar where I keep track of how much exercise I'm getting. It has that same accountability function but it's more about what I've accomplished than a reminder of how far I have to go.

[Anonymous]

I keep my "fat" picture on the fridge, so I have to look at it each time I go for food. On the fridge I also keep my race bibs.

I also weigh myself daily so I can catch my weight when it starts to creep. Its much easier to shed off 5lbs than 20lbs.

[Anonymous]

That's an awful message to send to your kids. Put up a picture instead. Take one with the kids where you can clearly see your weight.

Kids will see a nice family picture.
You will see a fat picture. Win win

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That's an awful message to send to your kids. Put up a picture instead. Take one with the kids where you can clearly see your weight.

Kids will see a nice family picture.
You will see a fat picture. Win win

+1

[Anonymous]

Go with the picture. I lost about 50 pounds once (since put it back on, sadly) by keeping my fat picture on my nightstand. Every morning when my alarm went off I rolled over and saw that fat pic. It motivated me to get my ass out of bed to exercise every day. Hmm....Might need to try that again.

[Anonymous]

I am more motivated by a thin pic. A friend sent me a pic from 20 years ago recently and when I saw how thin I was then I resolved to lose weight. Down 10 so far. And no I would never post my weight on the fridge.

[Anonymous]

I did this - with my measurements and it did not really motivate me.

Not sure the age of your kids but I got my kids involved. I told them I don't like to walk alone so they would walk with me or babysit for free my friends little ones. I told them fruits and veggies are really important to me right now so they would help me cut them up. Just little things like that.

They will say is that healthy when I eat something. Which is fine. Or they would say "is that on your diet" which I told them I did not like them to say.

I often had to make myself a different meal because their dietary needs were different. We would talk about why things are healthy for me vs. them.

In the end, it really came down to them understanding I needed time to work out and make healthy food so they understood pizza was too tempting, etc. I could not have bags of chips in the house.

So I wouldn't post my weight because it did not motivate me but I think kids need to understand diets and that women and men and children all have different dietary needs. I think they need to understand that you are very important and that you want to be happy, healthy and around for a long time to be with them and it is everybody's job to make this work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That's an awful message to send to your kids. Put up a picture instead. Take one with the kids where you can clearly see your weight.

Kids will see a nice family picture.
You will see a fat picture. Win win

+1

This is a great idea. I have a picture of myself in a bathing suit with my kids at the beach from last winter, I'm going to put it on my refrigerator tonight.

[Anonymous]

I have a little note on the cabinet that reminds me that my folks are insulin dependent. WAY more effective!

[Anonymous]

I might, but I'm not overweight, just 15 lbs heavier than I was before my daughter. (normal weight then.) I don't really care who knows how much I weigh. I do try not to talk about weight, etc. with my 3-year-old daughter - I don't want her to focus on that growing up.

I have a picture on my piano that reminds me that I'm not as *hot* as I used to be, unfortunately. I was a bridesmaid during the summer when I was training for my first marathon and I was seriously thin and hot, and about ten years younger. I try not to compare myself to that, but it's hard! I keep it up because it's a great pic of me and several close friends who've moved away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That's an awful message to send to your kids. Put up a picture instead. Take one with the kids where you can clearly see your weight.

Kids will see a nice family picture.
You will see a fat picture. Win win

+1

Yes. This is a healthy idea. Then, after you lose and maintain in a while, put a newer better picture over the "fat" pic. You can lift it up if you need a reminder, but no need to torture yourself forever.