My name is Christine and I'm a 25 year old wife and mother to three wonderful little ones. I've always been a bigger gal, but after high school I really started struggling with my weight. I've been on a weight rollercoaster for quite some time having gone up and down with my weight rather frequently over the last six or so years.
Like I said, I have three kids. I had my oldest son Cooper in April '08, had my daughter Chloe a little less than a year later in January '09, and had our youngest son Brodie in April '10. I had a thyroid condition (hyperthyroidism) that actually kept me from gaining much weight during pregnancy, so even after three little ones, I weighed about the same after my kids as I did before I even got pregnant.
In October 2010 I had thyroid surgery to remove a goiter which left me with a different thyroid problem, hypothyroidism. It is the exact opposite of my previous thyroid problem and causes me to GAIN weight and/or have difficulty losing weight. I am currently on thyroid replacement hormones that should minimize the effects of hypothyroidism on my weight.
Currently I'm cleaning up my diet by limiting fat, calories, and sodium, and I've added exercise to my daily routine. I'm using any combination of home workout DVDs including The 30 Day Shred and Biggest Loser videos, and working out at the gym either taking kickboxing classes, swimming, or using the elliptical trainer. (Please see to my "Tools" page for more info)
