Tired of Being the 'Fat Mom'

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Me with my son

Editor's note: Americans may be living longer and even exercising a tad more, but they're not necessarily healthier, a study released Wednesday shows. Myriad reasons exist: too much bad food, too little good food, a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, drinking and just plain living in the wrong area of the country. Yahoo asked readers: What is your biggest obstacle in the way of a healthier you? Here's one response.
Tell us in the comments about your biggest health hurdle.
 
FIRST PERSON | Living a healthy lifestyle appears to be easier said than done for some, including myself. I have struggled with weight issues for the majority of my life. After turning 29 in May, I decided it was time to make the changes not only for myself, but for my children. I lost my own mother when I was only 8, and I don't want my babies to suffer the same heartbreak I did.
I live in a rural town roughly 80 miles southwest of Chicago. There is not much to do out here, so getting enough exercise throughout the day is a challenge. I walk with my children around the community, but even that isn't enough. Working as a freelancer causes me to be sitting for the majority of the day, and after years of doing it, it has affected my ability to get up and move. I sit anywhere from five to 10 hours a day.
Eating better has been a struggle as well, but I am on my way. I have been teaching myself how to eat properly again. There is a noticeable difference in my appearance from just two short months ago, but it seems like it isn't happening fast enough. Drinking a lot of soda is what helped me pack on the pounds, and while I have cut back (I used to drink a 12-pack of Coke or Pepsi a day, and I'm now down to one to three cans a day in the last three months), I can't seem to give it up. The changes I have made in my diet are helping, but it is the long term commitment I need to work on.
At the height of my weight issues I was approximately 150 pounds overweight. That happened over the course of four pregnancies, resulting in three children, my 9-year-old daughter and my 3-year-old and 13-month-old boys. My last two babies were just over two years apart, and my body didn't bounce back quickly at all.
At 5-foot-3, I am short, which doesn't help when calculating BMI and all the other tests you have done when completing a physical. The doctors were concerned about many factors and that is when I decided it was time to fight back.
This will always be an ongoing battle. I have never been able to be comfortable in my own skin, but there is a difference between being 20 pounds overweight and being morbidly obese. I am tired of always being the "fat mom;" I just want to be Tiffany. My insecurities about my weight have caused me to miss out on things I shouldn't have. My kids deserve better, and so do I.