Oh the Insanity of it All!

I am a curvy girl.  Not the attractive curvy, but the big, stay-puft-marshmallow kind of curvy.  Not good.  Before I got pregnant with my last child, I did three rounds of the hCg diet and in 6 months had lost 80 pounds.  It was an incredible accomplishment for me.  I swore I'd never regain those ugly pounds.  Then I got pregnant.
 By the time I had a beautiful new daughter in my arms, I was carrying around an extra 20 lbs.  Then, in the months following her birth, I put on an additional 30.  There is one word to describe how I felt... DEVASTATED. I began to hide from social situations for fear that people would judge me for how awful I looked.
Now, nearly two years after my daughter's birthday I am just barely starting to lose weight.  I am just finishing a round of hCg where since March 19 I've lost about 29 pounds.  I am stopping this round over a week early because I am worn out.  I started the round by getting strep throat for the first time in over 15 years. Since then, something has come up about every other week- sore throat, sinus infection, cold, persistent cough; it's been rough. On top of only having about 400 calories a day, I'm worn out.
Since I've haven't had any refined or processed foods for the last month, I thought that it would be a great time to eat "clean".
I'm learning that that can be more complicated then it sounds with a range of diets and methods from paleo and vegan to just replacing something that isn't great in your diet with something better.
It's really a lot to take in, but I have found some great web sites to help me out including http://www.canyoustayfordinner.com/,  http://www.perrysplate.com/, and http://www.thegraciouspantry.com

As a starting off point, the company my husband works for is beginning an 8 week health competition on Monday, April 23.  Lucky for me, it's not a weight-loss competition, but just one to create healthy habits, and Matt and I get to do it together!
Although I feel like I am on the verge of an emotional breakdown over trying to lose weight, I am determined to be happy and healthy, whether or not I actually lose anything more.