Hi, everyone,

I have been here reading and once in awhile posting.....I am way beyond discouraged. I have been going to WW meetings since June...also dealing wiht a lot of personal stress, but what is new for me? I also take medicine that causes weight gain---nope, no alternative for now. I have lost a whopping total of 10 pounds . Last week I gained another pound. I am counting points, but if I get too stressed, I do eat a few extra things. But I swear I am trying my damndest (it that a word? ).

I have almost completely given up several times, but I NEED to succeed and get my health back. I want to be healthy and athletic again. Is it really possible to succeed?? There must be a way---other people do it. Can you succeed even in the middle of life's circumstances, whatever they are? I am really on the verge of giving up on the whole thing, but I don't want to. (Haven't adjusted weight below to current weight---too depressing.) Thank you so much.

Yes. I believe success IS possible for each of us. We just have to want it more than we want that brownie, or burger, or whatever. It's hard. I am struggling with wintertime, but the key is this:

NEVER GIVE UP.

When you fall down, get right back up. When you fall off, go right back on. Ten pounds is a good start, so focus on KEEPING it off even if the losing is slow. I have a lot of stress right now too and have been fighting the same few pounds for 2 months, but I am determined NOT to regain all my weight. You can do it!

Kathy - it is possible.

I went through the hardest year of my life last year - I can't even go into all the details but I will just say that there were several mornings that I wished I just didn't wake up. I just wanted the whole world to go away.

All my life I've been a stress/emotional eater so I was sure I'd gain more weight after this. But for some reason those events made me more determined to take control of ONE part of my life. And my eating and exercise was something that I could control and know I was doing right, even when everythign else was falling apart.

I think you really have to be determined to take control of your life. I know that I have tried and failed in the past, but this tiem I just determined that failure wasn't an option.

I've lost 61 lbs and I have another 40-ish to go before I hit my goal. I could have lost faster and been there by now, but I did what I could and just kept on working on it.

Hang in there. It *IS* possible.

Have you thought of switching to core? If you can't count the points (which I can not), try core. I've really enjoyed it.

I have a woman in my group that's on steroids for medical reasons and she loses a lot slower but she's still losing! There's hope!

Are you doing any exercise? That can help speed up your metabolism, burn off some calories, esp. on days you are over points. Even if it's just walking...or there are really awesome DVDs out there. Walk Away the Pounds got me started. If you have cable or satelite, check for the free on demand exercise channels and try some things there.

DON'T GIVE UP!!!! It really does happen, but I found that I had to be ready mentally. I tried many, many times only to fail for various reasons. It had to be a complete lifestyle change and I had to get completely committed...but it is happening this time. It is possible, you just have to figure out what works for you.

Yes, you can! Make that commitment to yourself. Find other things that can befriend you during stressful times (like exercise--it's the best!). Eating may feel good at the time, but it's a "friend" that makes you feel horrible about yourself afterward. It makes problems worse, not better.

Like Jessica, I prefer Core. To me, it's a really healthy, balanced way of eating that helps with cravings. You might want to give it a shot.

You can find lots of inspirational stories on this site and other places on the internet. Other people going through similar issues HAVE done this, and you can, too!

Kathy, if you searched on this site for my name you would find that I've been here on and off for a long time. I started and stopped, started and stopped. I know beyond a doubt that I will continue to eat properly from now on because I read a book that wasn't a diet, but a book about how our thinking effects our eating. We've basically been brainwashed and brainwash ourselves to overeat or eat poorly.

This book was written by a psychologist and it contains a series of simple, daily exercises related to thinking. You don't even start off dieting until after several weeks, although you can start your diet at any time (you pick the diet...this book is not a diet.) It took me three weeks to get through the first 6 days of exercises because I was so resistant, but once I hit day 7 I knew my thinking had permanently changed. I borrowed the book from our public library and kept renewing it until I finally bought it. It's The Beck Diet Solution by Beck. Here's what the author says (and it's true)
I sent a note to 3FC and asked them to consider reviewing it. I think it will make a world of difference for many people.

Thank you, everyone. I got some good ideas and inspiration from all of you. I somehow need to recommit and just keep going and believe I can do it. I need to be kinder to me and take it one day at a time. Thank you so much for the support and advice.

Kathy---

I'm sorry that things aren't going so great right now. Slow going is FRUSTRATING (I'm in the midst of it myself!). Just try to keep in mind: If you hadn't been working your plan since June, you may have gained 10 lbs, rather than lost 10lbs (I know I would have!). Slow motion in the right direction is still motion in the right direction! You have already proven that you can do it.

Kathy - I truly believe that anyone can succeed! I was diagnosed with cancer 3 months after I started my journey (for the second time ). I did end up having to go to maintenance a couple of times (and a few months at a time each time) in order to keep my stress in check. I was also on medication that had weight gain as a side effect because of my diagnosis (although I didn't really see much of a gain). Just hang in there, you can do it. Are you sure you are counting your portions correctly? That was one problem I used to have. I bought a scale and now I have no portion problems. You should talk to your WW leader. They can sit down with you, go over your journal with you, and give you advice on how to proceed. Good luck!