I think it's both. For a long time I was addicted to drugs and alcohol and so before I could even begin to try to get healthy I had to overcome those addictions first.

I also had to make some realizations. Like I can't lose 100 lbs in 6 months or even a year. It's going to take AT LEAST 1 year, but it could be 3, 4, 5 or 10, depending on my progress and the things I have to overcome. Do I want to do it as quickly as is healthy? Yes, but I understand I might stall, plateau, take breaks, gain a little back...whatever. I also know I'm struggling right now with BED, and haven't even really started losing. But I'm going to keep trying every day and that's a mental game in itself.

But I also know that when I do yoga, hula hoop, dance, walk...these physical activites perk me up and make me feel better mentally and physically. It helps. It makes the mental part easier.

I think, especially with my BED that I'm trying to beat, it's mostly mental for me.

I think it can be a mental thing, yes. One fortunate thing for me is that once I commit to something, I am committed. So that part is ok for me. But yeah, I get discouraged and feel like throwing in the towel when I hit a plateau or if I don't see results from my exercise. But I have to remember it took me 9 years to gain 90 lbs. That was the equivalent of gaining 1# every 36 days. So I have to remind myself, it isn't going to come up super fast either, and as it is I'm losing at a greater rate than I gained it. I try to remember that, to keep myself motivated. I also look at motivating web sites, Youtube videos, articles, etc. to keep myself motivated.

I agree with this. I've met people who "just do it". It's not an issue, it's barely a struggle. They never seem to stumble. One guy has seemingly been going steady for over a year now. That's great for him but for me, it's a mental game. I worked on weight loss hard between September 2011 and April/May of 2012. Since then, I've been maintaining. It's a mental battle. I can't get back on track but I've decided to start today.

It can be both, but when you do it wrong, you have to be mentally stronger to overcome your body yelling for nutrition. But on the other side, a properly nourished body does not lose weight - it just comes back to its natural weight (what is visible as slim and toned), and this change is freakin' easy. If you want to force your body to lose weight, be prepared to start a real war, both mental as physical.

Is having excess loose skin after significant weight loss a mental game that one is just losing? Or that the fat on your feet go first and the fat around your stomach go last?

I think there most certainly is an element of mental fortitude needed to conquer the demons that caused a person to be obese in the first place. In my journey I had to deal with so many conflicting emotions and opinions from others that without some form of mental strength I would not have been successful.
Having said that we are all different and thats the reason there is no easy fix. Good luck !

For me it's mental. Motivating myself to move or watch what I eat is constantly on my mind or else it's out of control. I think if you keep on it becomes more of a habbit. When it comes to maintaining your weight though that's where the true challenge comes in!

I would go as far as to say that for everyone on this forum it's mostly mental. After all, this is a weight loss SUPPORT forum and there is nothing physical about that.