Okay, so my weight has stalled, and that's fine, I'm just keeping with things, eating well (most of the time) and exercising as much as I can with my back injury. I'm not especially worried about my plateau, especially since I started doing more strength exercises, and then I threw my back out so I had to take it easy, etc. etc. Not the point.

I've been spread really thin lately. I live/work outside of DC, I go to school north of Baltimore and my family is in NJ. For the past month, I've been traveling. Constantly. For family, for friends, for school and for work. I actually just took today off as a mental health day. I have an anxiety disorder, and I woke up so dizzy, which is a sign that I'm stressed.

I plan to spend the day doing laundry, homework, a midterm, going to therapy and then going to my chiropractor. And yes, that's my day off.

I don't get much support in the "real world," I never had. I had to argue with my family this weekend that I had to take a few hours away from everyone to work on my midterm for school, and about the weight loss, they say I look great, etc, but I get somewhat odd looks when I say I'm not done. Now, I understand this. I look like I did in high school. I do look healthy, and I am kinda small. It doesn't bother me, and I get why they're saying it. I don't look overweight. I typically come on 3FC for support, but life has been so busy I hardly have time to check my email.

I'm also getting flack from one of my best friends because I've started hanging out with former friends of hers. She's afraid she's losing me to them. She's not. But I'm single, these people go out a lot. They invite me. And she's busy anyway. I know she's freaking out because she's insecure, but the whole situation exhausts me.

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I'm just so tired. I think I just need a push or something in the right direction to keep on going.

Can we encourage each other?

I've woken up dizzy a couple days this past week too and I know it's stress induced. There hasn't been much time to sleep and I am completely overrun with work and school and traveling to visit people. It's mostly the school that is getting to me... I want the people, but the cramming to try and get everything in on time for schoolwork which I am really at the moment despising. I'm so ready to be done with school... I'm not even interested in the program I'm studying anymore. Graduating in December and I'm so thrilled. The fact is that I need to pass my classes to get there though.

January wedding coming up as well, and while the actual wedding is going to be an incredibly simple matter, the whole fact that neither of us have met each others families yet (which we are going to do over the holiday season- yay more stress!) is looming over me a bit. And I'm going to be moving to be with him as he runs a steady business... we live some hours apart. So lots of life changing happening at once... wow.

People also comment that I've lost enough weight, simply because nobody has ever seen me looking like this before. I'm still overweight by all means! Ugh... it's annoying. Just let us be, okay!? Just because we were chubby girls in school doesn't mean we always want to remain somewhat chubby women. Right?

Let's motivate each other? I'm going to start calorie counting again today.

Like I said, I've kept up with the motions of weight loss. Still calorie counting, still working out...

Its just my life has kind of exploded and I'm spending 95% of my time on other people, so I need a little support to keep on going in everything else, for me.

Hang in there. Take it one day at a time. Your goal is personal and it isnt up to anyone else to place judgment. You will know when you are at your goal. As long as you are at a healthy BMI, go for it! You are the only one that has to live in your body and feel what you feel, so don't let others opinions stand in your way! You've come so far and worked so hard. Keep it up!

Not a lot of advice, but lot's of encouragement and coming your way. I think it's commendable that you've been able to keep up with the motions of weightloss with everything that's going on. I go through spells like that as well- where people are just demanding too much and I have to say, "screw it" and just take a mental health break from everyone.

Take care of you

Stella dear you know I love you


were in the same boat... Were going back to emailing and communicating more so that we can stay on track and keep track of ourselves in the process...

I need you just like you need me and lets get this figured out so we can finally get to where we want to be

at my current weight all I get are odd looks when I say I'm trying to lose more... I'm no longer telling people because I'm tired of them thinking I have an eating disorder or something

I think you need a REST! Never under estimate the power of Me Time. Sometimes you just have to schedule it in, even if its just an hour somewhere, where you do what you want, or sleep in or whatever. You need it

Haley - I know, we've both been so busy...

Icon - YES. I could use a week of me time, but I only get like an afternoon.

Thank you ladies

Hey, you're doing great! I'm glad that you realize that weight loss stalls happen, and you'll be just fine in that department. I hope that you can start finding more time to concentrate on yourself, but for now just enjoy every ounce of "me time" you can get. Congratulations on losing as much as you have - it's a LOT! Good luck on getting to where YOU want to be, and just discount the opinions of everyone else. It's YOUR body - they don't have to live in it. If you're hoping to look a certain way, then GO for it! You'll get there because you truly want to!

Thank you all for the very kind words

I took another day off of work and I'm feeling better.

Stella- good for you for recognizing that you need to take some time for yourself. My weight loss has stalled too, and I'm pretty sure it's for the same reasons as yours. Between work, friends, family and everything else I've been having a really hard time making healthy eating and exercise a priority. I got down to 158 at one point, but I've been hovering around 160-162 for seriously MONTHS. I really would like to buckle down an get that scale moving down again. I think you're right, encouragement is the key. Let's encourage each other!!

Haley- omg you look amazing... I feel like I haven't put enough time into 3fc lately, maybe that's my problem!! But you look great girl, and I am right behind you if you want to keep going and lose a few more pounds! When I get to 150 or 145, I expect the same from you

Icon and stargzr- how are you girls?? Man I miss all of you so much. Need to get on here more....

Stella - First off, holy crap I saw those wedding pictures - YOU. LOOK. AMAZING. And I'm with Icon, sounds like you need to take a breath and take a few minutes to yourself everyday. Does yoga work for you? Would it help with the dizzy spells and stress? Or even just stretching. I'm proud that you've kept up with your weight loss motions with all of that going on - I get bad and I forget to count or my day gets away from me and I forget to work out. I think this time of year does this to a lot of us - visiting family and friends and wanting to put your social life back together, and it just starts to pile up on us.

And you know we're always here for you

Haha, thank you, Mary. I have no patience for yoga, if I'm going to take the time each day to exercise, I need to sweat, buckets. And I dehydrate too easily to go for hot yoga.

Jess!! I missed you!!

But...in the past few days I've done some re-assessing. I've decided to terminate my relationship with the chiropractor. She's not making me feel any better, and I found out about some shady practices at her office dealing with insurance, so I'd rather just disassociate myself from the situation. The chiropractor was basically taking up all of my week nights when I wasn't in school, and that's what was really getting to me.

So I put out a request for an appointment with an orthopedic doctor in the area, that my insurance covers, so hopefully that will save me some time and money (I was paying out of pocket for the chiropractor).

I finished both my midterms for this week, and I've mapped out a plan for myself for the rest of the week.

Thursday - gym after work, food shopping, relax
Friday - drop car off at mechanic, gym, clean apartment/switch out clothes
Saturday - gym, pick up car, clean apartment/switch out clothes, cook for next week, Drive to NJ.
Sunday - gym, cousins christening, back to MD (I joined a gym in NJ because I'm going to be there so much in the next few months - its only $10 a month and with what I was paying in guest passes, its totally worth it - AND NO EXCUSES!!)

Because I'm virtually car-less Friday night and Saturday, it kind of gives me forced relaxation time, and also time to clean my apartment, which is currently not pretty. My car needs brake work, and the mechanic is conveniently across the street from my gym

I just feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders now that I have some free time again, and this will make me less overwhelmed and allow me to do what I need to do.

I also registered for a triathlon in June - so that will keep me motivated for working out and getting my back sorted out. I'm considering also registering for a 5K in the beginning of December, but I want to talk to the doctor first.

Thank you ladies so so much for this

Hooray! I'm glad to hear that Scheduling is good, now you know you'll have time to relax!