Ugh! I'm feeling so fed up right now. I started this weightloss journey in June and in 3 months I lost 48 lbs. awesome, right? Yeah-I went from a size 26 to a 20. I'm just about the same size (not weight, but size) that I was when I got married 8 years ago. To loose it I was doing Jillian Michaels 30 day shred 4-5x a week and walk/running on a treadmill 3-4x a week, and eating 1200-1400 calories a day for the most part. I just did my first 5k on thanksgiving-instead of being proud of myself, I'm upset at my time (50:55-actually quite a bit faster than I've ever done 5k on the treadmill and I was jogging on ICE in the race!). I'm just so down on myself right now.

And now? Ugh, I've just been stuck sitting @ 287 for weeks. And it's totally my fault. I just don't feel like I'll ever be able to break past 285, because in the last 8 years and however many weightloss attempts I've never got below that, SO WHY KILL MYSELF TRYING? I'll never be a full 18, let alone a 12 so why bother? Yet, I NEED this. I need to loose the weight so badly. Ugh. I've let off my eating well and had a big break from the gym. I'm back at it now, but it really doesn't matter if I can't get past this mental block, you know? I hate being so big, but it just seems impossible to get smaller. I know people have done it, but I haven't. I don't know if I can.

Please someone encourage me and help me smash through this mental block!

I think you need to get out of your head space. You are psyching yourself out. Remember, the only one who can do this is YOU. YOU have the control to quit or succeed. It sounds like you have been doing great! Look into your kids eyes and think about the future. In order for you to give it your all, you must be fit and healthy. Maybe you could change things up. Get a new workout DVD and change up your foods. I really hope you clear your head space and keep going. You deserve it and your family does too!

Ya you're totally psyching yourself out. Maybe staying away from the scale would help. You may be able to break 280 and not even know it till its over. I never thought I'd get even close to where I am now. If I listened to that self doubting person if still be over 200. You are fully capable of being whatever size you'd like!

Why kill yourself trying? You're killing yourself if you don't. You know you need to lose the weight, you've said so yourself.

And who says you won't ever be a 12? You're telling yourself that and it isn't doing you a lick of good.

Take a look at how much you've lost so far - that is a large number! Give yourself some credit for goodness sake! So you've hit a plateau, so what? I once read this in someone's sig on here: Don't give up on your dreams because of the time it will take to get there - the time will pass anyway. Change up your routine and play with your calories/nutrition. Don't give yourself permission to let your eating slide.

I'm wondering, what have you done for yourself to reward your progress so far? What rewards do you have for mini-goals along the way? It helps me to think about ways that I'm going to treat myself for each 20 pounds lost.

You look great! Your pics are amazing. I'm so proud of you (and I don't even know you!)

Imato--you're doing aMAZing!! Truly, amazing!! 48 pounds? That's huge!! You know what they say, about going to the grocery store, and looking at the weight you've lost, in pounds? That's so impressive!! And damn, running a 5K? I ran one for the first time ever, too, and it was HARD!!! Don't you think? I sure did!
And not losing for one week? Damn, girl--you've lost 3 sizes!! Sometimes the stay-the-same week (ahem--Thanksgiving--nonetheless!!!) comes right before the Whoosh!!
You are doing EVERYTHING right!! You should be so proud!! You're going into 2013 with such an achievement!! You really deserve to feel on top of the world! And just to address what you said, about never being an 18, much less a 12--when you're on the way DOWN, ANYTHING is possible!! It's a so much better feeling to be any weight, on the way down, than any other--even smaller weight--on the way up!!

You really are doing amazing! Don't you wish you could pluck that little nasty voice that tells you what you can't do out and smash it?! You have done great and will continue to great I am sure. I agree with hippo, better 48 pounds down then up!

You may want to look at eating a little more. 1,200 to 1,400 cals per day is very little for someone of your weigiht, even if you're trying to lose. It's hard to sustain motivation if you're seriously underfed. I suggest you aim for something like 1,800 and maybe up the exercise a little. There's absolutely no reason you can't keep losing weight. The laws of physics apply to you too! Go for it.

F.

Did you ever consider that the reason you are sitting at 287 is because you truly don't believe you'll ever get to 285 and lower?

Why don't you just keep doing what you are doing, but relax and visualize yourself getting on the scale, looking down and seeing... say 280 lb. Put up post-it notes, think about it before sleeping, begin to manifest it so much that you begin to feel it in your bones and truly accept in your heart that you will get past 285.

Start by thinking about what you would like to see on the scale and go from there.

But relax, don't do it in an angry frustrated way, do it in a peaceful, trusting way.

As you said, it's a mental block, not a physical one.

oh wow if only i could lose that much??...you are an amazing person!!...keep it up if you have gone this far you can do that much loss again...imagine it..you will be a skinny minny in no time!!...and run...wow if only i could do that too..i am flat out walking around the block a couple of times...cheers liz

I agree that even though it sounds rediculious, you need to up your calories to loose weight. Between 1800-2000. We tall girls can and have to eat more then someone who's of average height. Your doing a good amount of excerise, so get those calories in

The fact that your most likely not eating enough, may have something to do with why your meals and excerise dropped off. We tend to binge when our bodies feel deprived

You've come a long way, and you've got this...you can hit your goal All those things you do everyday, that seem small and insinificate add up...you will hit that 18, and then your 12...and I bet you look fablous right now. Focus on how far you've come...and push through...

285 is just a number. Think about how healthy you are now, compared to how you were, how much more energy you have, how much easier it is to move - those things matter more than some number! The inches you've lost are huge for your health & body. I bet that you have lost a lot more than your 46 lbs in fat, but have built up muscle so you don't see it on the scale. I also bet that 4 months ago, if someone told you you'd run 5k by thanksgiving and be about 50 lbs lighter, you wouldn't have believed them then. But here you are. You got here putting one foot in front of the other, and that's how you'll get to your other goals too. Ignore the scale, and focus on being healthy and giving yourself a huge pat on the back for the awesome progress you've made already!

You have come a long way. Please do not give up. If it is hard for you to keep pushing yourself once you have lost 40 plus pounds it will be even more difficult for you to loose weight if you end up gaining those pounds. You can do it!!

Not sure if it's actually a real thing, but I've heard that if you don't eat enough your body goes into starvation mode. I think if you increased your daily calorie intake it might jumpstart your weight loss again. You've come so far!

wow. All I can say is if I had given up when i weighed what you are now-i wouldn't be a size 18 now. Don't give up hon. Ittakes time, effort,dedication and belief in you. If you want it,itcan happen. My journey started in 2002. I had so many set backs but never gained everything back. Albeit slow, I am losing it and one day all of it will be gone. Don't give up -you're worth all of the effort.