I've been feeling depressed about my weight lately. So much that I don't even want to leave the house and be seen in public. Part of me wants to go to Curves and another part of me doesn't have the energy to do it. I'm so unmotivated. I started this journey last August and I'm mad at myself for not being much further along than I am now. I've even gained back some that I've lost (8lbs gained back from a 30lb loss).

I'm starting to think this is it... I'm just destined to be this weight. I don't know where people get the idea that simply cutting 500 calories a day will result in 1lb a week. I've cut at least that much and nothing. Nada. I can cut the calories and exercise and I don't so much as see a fraction go away.

This has been nothing but an uphill battle for me and I am SO sick of it. I'm so sick of fighting my own body when it won't cooperate. I get a taste of weight loss and then I don't know, it just stops despite my best efforts. If I take a week off for whatever reason, my body acts like it was a year.

I'm so ready to give up. At least if I'm doing nothing about it I won't be so dissapointed and obsessed with my weight all the time.

Please don't give up! I'm sort of in the same place as you. I made it down 30 lbs loss and have now gained back at least 9 lbs (due to some circumstances not entirely in my control). My body seems to get used to the number of calories and exercise I do after a while, and I have to up the exercise to get the scale moving down again.

I think it's always an uphill battle, but you have to think about why you are doing this. The end result will be worth it, whether it's 10 more pounds or more than 100 more pounds.

Be proud of what you have accomplished so far. Try not to dwell on how fast or slow it's going, and don't beat yourself up over any intentional or unintentional bumps in the road.

Hang in there.

I'm almost the same as you--I started last August, and I'm sitting at 24 pounds lost! I totally get everything you're feeling: I'm working so hard, why am I not getting results?; I "should have" been so much further along by now; maybe this is just the way I'm 'supposed' to be.

I've been sorting through, though, the things I REALLY believe. I have realized that I REALLY believe that the human body is not meant to be heavy. Our joints, our hormonal systems, our hearts, our skin--it's not made to be heavy (I have spent the last 6 years working toward a physical therapy degree, which means lots of anatomy and physiology). I haven't ever sat down and looked at the fact that I really believe that, AND I'm not living as if I believe that. So, hmm. I accepted that that is my truth, and I made the decision to live by that truth.

Now, it's only been a week so I've seen no loss, but I feel so much better. I feel much, much less shame and much, much less like I'm struggling against myself. It's weird, it's like this mental shift. I'm not tempted to 'cheat', because I really don't believe the body has any [good] use for sweets, sugars, treats, fried foods, etc. I feel very calm. Very settled.

So anyway. The point of this ramble (and yes there actually is one!): what do you really, really, in your gut believe? Do you really, honestly believe that you are living in a way that reflects those beliefs? Are you proud of yourself and the decisions you made when you look back over your days? If you are, then hang the weight loss. It will come. If you aren't, what needs to change?

I'm not trying to preach! I'm just trying to share something that has greatly changed my outlook. I hope in some way it can help you, too.

I concentrated on healthy eating and THAT was my goal. All of my grandparents died early, starting with my paternal grandmother who died of complications of diabetes when my dad was only 15 years old. My grandfather died of complications of prostate cancer. My other grandfather died of lung cancer. My other grandmother died of complications of alzheimer's. Only one of my grandparents lived past 70. These are not good odds!

Focus on your long term health rather than weight loss. I view food as disease fighters, cancer preventers. Food protects my brain, my eyes, my heart. When I changed my life back in July 2004 I decided to evaluate everything I ate by the following criteria - will this make me a healthier person? If the answer was no, I limited that food.

Blueberries have been shown to prevent age-related brain degeneration. Spinach is good for the eyes. In a study, elderly women who consumed more lycopene (tomatoes/pink grapefruit, watermelon) were shown to have less age-related issues. A serving of nuts 5 times a week can help prevent heart related diseases by up to 35%. Yogurt is beneficial for the digestion.

I lost nearly 70 lbs and that is honestly great and feels like a miracle. The bigger miracle is how WONDERFUL I feel now that I quit eating all that processed junk and sugary candy and eat whole foods. I am a completely different person - more energy, sleep better, more cheerful. Even if I hadn't lost weight, I would still feel better, still have done things that were beneficial for my long term health.

I guess I would suggest that you set goals that are not related to your weight but are related to your health - goals you can definitely accomplish (since the scale is sometimes evil). Goals like:

* Try one new healthy recipe a week
* Try to eat 3-4 servings of vegetables every day
* Replace one snack every day with fruit (berries are in season now, cheap and good!)
* Go to bed on time 3 nights a week
* Exercise 3 times a week

If you accomplish goals like this, you will be successful and do good things for your body and your life. The scale should eventually follow.

Really? I went through a period of trying the fat acceptance thing on for size until I got to the point of barely being able to walk up the stairs to my apartment. You can go into denial about your situation and kinda be happy for awhile, but the problems won't go away. It will most likely just get worse because you will start to kick yourself for giving up now and losing more time.

You are welcome to come over to the 300+ section - it might help to talk to other people who dealing with the same amount (or in some cases more) weight to lose. Also, regarding the depression, we have several ladies there who have changed their depression medication and seen amazing results. Are you taking anything for depression and if so it might be a good idea to talk to you doctor about possible side effects of your medication? If you aren't taking anything and are having real depression issues, you might want to consider seeing someone about it. I think people who are very overweight often have depression issues and often it is a question of the chicken or the egg. You are depressed so you eat and then you get depressed by the results of your eating and eat more.

At the same time if this really isn't the right time for you to be doing this there is no point in beating yourself up about it. For me, negativity never got me anywhere. It was only when I could really throw myself into this and learn how to not bash myself that I have been able to have the success I have had.

Going to Curves gives you the energy you lack. Like someone mentioned, don't do it for weightloss, do it for health, do it for a long-term goal, do it because exercise pumps you up so you can face other challenges.

Gals at my Curves have several times commented on my energy and have stated they wish they had my energy. Well...I didn't always have that energy. The energy came with getting healthy, with eating right and exercising daily. I've been taking my son to the park every morning this week and jogging around the park with the stroller. I used to dread taking my daughter to the park...sitting out in the hot sun, getting bug bites, too tired, etc. etc. Now I do it for the fun of it.

Could be your calculations for how much you need to eat are off. If you're maintaining at your current calorie rate, try cutting another 500 per day. One other possibility is that you are measuring your food imprecisely. I always do that -- if I'm not careful, I easily convince myself that 2 cups are 1.5, etc.

Ditto here.

And I can say honestly that I can relate to your post, mad. It took me a ton of work to get where I am (and I still have a ton of work to do), but it's positive work, for myself, my health, my well being. There were times I felt like I wasn't seeing any improvement and I'd feel like throwing the scale out of the window. I persevere, though, because I'm not going to accept the weight. You may be very close to being where you'll see the results, but just need that one little push in exercise or in your eating program.

30 lbs is a large amount of weight to lose, so you have seen success.

You are worth doing this for, and I know you can do it.

Thats what im concentrating on, too. Im trying to eat more fruits and veggies instead of grabbing for a bag of chips. I try to eat more whole grain foods, soy, etc. I've tried to diet many times before just to look better (to fit in at school) , but i always gained it back. Now, its not about looking better to fit in. Instead of looking at it as a "diet" I think of it as a lifestyle change. I feel so much better, i have more energy, and i get so many compliments on how i look. My main reason for switching to healthy foods is also (like Glory87 said) because of my grandparents dying early; one died from diabetes, the other died from throat cancer. A lot of people in my family have health complications.. like diabetes, heart problems, and i knew that i needed to do something about my weight and the foods i consume. So far, its working! 13lbs down within 6-7 weeks

Hi, first congrats on the weight loss! Secondly, I think we've all been where you are now. Its tough. Have you been to your dr? Maybe there is a medical related reason for the lack of energy and weightloss stop? I'm just asking because I have PCOS AND Diabetes. So its really tough for me to lose weight. Its like you were saying, "an uphill battle".

Just please don't give up, even if you slip here or there, its okay, just get back up, dust yourself off and start again! These ladies here are excellent motivators too, always here ready to support you! Even on your downest (is that a word?) lol days!

Also I noticed for me that the more I exercise and eat healthy, the better I feel. Sometimes you just gotta just do it, even if its 5 min. of exercise, do it. I struggle every single day, so I do understand. There are days I don't wanna get out of bed, but I force myself. After my night lastnight at work I just wanted to curl up in a ball and hide from the world, but I didn't.

Another idea is if you wanna exercise without a lot of people around, maybe start walking early in the AM or late at night, also be a lot cooler. I get off work in the early a.m. so that is the most excellent time, not a lot of people around and its much cooler!

You can do it and you have all of us here if you need us!