Discouragement

Hang in there. There is hope. I haven't got as much to lose as you do, but from where I started, 124 lbs felt pretty overwhelming. Slowly but surely, it's been whittled down to 51 for me.

Work on small, manageable goals. Don't think about the big number. Think about the next 5, the next 10. And if some weeks it's 0.2... it's still 0.2 less.

Weight loss isn't linear. I've had weeks where I did everything 'right' and had a small gain. I've had weeks where I was sure that between not having time to exercise as much and too many times eating out where I couldn't accurately weigh/measure my food, I was going to gain, and showed a significant loss. Going by your username and pic, I'm going to assume that you're a woman. That means time-of-month and hormones will cause water retention sometimes. Knowing that it's meaningless and temporary doesn't mean it won't annoy you... but it is meaningless and it is temporary.

While losing weight, eat the foods you mean to eat when you reach your goal. Just eat smaller portions. If you hate steamed rice, boiled chicken, and kale... then don't eat them. Want to keep having desserts? Try having half the portion you normally would, or look for lower-calorie options. (I set myself a limit on home-baked desserts of 200 calories per serving. There are options like meringues, chocolate truffles, fruit-based desserts, sorbets and granitas. And sometimes? I have a 350-calorie piece of birthday cake at my nephew's party, but... well, I only have three nephews and one niece. That's not an everyday thing.) You may want to restrict foods you can't moderate to situations where you can. I'm not buying a 1-lb bag of jellybeans. I won't be able to keep out of it. But a small single-serve box? I'll buy one, log it, and keep going. I can't keep potato kugel in my fridge. I can keep myself to two pieces at the buffet table after synagogue. And there are some foods that I choose not to eat because I'd rather use the calories elsewhere. But it's not "I can't eat this." It's "With this many calories in food X, a small portion wouldn't satisfy and a big portion would take up too much of my budget. I think I'll pass."

"All" you need to lose weight is a calorie deficit. How you get there is personal. I do well with hitting the protein target MFP sets for me, hitting and sometimes exceeding carbs, and lower fat. Some people do well with low carbs and/or high fat and that's fine. Experiment to find the foods you like that keep you feeling full.

You can absolutely lose weight without exercise. But exercise can expand your calorie 'allowance'. It's great for health, and not just physical health. I have some low-level anxiety issues and I'm a stress eater. Since I started exercising, I've found that I manage stress a lot better and I have a better handle on the anxiety. Also... that time of month stuff I mentioned? Strengthening my abdominals has helped a lot with cramps. Note that MFP can sometimes overestimate calories burned from exercise, so most people eat back 50-75% of them.

If you're looking for friends, my diary is open.

Good luck and you can absolutely do this!

Mini goals are key for me. Forget the final goal. Focus on being happy you logged or that you did gym time. Go to the nsv (non scale victory )thread and read those . They inspire me. Focus on logging everything you eat for 1 week then 1 month ECT. Be proud of yourself for dedication for taking a walk even in the rain. For the mini goals that make the big goal a possibility. How do you climb Everest? One step at a time. Small daily or weekly mini goals

I agree with you try2again, not so much with weight but other things i get overwhelmed about when I think about them. I am 42lbs lighter from a year ago but can't seem to lose anymore the last 2 months so I'm doing what you say & do my best every day.After all, time goes by no matter what you do

I can add my two cents, I found that the most difficult part of weight loss was to get my mind right. The food was easy for me. I knew what I needed to eat and I ate it. I knew I wanted to exercise everyday and I did and still do. I did not give myself an option, because for me failure is not an option. Does that mean that I never messed up or never gained weight during the process? No, but I always knew I was going to get right back on my program. I do not look at this as one day I am going to be some specific size and then it will be over. The way I see it is that this is my new way of living. I do not have a choice. I do not want to go back where I was. It is unacceptable.
Sometimes we can get so bogged down in the details that we do nothing. My motto is just do it.

You got it this time! Add me and we can work at it together.