Pretty demoralized...

There are a ton of things to consider you have to be patient and always plan things out and even switch up your plans from time to time to keep having success. This is definately not going to happen overnight. Its a long process but if you work hard and really want it ...IT CAN WORK..YOU CAN DO IT!!
How much excercise are you getting weekly?
Do you drink your water?
Are your food choices providing nutrition or empty calories?
How many calories are you eating daily?

I agree that there are too many factors that influence weight loss. My sister and I are doing this together and although we are doing the same things (in fact I started sooner, exercise a bit more and stay very close to 1200-1300) she is lost more than me...like double the amount! I pray and hope for at least a pound per week and she drops 3+. But I knew this going into it. She is 9 years younger, has more to lose, and has always had a great metabolism.

Three years ago this April I made the decision to lose the weight. Prior to 2006 I had been the victim of car theft and run over by me own van, messing up my leg. After that I steadily gained 10-15 pounds each year until I had 70# to lose. I had been trying to diet (Atkins, Cabbage Soup, Slim fast, every promising pill, etc) and I just kept gaining. So in April 2006 I decided to stop dieting and to just eat healthy. I eliminated processed sugar and many processed foods, choosing whole grains and real food. Slowly I lost weight at about 10 pounds per year. This is a really hard way to do it and can be really discouraging but I have stuck with it. It has been three years since I have had a brownie, or ice-cream, or a donut. I have never indulged in birthday cake or Christmas cookies. To me this is a lot of sacrifice but with very slow results. Some months I might actually gain a bit. Not sure even why...it just sort of happened.

This I know, I am stronger and healthier. I had hoped it would come off faster but I hold to the fact that instead of gaining 10 each year I am losing 10 each year! I could be 100 pounds over-weight but now I am "only" 40. It took 5 years to put it on and might take 5 years to take it off. I am the turtle not the hare, but I will get there!

I tell you all of this to encourage you. It does not happen the same for everyone. If you read someones post and they have dropped 15 pounds in a month, well that is awesome, but it may not be your results.

Take an honest look at what your are doing. Talk to your doctor! Be sure there are no other factors (thyroid, sugar, etc) effecting your weight. Are you sleeping OK? Are you drinking enough water? Are you measuring carefully? Have you been "dieting" so long that you have low metabolism and now you need to correct that? Are there emotional factors?

Stay with it. Do not quit! Read the posts! Ask more specific questions! Find the support, help, and information that you need but do not quit!

sorry for the really long post! But be encouraged...do not give up!

DeeDee:flowerforyou:

I feel that way now. That's why I just completely stopped tracking my stuff. ...because I did it for a little over a week. My output of calories was more than my input for like 80% of the time -- and I still GAINED three pounds instead of losing any! I just feel like this is out of control!

Make sure that your calorie intake isn't too low. If you go too low, your body will go into starvation mode & weight loss won't work the way you want it to. I hope you figure out what's going on with your body! Good luck to you.

This is the point I keep harping on. Scale watching will make you crazy! Forget about it, stay on track with your calories and exercise. Be patient and not a scale watcher!