I give up. Gained 3 more pounds.

Being busy, having kids, having a job.... NONE of that makes you exempt from Physiology and Biology. If you want to be fit, you exercise more and eat less. No amount of complaining will grant you a reprieve. You buckle down and do it or you stay fat and unhealthy. Simple as that.

I run my own business 60+ hours per week WHILE taking care of my 2 kids. No babysitter or daycares and my 2 years old is too young to go to school, so she's here at my store with me all day. I still find time. It took me 6 months, but I met my goal and have been successfully maintaining for 6 months now. No excuses. You can do it, too.

By the way, regarding sodium: The USDA changed the normal limit to 2300mg a day for most people, and 1500mg a day for diabetics, African-Americans, people over 50, and people with kidney problems.

Don't give up, and quit making excuses. If you really want it, then you will "find the time" to add exercise, and keep control over your diet.

Weight loss doesn't happen overnight. I have been stuck in a plateau for FOUR MONTHS. It's law school final exam time, so I am super stressed and eating like crap, but I am still making sure to take time to be active, whether going to the gym, or walking down Connecticut Avenue to check out the Christmas Tree.

Stop whining, and start acting. I promise you will see results.

And if not, then follow the other posters' advice and have a chat with your doctor. There may be something deeper inhibiting your progress.

My thoughts exactly - except the law school part

I only skimmed most of the responses, and was sad to see so much negativity. You have obviously been doing what you feel you can, and are discouraged by what seems to be no results. What lies beneath however, is not always so apparent on the surface. If you are eating healthier foods, you are nourishing your body with important vitamins and minerals, antioxidents and other important nutrients. If you are drinking more water, you are leveraging your body's ability to detoxify and eliminate harmful waste. If you are getting more fiber, you are helping your colon with it's work and helping to regulate your blood sugar levels as well. The list of these things could go on forever, and none of them are specific to the scale even moving.

Please do not throw in the towel because you can't put very bit of energy into losing weight due to a very busy schedule. You have a lot of people counting on you. You have a lot of balls in the air So do what you can. Focus on beneficial changes that will help you be healthier, and try to at least maintain your current weight and not gain. There are a lot of people who scoff at the idea that parking a little further out can help, but in reality, it is the sum of the energy you expend in a day that amounts to your caloric burn. If you can't find the time to squeeze in a full-blown workout, do not despair that you are limited - this is not an all or nothing game - there is a whole spectrum and you CAN do something. Get yourself a pedometer and set some realistic goals about how many steps you're going to take in a day. Then try to meet them, or better yet, exceed them. Look for any opportunity to get in a few more steps. For the average person, every 2000 steps = about a mile of walking, so 10,000 steps = 5 five miles.

You can do this - it may not be at a breakneck pace, it may not be even as fast as you want, but pace yourself and in the long run, you'll still see results. Your health is IMPORTANT. Take it a day at a time, and pay attention to the positive changes you'll notice, like a little more energy and stamina, sleeping well, clarity of mind and other indicators of good health. The rest will follow.

Good luck to you.

Another thought:

are you excited about what you're eating?

I try and get exciting foods. My husband and I are not well off at all. He works in a cafe, as I'm a student, training to be a primary teacher. So being at uni, I am busy, and neither of us get paid a lot. In fact, at the moment, we're living on his minimum wage job. (Then when I am qualified, he'll be the student, and I'll work.)
But it's still possible to eat healthy and affordably. I would suggest getting some fruit plants. Strawberry plants, blueberry plants, etc.

Greek yoghurt and blueberries are a great protein and antioxidant boost.

Poached egg on spinach is a light and nutritious meal, packed with protein and iron.

For both, there is little sodium, but a good deal of nutritional content. You've got to love what you're eating, too, otherwise you'll crave that cheeseburger. (And every now and then, I don't think a cheeseburger is bad. But I avoid, 'cause I know I'm very prone to gaining weight.)

Eat to live. Eat for the nutrition.

But make sure you're enjoying your food, because it'll make you more motivated to work hard. xox

Have you considered the 30 Day Shred? It's only 20 minutes, and even when I'm in the throes of massive assignments, it's so easy to fit in, 'cause once you start, you're almost done.

No one can make you do what you don't want to do. You don't need our approval of disapproval, although, I think you posted this so that maybe, just maybe, someone could convince you to keep trying. If losing weight was easy, there would be no overweight or obese people in the world. Any thing worth having takes will, determination and sacrifice. You must have the will to achieve the goal you have set for yourself, determined not to give up and sacrifice an hour of sleep so that YOU can take care of YOU. As mothers, we always put ourselves last, including our health which is SO important. I have made my health MY priority.

do some tabata workouts im sure you have 4 mins a day

The second thing my doctor asked me when I came to here clinic was why I wanted to lose weight. If I could commit to logging what I eat, making small changes, etc. The first 3 weeks with her were amazing, I gained 3 pounds, and gained an understanding of the food, not the quantity, or calories. Our first focus was what. I had to be honest on the whats.
Second focus was where, with the third focus being why. I have been with this doctor for 6 months. because I am committed to change.
Struggles: Night Shift, Borderline, drugs that gain weight, foot pain,

That is my story. I was ready to commit to weight loss, and my doctor is helping me.

If you want a cheering squad, Your friends will cheer your victories.
Eat your cheese Burger, and ask yourself if you are ready to go at this journey.
It is okay to say you are not ready. Just as it is okay to treat yourself , and eat your favorite foods.
We are here to help you, but if your not ready, the only person to make you commit is you.

Hi there,

I think I can related to this frustration of yours to some extend. I'm not expert on this so please don't be more upset if I am wrong. I often hear stress plays part in people's weigh loss process and often that part is negative. Sounds like you are living a pretty stressful life. If there is nothing wrong with your health, and if possible, is it possible for you to bear a month of misery and keep your calorie intake to 1200, 50 plus and minus? I know lots of MFPs don't like the idea of dieting alone to lose weight but you can definately lose weight by simply limiting the input. And drink LOTs of water when you can. Replace some of the processed meat with lean protein and vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, and asparugus. And make sure you go at least once a day. I know it sounds gross, but it works.

Best of luck and don't give up.

As of this morning, I am within 5 pounds of the wieght I was at 9 months pregnant in 2007. I give up. No weight loss in a month. I started this at 173. This morning, I'm 177.8. Screw it. I'm getting a cheeseburger for lunch.

Before anyone decides to look at my diary and tell me that I need to exercise, I already know that. I'm extremely busy. "But you have to *make* the time". I know that, too. Again, I'm trying but I'm very busy. I'm not going to cut my sleep by an hour to exercise. I'm not a morning person. At night, I do homework, make dinner, give my girl a bath and get things ready for the next day. After tomorrow, I should be able to find some time because it's the last day of class for the semester. I work full time, school part time and single mom to a 4 yr old.

If you guys only knew how much I've changed my diet since I started this, you would understand my frustration. Going from eating anything and everything to 1100 - 1500 cals a day, I should've seen some results. Can I do better? Yes. But I've made big changes and haven't seen any results. I don't want criticism. I don't want anything but to vent about it. I give up.

If you're not willing to put forth the effort, quit *****ing about gaining weight.

I work 70-80 hrs a week and I still find time to run, eat right and go to the gym.

Hey, that is no way to talk to someone. She is obviously frustrated and looking for some kind words!

I really feel your pain and a lot of people here have given you some really harsh words, I'm sure trying to offer you tough love, but tough love doesn't always work.

If you can't exercise, you don't have to to lose weight. You can take up exercise later on when you have made some changes to your diet, trying to do too much at once doesn't always work for everybody and being so busy I'm sure is really hard on you.

However, if I can offer come constructive thoughts on your diary:

1. I look at your diary and quite a lot of days you have not logged everything - instead putting it in the comments box - but you could be eating hundreds or eating thousands of calories without realising it when you write that you have had beer, chips, margaritas etc. Eating more on a few days could actually be cancelling out your calorie deficit on other days - you need to have a deficit of 3,500 so if some days you are going over by eating and not logging it, it is just cancelling out your deficit. Simple maths. You need to log everything so you know EXACTLY how many calories you are having - if you could accurately estimate you wouldn't have ever got 'fat' and so wouldn't need to lose weight!

2. You seem to have lots of comments about not being bothered to log stuff - for example, you have put many times that your estimate may be wrong. DO NOT ESTIMATE FOOD! Seriously, you could be eating SO much more than you think, once again negating your calorie deficit. SCALES ALL THE WAY! Weigh everything!!!! I know thats a hassle, so what I did was, bought some plastic tubs and each day weigh out all my food at once and put it in tubs or food bags in the fridge or freezer. It only takes five minutes and you know your portion sizes are accurate.

3. There were also some times where you had put a certain amount of calories for food and looking at it, it seemed inaccurate to me, much too low for what you said you ate.

4. It also seems from your comments that you are not very motivated. It is ok to feel that way. I have tried to diet so many times and it hasn't been the right time for me. Forcing yourself to diet when you are not ready mentally is very demoralising, but maybe you need to say to yourself, if now isn't the right time, as long as your health isn't an issue, you can always lose weight later. Focus on eating healthier and making lifestyle changes, read up on weight loss so you are armed with knowledge, and try again in a few months when you feel better. When I couldn't lose weight, I decided to give myself some time as I was having a really hard time in my life and couldn't concentrate on weight loss. So instead, for a few months, I ate at maintenance calories to prevent making the weight worse and tried again in a few months. Eating at maintenance calories, with lots of nourishing, healthy foods, I felt like I was eating lots and began to enjoy food and cooking again rather than junk food. This really changed my perspective on food. I have started dieting again and lost 8 lbs in the past 30 days with no trouble because I am in a different mental space.

Good luck, and please eat the cheeseburger. Life's too short not to have the occasional cheeseburger

And... she obviously gave up...too bad.. but she obviously was not ready to make the commitment needed to do this.. Maybe later, Maybe when she gets tired of being overweight enough, she will try again. Good luck.