Burned out and Hopeless in Texas,

        I been think about my goal weight.  Since day one since my surgery.  Dreaming  about how much weight. I would lose.  Coming from High B. M. I. Having always been fat.  People tell you that you can make it to Onehundredland. I have been in the onehundreds since the 6 grade.  I never really hope or believed.  I would get there.  My doctor told last month that.  He would like to be 150 pounds.  I have lost  180 my first year.down from 390 to  220 pounds.  I did not want to dream about One hundred land.  Because,  I seem to have stopped losing. Now , I worried about regaining. Who ever thought 20 pounds would be so hard to lose.  I been jumping from 230 pounds and 210 pounds up and down for two months.   I dont, even want to think about getting to 150 pounds.   I just want to get under 200 pounds.   I can,t think about  losing 70 more pounds.  Does anybody  really lose any more weight after their first year?  Does more  come off.  I had gastric-by- pass.  I been trying really to watch what I put in my mouth. Because, My hunger urges have come back and I can get more in my pouch. The things you can get down  without a problem are the things.  You should not be eating.   I last thing I want to do is give up or regain.   But, I feel so burned out and hopeless. The last place I want to go to is the Gym.  And is the one place. I need to go.  I need to figure out what weight is going to make me happy.  What weight I can be happy at.  I feel so pressured to lose more weight.  But, the only person pressuring me is me.

 I definitely share your feelings about being burned out....it's a long process. I go through periods, and have been lately, where I just feel very very tired of all the weight loss, scales, counting/tracking my food. But, I do it anyways. And it helps to remind myself what my goals are - I want to be able to wear a smaller size, walk an extra mile on my hike, walk a little faster, etc. 

If nothing else, I want to succeed at meeting the goal I set out to achieve. it keeps me going. My fire isnt always as strong as it was when I started, but every single day, the first thing that goes through my mind is that quitting is never an option, and when I am really really tired, i have to to trust that I will be able to fall back on the good habits that I have built over the last two years.

I am sitting right around 200-201 and have been for weeks. Our bodies rebel when we are close to a major milestone so we just have to buckle down and push through. Quitting is not an option. Settling for less than what we deserve is not an option either. 

Yes, IT IS POSSIBLE TO CONTINUE TO LOSE!!

There is no magic window of one year and that is it! This is life time thing for us! The tool gave optimal success for quicker weight loss in the first year or so, but it does not trigger a magic button to stop us from ever losing weight! Burn out manifests in many ways! I do beleive we all face it and FEAR TRIES TO GET US DOWN, IF WE LET IT!!

QUITTING IS NOT AN OPTION, KEEP ON WORKING ON YOU!!
Reflect on your success, think about things that have motivated you, do something way different that is an active activity, think outside the box! Find what motivates you, your inner drive! Change up your eating, still staying healthy, but change it.... There is so many ways! Keep surprising your body!

I to have gone through my frustrations, it is normal, some days or weeks seem to be so great, and sometimes I wonder on some days what I am doing and so forth! Stalls are hard, weight gain, is hard... But gains come, and then go and the boom a loss.

Remember to be honest with what every thing you put into your mouth, to how many calories are being burned. 3500 calories makes a pound, find your deficit! How many calories eaten, how many burned to see what your deficit is. Over a week you can lose weight.
Weight can be lost. Good habits are a plus, when we get in the path of making bad choices it is so hard to get back on track. But we can do it! Look at what have already done!! You got this!!

Your own self is where you have to find and pull out that inner self motivation!! You have it!! You can keep it going!!

Hugs! Keep posting!! Do not run away!!

Wow, this must be the time of year for some "funk" for lots of folks!!! Been gone for a little but come back and find many folks with that "burned out feeling". I've haven't even been to OH for a week--and that's unusual for me. But a mental health break was needed!

To the original poster---I too understand that overwhelming felling sometimes. We've been at this for awhile. You've come very far---you just can't give up. But I think you're looking too far ahead. Don't worry about that final goal---I think you'll know it when you get there. You'll be happy there AND know that you will be able to maintain that weight. My goal is a little under my surgeon's goal---to give me some wiggle room. But it won't be a normal BMI---I don't care and neither does my surgeon. My biggest hurdle is still ahead with maintenance. Why don't you just work on 5 pounds at a time if you need a goal. Stay away from the gym for awhile but walk or do a DVD or something to replace it. Just take a little mental health break and change up your routine. Give yourself a fresh outlook.

And yes---you can lose whatever you want---I lost 140 year 1; 70 year 2; and only 8 in the last 2 months. But still losing....very slowly!!!!

 You rock Elaine!!

Giving up won't make you feel better because it is not what you want.  But take the pressure off of yourself.  I'm hovering around 212-215.  -have been for over a month.  I know that I will get below 200.  I am just not willing to feel bad about doing it slower. Although, I would feel much better if I went faster.  So I am definitely not liking the slower pace.

This is why I won't give up:
1. Most of my stomach was cut off!  I didn't do that to stay over 200 pounds.
2. I'm still paying for this surgery! 
3. I wasn't perfect before, and I'm not perfect now. So no need to be mean to myself. I deserve to get below 200 pounds. I'm worth it.
4. Health.  As we age, weight comes on so easy. I don't want to stop at 210 and 'find' myself at 250 five years from now.
5. Enjoying the progress that I have already made. I look good and could look better. I feel good and could feel better. I move my body 'good' (well) and could move better.
6. This isn't a race. I worked my butt off to do as well as I did. It was urgent for me to feel better and have less pain.  But it is unrealistic and arbitrary to tell myself that I have to lose at the same rate that I did 6 months ago. I take in more calories and I weigh less. So my calorie deficit is a lot less.

I spent over a decade at 300+ pounds.  I tried so many diets and trainers and hypnosis, etc.  What if it takes me until the end of the year to lose another 20 pounds?!  I want to get below 200 before my birthday at the end of next month. I don't want it to take 6 months, but what if it does? I still will have achieved the goal.

It is about a lifestyle.  The lifestyle that I had 6 months ago is not what I have now.  I eat more- variety and volume.  So what am I willing to do?  I am watching what I eat and exercising. I don't set hardlined goals. I'm not drawing a line in the sand.  I don't feel like "surgery girl". The lady in the next office is bringing her lunch and working out and watching her snacks to lose her baby weight.  I'm doing those same things. 

I don't have a goal weight. But I have monthly goals that are a lot less ambitious.  Instead of 15 pounds, my monthly goal is more like 6 pounds. If I beat it, great.  If I meet it, great. If I fall short, then I will have to own it and step it up again. 

Be kind to yourself. Don't quit. And have some fun!  There is more to your identity than this process.

Thank you everyone I needed this!