I am six months out and just weighed myself today after more than a month to find out that I only lost 3lbs in a month plus. Really, are you kidding me? I should have listened to my doctor when he told me that I am going to fail cos I am focusing so much on the numbers. How can I not focus on the number when I am trying the best I can to lose this nasty weight and everybody else is excelling and am failing. I should have known better than to expect to triumph like everybody else cos It will never work for me. Should stick to my motto" if it was not for bad luck, I would not have any luck at all". Whenever people are engaged in anything and doing well and I decide to try whatever it is that they are doing, I always fail for some weird reason. I don't know why I thought this would be different. I guess this means that I will be stuck at 242lbs and be happy for the 58lbs that I lost in six months. I know stalls happen and I have been thru it but not this bad. I have encouraged the newbies in the past about stall but really? In almost two months to lose 3lbs? Unbelievable.

The best thing you could do for yourself right now is seek some therapy to turn the negative thoughts around. You are certainly not the first person to hit a long stall or become depressed! A therapist can also help you get started on anti-depressants to turn this situation around.

The next best thing is to get a copy of the book The Beck Diet Solution--Train Your Brain to Think Like a Thin Person by Judith Beck, Ph.D. Although written for dieters it is THE best book available for cognitive therapy for the weight loss process. It helps you change the way you think about weight loss and sabotaging yourself. A companion workbook is also available. Dr. Beck's father was the founder of the Cognitive Therapy approach and for many years she has run the Beck Institute of Cognitive Therapy at he U of Pennsylvania. Very hands on, practical book.

But this DOES happen... It does NOT mean that you have stopped losing. It does NOT mean that you have failed...

unless to give up.

Think about where you are (in your head), plan on an eating and activity "log" for each day. Get your Water in. NO soda's, Protein dense focus, and Turn the Page is right. We all have a fat brain, start working on that too.

Don't give up.. Please do yourself a big favor and persevere . U have come a long way ..be grateful for your 3 pound loss. The worst thing we can so to our selves is negative thinking. And weight loss on the scale that is less than expected can trigger many self defeating thoughts. I am having the surgery on dec 9 and decided to seek psychological therapy in conjunction with the surgery. Cause I know it is my thinking that gets me in the way . I am too, too critical and hard on myself. So love yourself as best as u can, , treat yourself to things that will make u feel comforted , like a bubble bath, reading a good novel, window shopping, going to a good movie. Keep yourself busy when we get that feeling of failure. You r not failing.. Write down your non weight victories and replace those self defeating thoughts with good thoughts. My psych told me write a gratitude list often to remind myself of the good things in llife that is happening. It is those tough times that we have to go through to take us to a place called victory. This is the time to persevere. Reach out for help , good 4 u that u put your thoughts on this website. ..you have acknowledged your disappointment.. But keep on plugging.. Go back to the basics of eating, exercise harder, and most of all get to a place of gratitude for what u have accomplished thus far. " I WILL reach my weight loss goal. " A good mantra for all of us.

A musician I used to work for would always say, "I don't read reviews. If I take the good ones as gospel, I need to assign the bad ones just as much credence."

How does this apply?

Well, simply put…weeks or months that go really well are awesome, amazing, and make us feel like we have this thing BEAT. Bad weeks or months, or ones that don't go the way our preconceived notions think they should can make us feel like crap.

Better, I think, to realize that the scale is like that reviewer in the paper. It's taking down an impression of your performance; nothing more, nothing less. It doesn't account for difficulties you've had, other ways you've improved, or really anything about your weight loss journey except that number it takes as a snapshot.

If you give that power to a snapshot, you are missing the point. I get that it's not always easy, but one thing I see over and over again is "Put in the work and the rest will follow." It may not follow at the pace you believe it should, or that you read about others achieving, etc. But it will follow.

One other thing. We have a tendency to shout out our successes from the rooftops. Don't believe me? Log on to Facebook and see how many people posted today that they screwed something up at work, or yelled at their kids, or gained a couple of pounds. No, they post that their husband brought them flowers, or that they got a promotion, or that their kid made honor roll.

Also, they post pictures of their dinner.

Your snapshot of our lives is what we're putting out there. Maybe it's possible that plenty of others are right where you are. So don't give up!

You need to keep positive. I stalled out about 6 months and have been hovering several months now. Only about 5 pounds lost since month 6. A lot of the women in our Facebook March sleevers have done the same. I am following my eating plan about 95% of the time. From what we have read, this is quite common.

While I do get frustrated at the numbers, I have gone from a tight 12 to a very comfortable 10 and I'm starting to eye 8's. I hit the gym 3-4 times a week. 30 minutes in and out. I know we could be building muscle and that can even cause a slight gain. Don't compare yourself to others. It will only further your frustration. Our bodies need time to adjust. You have lost almost 60 pounds in 6 months. Your body probably needs time to catch up.

Hang in there and follow your eating plan. You can not fail if you do that. It will happen. Just may not be as fast as we would like.

Best wishes, you are not in this alone!

doctor told me that I am going to fail

i can't get over that your doc said those discouraging/nasty words!!!

what a jerk

you can't change him - but you will continue to change!!!!

58 lbs in six months!!!!

you are doing great, really!!!!

i always "heard" that losing about 10 lbs per month is average/terrific

some people lose more - some lose less

Never, ever compare your weight loss to anyone elses

people have been shot for less

i know you will be another success story

i know it!!!!!

I see the determination in your eyes

you are definitely NOT a failure!!!!

you made the wise decision to comit yourself to having major stomach surgery

i know you are continueing to eat and drink properly

old habits die hard

don't defeat the weight loss, by being sad - and then eating to comfort yourself!!!!

stalls are a bitchhh - but many/most/all of us have them

take care hun

I will succeed, I will succeed, i will succeed

keep saying that whenever you have any doubts

congrats on your 58 lb weight loss

woohoo

good luck

huggggggs

kathy

remember you are not stuck! you lost 3 lbs this month.....I'll bet there are people out there that would be HAPPY with that. You are just not seeing those posts

Focus on what you HAVE done! You have lost 58 lbs! You have not gained in 6 months! You have taken positive steps to a healthier you.

I battle depression and have for many years. I think that's why I got so heavy in the first place. I have been under a lot of stress and have gained/lost the same five pounds for the last month or so. I know what I'm doing wrong (not following the guidelines), and I know why. But I'm also VERY aware that had I not had surgery I would have gained about 25 lbs in the last month.

The glass is always half full AND half empty. And it's not a competition, it's about your journey for you, and their journey for them. It's hard to remember and much easier said than done.

I don't focus on the numbers, because I'll make myself crazier. I remember what I can do now - ride roller coasters, fit in airplane seats, use a regular stall in a public restroom, shop in a "normal" store, borrow clothes from my family, work out (oh yeah, that's the other thing I should be doing right now). I remember how far I've come. I remember what size I was wearing last year at this time. I try not to focus on the scale not moving. I weigh myself every day but don't write it down except when I'm at a doctor's office for a follow-up. That's an "official" weigh in.

I'm five pounds from one-derland. It kills me some days that I missed my personal goal of being there by Thanksgiving. Then I remember that no one is grading me, this isn't high school, and I'll get there and be there. My body is just adjusting to the new me!

But talk to someone, because surgery was on your stomach and not your brain, and it takes a while for the brain to catch up.

Love yourself!

I am six months out and just weighed myself today after more than a month to find out that I only lost 3lbs in a month plus. Really, are you kidding me? I should have listened to my doctor when he told me that I am going to fail cos I am focusing so much on the numbers. How can I not focus on the number when I am trying the best I can to lose this nasty weight and everybody else is excelling and am failing. I should have known better than to expect to triumph like everybody else cos It will never work for me. Should stick to my motto" if it was not for bad luck, I would not have any luck at all". Whenever people are engaged in anything and doing well and I decide to try whatever it is that they are doing, I always fail for some weird reason. I don't know why I thought this would be different. I guess this means that I will be stuck at 242lbs and be happy for the 58lbs that I lost in six months. I know stalls happen and I have been thru it but not this bad. I have encouraged the newbies in the past about stall but really? In almost two months to lose 3lbs? Unbelievable.

I am right there with you! I'm 6 months out and only 55lbs down and in the last 3 weeks I have lost nothing at all. It's very scary as we automatically assume we are going to fail at this like we have every other attempt lose weight.

But we can do it even if it takes us another whole year. Let's hang in there x

As long as the scale isn't going the other way, then you are doing something right. Everybody hits a plateau. Eat right, exercise and youvwill get more results in. One app that works for me is my fitness pal app. I am 4 months post surgery and almost 70 lbs lost. I know it takes time but you need to stop focusing on the #s