Hi C.!!
Believe me when I say I know how you feel. Let me explain my story and tell you what I have done to change it.
I have always been a "big" girl, not necessarily fat and chunky, but big because I'm so short. Being 5'1" you have this impression that you are supposed to be small, well I wasn't. In high school I weighed about 160 pounds, when all of my friends weighed 20-50 pounds less. Anyways, I moved after school and gained 25 pounds within 7 years of me graduating, which in my opinion is not bad, but remember I'm only 5'1". Well I started taking those metabolite pills because I couldn't stand to look in the mirror anymore, and they worked great (I lost 35 pounds) until I stopped taking them and gained it all back and then GUESS WHAT?! I found out I was pregnant. I weighed 185 pounds when I found out and just like you I had the signs of preeclampsia, I was so swollen I couldn't wear shoes, I had to wear flip flops. I could feel the water sloshing on the tops of my feet. I was ordered from the doc to stay home from work when I was 20 weeks. Anyways I gained 67 pounds total, and for me I decided not to breastfeed, well I lost 50 pounds in 4 months (it was mostly water is what the doc said) and then life struck me again and I found out I was pregnant AGAIN!! This time I didn't gain as much but I was the same weight I was when I delieverd my first. I had the swelling again and had a lot of water, and lost 44 pounds in 8 months, but that still wasn't enough weight, so to make my long story short I started weight watchers from home. I have not eliminated any food from my "diet" I have just changed what and how I eat. Everything is Fat Free and Sugar Free and I eat a lot more now too than I did before. And the best thing is I still get to eat out and have desserts. Since starting this the end of January I have lost 18 pounds, it is amazing and I would love to help you out but this is not something you can do just for one or two months, it is a life changing decision. If you want I can send you an email with the information I follow and help you out.
Please do not feel as if you are the only one who can't lose the weight because you aren't alone and you can lose it. Everyone is different and our bodies react differently, but you got to believe that it will happen and with some determination you can have what you want. Here is my email address if you want to talk some ____@____.com
P.S. It's been said that exercise helps, but I have lost the weight with a short 15 min walk on my breaks at work, I can't afford to go to a gym or buy any equipment so I do what I can.
~A.~
We stuff with our "bear" hands - Stuff A Friend
http://www.stuffafriend.biz/members/pooh1623