Hi SarahP, I haven't got quite as much to lose, 5 stone altogether, 3 1/2 to go, but just wanted give you some words of encouragement!! The way I look at it is in terms of how fast the time goes in many areas of our lives! Think how quickly Christmas comes around, or how quickly the weeks go by and we find ourselves failing to catch up with friends...again!! I apply this to weight loss! As long as I stick to the plan, even if I lose 1lb per week, the time will go so quickly, before I know it a year will have gone by and I'll have lost 52lb- nearly 4 stone!! And remember the more you have to lose the bigger weekly losses you'll have if you're focussed, so you'll lose a lot more than 4 stone in a year!! It's all about positive mental attitude and how you approach it!! Lots of positive thinking and leaving the negative thoughts behind! Keep a wonderful mental image of a 'slim' you in your head, wearing the lovely trendy clothes and glam dresses that you've always longed to wear and keep picturing yourself doing all the things you've wanted to do but held yourself back from doing!! Stay focussed and you'll get there! No matter how much each of us has to lose, the same principles apply, using positive techniques and strategies will get us to our goal!! Good luck, you must be very excited!X