beginning my weight loss journey

There have been very few times in my life when I felt I was the weight I wanted to be. In high school I danced every day and didn't know how in shape I was and wouldn't have believed you if you told me. Then college started and so did the weight gain. I wasn't dancing anymore and all day spent at a desk was taking its toll. Then my final year of college I started working out with a friend who was a personal trainer. I got into the best shape I've ever been in. Working out four days a week for two hours created a leaner shape that I loved. Then I got married and packed on the pounds. 
Gaining this much weight hasn't been easy on me, physically or emotionally. I weigh 75 lbs more now than when Jason and I met 7 years ago. Some of that can be attributed to different mental health medications but mostly unhealthy eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle are to blame. When we were first married, we went to the the gym regularly. Then, somehow, we lost interest. Jason was working odd hours and I hated working out alone. But we kept the gym membership because I didn't like the thought of giving up completely. Eventually I started a new job and couldn't be bothered to drive the 4 miles to the gym. So we canceled the membership. My weight went up and down some over the interim but stayed fairly steady even after Penny was born. Then came my hospitalization and subsequent medications for bipolar which caused me to gain almost 30 lbs in six months. Even though I'm no longer taking those medicines, they have left their mark on my weight. And I'm pretty sure the current mental health meds I take keep my weight very constant because it doesn't matter what I do, increased exercise and decreased calories, my weight stays within a three pound range. 

When I determined I was doing all I could to lose the weight and it still wasn't working I decided to see my doctor. After hearing I was working out a half hour a day, 6 days a week and keeping my caloric intake under 1500 a day, he thought I could benefit from a weight loss drug. I started taking an appetite suppressant in December and I've noticed a definite decrease in my appetite, helping me curb my sweets addiction somewhat. But in the 80 days I've been on this medication I've only lost 2 lbs. Two Pounds! Which is completely unacceptable in my mind since I've also increased my exercise to an hour a day. Two measly pounds. I'm completely at a loss. I can only attribute it to the mood stabilizers I take. They aren't causing weight gain but they aren't helping me either. So if I still haven't lost any more weight by the end of this round of pills, he said we could try another drug. He also suggested an awesome phone app called My Fitness Pal to help keep an accurate account of my exercise and food intake. 

This has all been very helpful but I can't help but feel that if I want to lose weight I'm going to have to change my mental health meds. Most medications of this type are notorious for aiding in weight gain. But first things first. I will continue to exercise because it makes me feel better and watch what I eat because that's just good sense. And next month if I've only lost 2 lbs, I'll consider it 2 lbs I wanted gone anyway and I'll try something new. Then if that still doesn't work I'll look into changing the bipolar meds. I didn't put the weight on in a day; it'll take more than a day to lose it. But for now, baby steps.