well, on the not being able to lose weight after a year thing, if it makes you feel any better, I haven't actually lost much. in fact, I started gaining at some point, an it took awhile for me to realize that was because of my body's changing mass.

like, I'm still big. still "fat". but I can go a long walk, or up some stairs, without getting winded, and I can do the lifting at work without needing a break. idk, it's little things like that which make me so much happier than a read-out on a scale.