dinny, don't be too hard on ya'self.
Don't look at other women or indeed the media for your measuring stick - you'll drive yourself nuts otherwise. Instead, look at what you have done. Unfortunately, it's part of our culture in this country (probably due to the influence of religion over the centuries) that we focus on the negatives - like what we haven't done, what haven't got, what we can't afford and the grass is always greener on the otherside of the fence but what nobody realises is that once you get on the other otherside there's always another fence with greener grass too !!
In our school systems, in the workplace, in our families and especially in the media we are not rewarded for what we do do even if it's not what we set out to do. So what if you can't run a marathon - you can run half of it , so well done !!!!
If our efforts and attempts to achieve things, whatever they are, keep getting knocked either by ourselves (which is indirectly in anticipation on others behalf) , by others or by the media we will eventually stop trying, accept our lot and give up. Personally that's not for me.
I say well done for all the weight you and everybody on this thread has lost whether it be 3 st and 3 to go or 2 lb and a stone to go. Congratulate yourselfs on what you can do don't beat yourselfs up over what you can't otherwise eventually you'll stop trying.
Try being more realistic with your goals, instead of saying "I need to lose 3 st by the summer" try aiming for 2 or 3 lb a fortnight - this is more realistic. Then when you've done that for 2 or 3 fortnights in a row you'll be in the right frame of mind and will be ready to up your goal by another lb or 2. Before you know it you'll be doing 2 or 3 lb a week which in 13 weeks is between 2 and 3 stone.
I lost a stone and a half in 7 weeks last October and by Easter had gone from 11st 9lb to 8st 11 (that's a size 14 to a 10 up top and an 8 on the bottom half) and now I'm pretty stable at 8st 8lb. As a 35yr old mum to my ds who is 18 months now (and a right Orangatang) I'm in better shape now than I was 17 yrs ago and even in my 20's.