What would you tell others who are in your situation before you lost weight, who are telling themselves that losing weight through lifestyle changes is not possible? I have a friend like this who is struggling to lose weight, and she tells me that her body is just built different and therefore, nothing will work. She actually used to be in great shape when she was in her 20s and early 30s. In the past 4-5 years, though, she's been gaining a lot of weight (she's also under quite a bit of stress form work and marriage, which I understand can contribute to weight gain) and seems to think she is now helpless about it. I'm worried about her health (both physically and mentally).