Preach it sibling of unknown gender!  You know, I used to be 128lbs but my high stress job put the pounds on (even keeping to a low calorie diet and exercise, the cortisol my body was producing from juggling my job like I was screwed me up royally).  My best friend is now losing weight...down like 40 lbs in just a few months.  I'm so proud of her but how I wish I could do that again. 

I found the first time I lost weight (and kept it off successfully), I checked my weight every single morning, immediately after waking up and using the bathroom (basically your driest weight of the day).  I would watch it go down by the tenths of pounds (sometimes more) and that fueled my determination to keep going, and when I hit my first plateau it drove me to run harder, and take up tennis again to restart my weightloss. 

I guess keep trying to find a better system that works for you.  Maybe you need to be doing multiple things to inspire and drive you forward.  Keep experimenting until you find the right combination.  I'm rooting for you!