[kmg73]

I started calorie counting the second week of January of this year. I average 1900 calories a day. Lately my calorie spread (as I call it) is between 1700 and 2200. I started out at 360 and was steadily loosing 1.5-2 lbs a week until mid-March. By the 3rd week of March I had lost 16 lbs. By the beginning of April I had lost 22 lbs. For the past 6 weeks I have slowly dropped only 5 more lbs. I knew that as I lost weight I would need to gradually lower my average daily calories, but I did not anticpate stalling out quite this soon.

I have been hovering around 333 lbs for the past few weeks. My calorie average is the same. I haven't started my exercise program yet (I'm setting up a spare room this weekend w/ a TV, dvd player, treadmill, and free weights). I hope that starting a daily exercise program will give me a boost.

Can anyone give me other tips that have helped you get the scale moving in the right direction again or do I just keep on as is (adding the exercise) and wait for the pounds to start dropping again? I'm not discouraged, just really impatient!

[bethbeth]

Hey, it sounds like you're doing great! 27 pounds is a great start. I think starting some exercise would make a big difference. Start slow though, maybe just some 30 minute walks.
You mentioned getting 1900 calories. Are they GOOD calories, like lots of fruits and veggies?
Keep up the great work! It will come off!

[Tomato]

Why don't you just give yourself a few weeks to see if any additional tweaking is required once you started exercising. I, too, think you are doing fabulous - I have been working hard on it since beginning of February and I lost only 13 lbs (and I am grateful for that weight loss so far).

Take care,
T.

[sumu1]

I agree with the above...tweek your diet or start exercising and see if that gives you a boost. Decrease calories as a last resort. It'll happen soon enough. I'm still averaging about a 1600 calories and I'm kicking up my running program before I even think of decreasing my calories to tackle the rest of my weightloss. Keep us posted.

[mamaspank]

It is also important to evenly spread your calories throughout the day. I try to get my fruits and grains in before 4:00 or 5:00. After that, I stick with meals made up of mostly protein, like a salad and chicken or an omelet. If I absolutely need a dessert, I will have some berries topped with a little SF Land O'Lakes whipped cream, maybe crumble some graham cracker on top for crunch. As far as fruits, I stick with any kind of berry and apples. Meat, I tend to stick with lean turkey or chicken, since I don't eat fish. Are you drinking enough water?

[jay41]

I hit a plateau for 8 weeks. I wasn't losing anything. I added a 40 minute walk each day plus a couple of strength training DVDs 3x a week.

I also cut out all white stuff (bread, potatoes, rice). I eat brown only. I logged my foods in dailyplate and found I needed more protein. I eat more meat and less bread and that jumpstarted me back to losing.

[kmg73]

The scale FINALLY moved .. .just a little, but it moved. Over the weekend I worked out in the yard hauling off limbs and brush for about 1.5-2 hours. When I weighed this morning, I had dropped 2 lbs. I alzo fixed a spare room into a workout room this weekend, so I'm hoping the added activity (while continuing my calorie counting) is giving me the boost I needed and will continue to do so. Thanks for all of your words of support and advice! And here's to hoping furture mini plateaus are far and few between!!!

[bumblebee27]

That's great!! Stick with it, you will break through this and any future plateaus!