I've been successful busting plateaus by backing off the carbs. However, when you restrict carbs, much of the weight you lose will be water. It's still nice to see the scale drop down, though. But when you start eating normally again, it comes right back. Like I was stuck for a while once and ate very low carb for about 3 days. Stuck at the same weight for weeks. After those 3 low-carb days I got on the scale. Bam, down 3 pounds. But I'm sure those 3 pounds were water.
I was going to say Jill that maybe you needed to up your calories, but I read farther and saw that you did that and lost. Its a little weird that way.
I wouldnt recommend falling below 1200 calories. That too little. Plateaus suck, everyone has been there. The lighter you get the harder it becomes to lose the weight.
I could be wrong, I often am. BUT when I was 290 pounds, life wasn't simple.
Getting out of the bath tub was hard. Going up the stairs with a full laundry basket was hard. Going shopping and hating what I saw in the mirror was hard. Having someone ask me 'when I was due' was hard. Going on every diet that I could find and failing at each one, was hard. Thinking that I was a failure and "fat" was hard.
I lost 130 pounds, and have kept it off for over 10 years now.
I promise you, it wasn't hard.
I stopped eating icecream every single day of my life, it was, believe it or not simple--much more simple than following somone else's prescribed menu plan ever was.
I stopped eating fries, hamburgers and soft drinks. Cooking homecooked healthy meals was not as quick and easy as driving through a window/pickup, but it wasn't hard.
Living life at 160 pounds vs 290 is simple. I eat food and it is healthy, tasty and enjoyable food--not a life of deprivation at all.
I exercise just about everyday and actually really enjoy it. I didn't start out by doing an hour a day, I started out doing 10 minutes 2 times a week and gradually built up from there---that was simple; it just took some time to get to a healthier level of fitness, but each step was one in the right direction.
I do not pretend to minimize the difficulty that exists with any change, but if you really don't like the weight you are at, it is more simple to change than you may realize right now and once you make a change and it becomes part of you, it isn't fighting an uphill battle each day, it really does become a part of your life and is simple.
Rather than say how hard it is, why not try making ONE simple change that may add up to big results over time?
I guess it can be summed up as "depends on what your definition of IS, is", or depends on what your definition of "simple" is!
To me, it is much more simple to make healthy choices than it was to live every day of my life frustrated, upset and constantly dieting to no avail.
The sky is blue. I think I am right about that! LOL
How did I know you would say the sky wasn't blue Jill??!?! LOL
I promise you this Jill, someday, you are going to have a lightbulb, A-HA moment and see my point on this whole "diet" thing and actually agree with me on points that today you don't!
I didn't set out to be a giver of advice and know that not everything I say will work for every person--but I try! I was just a fatchick who lost weight. I sent my story to a women's magazine, just to brag and maybe show my ex's mistress that I survived and came out better for it all.....but that's another story.
Anywho.....that was 9 years ago and since that article ran in Woman's World, women started asking me how I did it. Now, that is all I do, I actually don't know of anything else to do with my time, it has become part of me--trying to help others to lose weight.
I like the forum here and enjoy posting, some people think I am here to drum up business, but that isn't the case. I write for 14 million readers at eDiets and get paid to do so--that brings in enough customers.....I come to this board on my own time, to try to serve and help others.
I promise you this Jill, someday, you are going to have a lightbulb, A-HA moment and see my point on this whole "diet" thing and actually agree with me on points that today you don't!
You all make me laugh! I'm at a plateau right now, but since I'm getting closer to my goal weight, I know that someday that weight loss will stop and I'll never, ever see one more pound gone. It's pretty frustrating to be at a plateau after the surgery. Another frustration is for my husband to come home after his weightloss class, only to have lost 4-5 lbs that week - GRRRRR.
I'm with Misti - it's my fat and I want it OFF! lol (Misti, I am one of just many of your secret admirers! - you GO GIRL!)
I could be wrong, I often am. BUT when I was 290 pounds, life wasn't simple.
I might get beat up for this () but I'm going to agree with you.
When I was lying in the delivery room and the nurses and my partner kept saying, "Come on, you can do it, push!", I would come right back with, "No... no I can't. I can't do this anymore."
It reminds me of my years of dieting, as odd as that sounds. I'd lose 10 pounds, gain back 15. Lose another 5, gain back 10. Yo-yo, weeeee! here we go on the diet rollercoaster again. And people would say to me, "Linda, you can do this. You can get that weight off." And I would come back with, "No... I can't. I just can't do it." I had myself CONVINCED I couldn't do it. It was all in my mind.
Well just like I finally 'beared down' and had that child, I did the same thing about my weight. And once the 'new me' was born, and I crossed the first few hurdles, it wasn't hard at all. I'd kick myself and say, "Jeez, the answer was under my nose all this time - eat less, move more."
Duh?
Yes, it's that simple.
Now, I'm not saying losing weight is easy. Because in many ways it's not. What's easy is the concept. I say to myself all the time, "Now how freakin hard was it to watch my calories instead of stuffing my face every day and making excuses as to why I couldn't lose the weight?"
Boy, did I jump on the excuse wagon.
1) I'm not as young as I used to be, I won't be able to lose the weight now.
2) My metabolism must be screwed and I'm just going to have to live with it.
3) I don't even eat that much!
4) I don't have time to exercise.
Well, my age has been no barrier in losing weight (even though I'm not that old, but I simply meant I wasn't "in my 20's" anymore). My metabolism has nothing to do with it. Yes, I DID eat too much, I just wasn't aware of how much because I wasn't paying any attention. And it's not that I didn't have time to exercise, I was just too blasted lazy.
Once I realized I was only making excuses, that helped kick my butt into gear and start doing something about it. Because, like you, I couldn't even get up out of the tub. I avoided baths because I knew once I got down there, it would be **** trying to get back up. Now I enjoy them. And, like you, I hated even going out in public and when I did I'd throw on my 'fat' clothes to hide myself. Now I slip into a pair of jeans, throw on a favorite shirt and bounce out the door.
So no, this isn't the hardest thing I've ever done. The hard part was giving myself that initial push and finding the determination and willpower. After that? Piece of cake.
I know I'm stuck and I'm used to being stuck and I also know that the closer I get to goal, the longer it's gonna take to get the rest of the weight off. It could take another year for me to lose the last 8-10 pounds. But I'm not unhappy where I'm at, so it's not bothering me all that much. It'll come off... in time. It's a heck of a lot better than 220 pounds.
I might get beat up for this () but I'm going to agree with you.
Oh, darlin', I hope you weren't referring to me! Never have you basically said, in not so many words, "If you don't do it my way, you will fail." You've always been very supportive and try to be helpful with suggestions rather than stating things in such a way that you make those who disagree with you feel inferior, and for that, I always look forward to reading your posts
Oh, darlin', I hope you weren't referring to me! Never have you basically said, in not so many words, "If you don't do it my way, you will fail." You've always been very supportive and try to be helpful with suggestions rather than stating things in such a way that you make those who disagree with you feel inferior, and for that, I always look forward to reading your posts
Aww, thank you
No, I wasn't serious about being beaten up, I was just joking
Hey LLV, what about the excuse... i just wasnt "meant" to be thin. I just wouldnt look right.
I used to tell myself that all the time. Im not at my goal but Im confident in how I look.
Hmm, no, I never used that one because all through my childhood, teens and early 20's, I was at a normal weight. Late 20's and early 30's is when I put it all on. So I was never 'fat' until I got older and literally did it to myself.
In my early 20's I started to put on some weight. Got up to around, oh, I dunno, 150 or so. And for me that was fat. I've always been in my 120's. So I starved myself to get the weight back off and busted my butt working out. I worked out every day, I couldn't sleep at night until I did my exercises. That's one attitude I lost and never got back because I hate to exercise. In fact I loathe it. I walk but that's about it. I refuse to bust my behind with avid workouts, which is why I settle for only about 1200-1300 calories a day. That's how lazy I am, I'd rather go hungry than exercise.
Just like with almost anything, it's a sacrificial trade-off. I know I could eat more if I were a heavier exerciser (like I used to be, I worked out with weights and everything) but I just don't want to make that sacrifice. Again, I walk. But that's it.
I could be wrong, I often am. BUT when I was 290 pounds, life wasn't simple.
You are NOT wrong LOL
What an inspiring message! I am going to copy it to keep!!!
And even having just been doing this for two months... and still so far to go... I would STILL say even now that life is simpler than it was 28 pounds ago!!!
Of course, I'm just kidding...and thus shines the sarcastic b**** in me 
(Misti, I am one of just many of your secret admirers! - you GO GIRL!)
) but I'm going to agree with you. 
Sorry. 