I think I may have found a reason for that long slow weight loss period. I was talking to my coach about being frustrated etc and having cravings that I didnt have for the first 6 months and how my weight loss went from 3 pounds a week to 3 pounds in one month. We went thru my food journals and the only thing I did different was I started using Mio. It is a flavoring you add to your water.
I thought it was okay to use as it was zero calories, zero carbs. But it seems that any artifical sweetner (this has splenda) actually creates twice the amount of insulin in your body as regular sugar and consequently your body will store fat because of the glucose it has to produce to offset the insulin. It will also create carb cravings and that need to eat, even though you aren't hungry. Which is exactly what I have been dealing with for about 6 weeks.
So, I stopped using it as of yesterday and I will see if the weight starts to come off again.
Think twice before using "diet" products like soda and water flavorings. Perhaps that is the reason so many of us stall out after awhile. We start looking for variety and think these things are okay to use, when in reality they are making us fatter.