I need advice, folks.
For the past month, I've been eating 1200-1400 calories most days (usually closer to 1200), walking at least two miles every day, and, for the past two weeks, adding on 30 minutes of cardio six days a week. For a while, I was losing steadily and dropped about ten pounds in the first few weeks. This was more than I'd expected, as I'd really only been aiming to lose about a pound a day. Now, all of a sudden, I've stopped losing. For the past week, the scale has been at pretty much the same spot. I think I may have even *gained* a little bit. What's going on?
Just FYI, I'm 5'3 and currently hovering around 135/136. I'd like to get down to 125. Am I maybe experiencing that "last ten pounds" slowdown people talk about?
Perhaps it is the last few pounds hurdle, perhaps it's maybe cos you're not actually eating ENOUGH! Try upping your calorie intake 100 or 200 cals, so that your body doesn't go into starvation mode. You shouldn't drop below your RMR ( resting metabolic rate) when you are trying to lose weight otherwise your body just goes into starvation mode. You can google RMR and get all the calculators for it, so you know how much you'd burn if you sat on your behind all day!
Maybe try mixing up the workouts, try swimming, or a class you like or weight training. Also give yourself a day or two off a week to let your body rest and repair itself.
Weight loss can be weird. I stick to my diet all last week, and gain a pound. I take the weekend off, eat a few high calories meals, graze, and don't exercise, and I lose a pound and a half.
I think it really is key to look at the long term overall progress you are making, not sweating the day to day or even week to week stuff.
Thanks for the support, everyone! I guess I'll just wait and see what happens. In the meantime, I'm eating very healthfully, with lots of low-fat, vitamin-rich foods, and I don't feel particularly deprived, so I might as well stick with my current eating plan (though maybe I will add some calories) and focus on getting stronger and fitter through exercise.
One thing you might want to try is actually adding more fat (the good type, not saturated) to your diet. I don't know if it's true, but I heard that if you don't take in enough fat that your body will hold on to all the fat it's got. As far as I know, olive oil is a great source of "good" fats, and so are fish and nuts. I've been plateauing on and off for months now, so I know there's no good solution, but adding a little more fat and drinking a whole lot of water seems to be working for me right now. My calorie breakdown in the past has been about 70% carbs, 20% protein, and 10% fat, and I'm trying to change it to 60% carbs, 25% protein, and 15% fat or something like that (upping your fat intake is harder than it looks when you've been eating low-fat for so long!).
It seems you are going through what stops most people from losing weight. What happened, is that your body needs more than 1200-1400 calories a day. And where goes your body to absorb the remain calories? fat, yes, good, you lost some, but muscle as well. By doing that your body will be needing less calories as days pass by. Our body is a machine that "gets used" to things, so in order to survive with your diary intake, it will transform itself in order to need only 1200 calories, or even less (that explains weight gain).
That's funny, you said exactly what I would say some years ago. I exercised 6 days a week, and my diary intake was around 1200-1400. And I reached that damn point where we get stuck.
So in order to speed up your metabolism again you should get the muscle back.
Like 2frustrated said, add some 100, 200 calories to your diet and work your muscles before the cardio. Add some more protein to your diet and reduce carbohydrates (replace some).
What might happen at first is some weight gain, but that's the only healthy way to unstuck your weight. Your body will get used to 1600 calories again and won't be needing to consume muscle, only fat. This process is slower than starving yourself, but works.
sigh...the scale is stuck
This was more than I'd expected, as I'd really only been aiming to lose about a pound a day. Now, all of a sudden, I've stopped losing. For the past week, the scale has been at pretty much the same spot. I think I may have even *gained* a little bit. What's going on? 
