So I started a thread last week, saying I was going to re-commit myself to this whole process, as I have been stagnating at 145 for a good 6 weeks now. I'm not really doing anything different than what I did to lose the first 7, so I'm a bit frustrated.

I don't like to diet (tends to lead me to binge), but just to really get a good picture of my food intake, I have been calculating the calories in my daily food journal. But not with any upper limit in mind. I've just eaten, while trying to exercise some restraint, and then added them up at the end of the day. Bit of an eye opener... over 10 days, my intake ranged from 1300 to 1900 (more or less - I'm doing this using WW points and my memory, as I have thrown out my points books). The average was 1670 per day. The eye opener part was that even when I'm eating healthy food, the calories add up bloody fast. Even for the "not really food" things, like All Bran Buds (have to have them for digestive issues), regular coffee, etc. Even fruit - a banana is 2 WW points, for the love of Pete!!

But I'm still a bit stymied.... I figured my subsistence calories (using a formula I found here) at about 1850, and I work out every day (ET says I burn between 400 and 550, depending on what I do, but I think those are a bit high - so let's say 300 calories burned off through exercise). In nice round numbers, I should be running at a deficit of about 500 a day, and [I]should[I] be losing a pound a week.

What I am doing worked fine for the first 7 pounds, but it seems to have stopped working. I'm sure lots of you have been here - I'm open to suggestions. I'm obviously not in the category of people who might want to try upping their calories. I'm getting exercise, and seem to be running a calorie deficit over the course of a week. Do I just need to be patient and wait this out? Even if I could just lose 1 pound, at this point I would find that to be so inspiring and motivating. But this sitting still is getting old.

I call bananas the bread cake of the jungle!

Well Janie ... I do think you need to be patient, but I hate when people tell me that. I'm not much good at patient.

I'm really glad you've recorded so thoroughly. Now you have something to tweak ... if you can't be patient Want some suggestions for tweaking?

Bring 'em on. I think I've already been more than patient - 6 weeks is a definite plateau. I don't have a FitDay for you to check, but the daily grind goes something like this:

B: oatmeal with craisins & skim milk OR whole grain cold cereal with yoghurt
juice
coffee

L: If I'm at home...

Soup (homemade veggie-based, like squash, sweet potato) OR half a bagel or a breakfast pita with peanut butter or lite cream cheese
Fruit - apple, banana, etc.
Maybe some raw veggies

If I'm working (because I often have to eat in my vehicle)...

homemade low-fat banana muffin (I 'fess up to about 1 T of chocolat chips in it!)
cheese string
fruit

Snack: usually All Bran Buds or Fibre 1 in some milk or l.f. yogurt, maybe some fruit if I'm quite hungry

Supper: Varies a bit - you know the family thing. I try to eat a "normal" supper and exercise portion control. Tonight, for example, will be sole, broccoli, brown rice, and a glass of milk. Other nights might be 2 pcs home-made pizza (flatbread crust - lower fat!) with salad or raw veggies, spaghetti (w.w.) and salad, roast pork, potatoes & veggies, etc.

Tweak away...I'm all ears!

Hi Janie,

I'm at work so this'll be quick. Just wanted to say I know how you feel. FRUSTRATING. I'm there too.

Some things my trainer friend keeps harping about is to change up your routine. This actually does help me. Are you doing the same exercises weekly? Maybe try switching a couple for some other form of exercise that is just as difficult. For me, I was doing cycling 3x per week and when I switched one for a free workout (usually do treadmill and rowing) and switch another one for a step class, that helped me break a plateau. Using different muscles challenges your body different and I found it helped.

Are you doing weight training as well?

I was just reading a magazine article about speeding up your metabolism. They mentioned things like: taking the stairs, stretching and yoga, eating breakfast, having protein with your lunch, etc.

If you are eating healthy foods and exercising regularly though, you may just have to wait it out. At least you know you aren't moving in the upward direction. YOu've already come a long way! congrats!

OK ... here's me ... um ... How much potato, milk, peanut butter, pasta ... ? I think I'd skrimp on those. For instance, if you are eating one cup, try 3/4 cup.
What do you think about protein powder? You could easily slip a tbsp into the muffins, the yogurt, the oatmeal. Even shaking some skim milk powder into your milk.

And I agree about the exercise and changing things up. Do you like gadgets? I love them. A pedometer, a heart rate monitor ... I have big trouble interpreting intensity so those things help me kick it up a notch.

Thanks for the suggestions...For exercise, it is mainly elliptical trainer (have one in my house) and walking. You're right, it might shake things up to hop on my bike instead of the ET once or twice per week. I don't do weights - I understand the benefits, but part of the deal in springing for the elliptical was that it would save money on a gym membership. I was doing some simple free weights, but have laid off them lately, just because I was getting bored of them. Maybe I should try some Pilates or something, too.

As for the food.... potatoes would be a half-cup serving, maybe once or twice a week. I prepare them low-fat style - whipped with a bit of skim milk, roasted, etc. Milk, I drink 2-3 cups per day, but it's skim, and not something I'm going to trim back, as I think it's important, health-wise. Peanut butter and cheese are two foods that I LOVE, and have been consciously cutting them back lately - trying to have peanut butter just once a week, and cheese maybe 2 or 3 times per week. Pasta, once or twice a week, and I buy whole wheat. You're right though - portion size isn't terrible, but it's usually more than a cup, so I know it could be reduced. As for the bread.... guilty as charged. I love breads and cereals. Couldn't do Atkins if my life depended on it. I am quite good at choosing the whole grain varieties, I do eat minimal processed carbs, but calories are still calories, and that is another place where I could do some trimming.

I've never used protein powder. I've looked at it in the store, and was frankly surprised by the calorie content. It just doesn't seem fair that things that aren't really food contain calories, does it. What is the reason for adding it to things - is it strictly from a "keep you full longer so you eat less over the course of the day" angle?

The only thing that I would say is that the tables for exercise generally and the calorie burning calculators on those machines vary wildly. My guess (and I mean guess) is that you are not burning as many calories as you think you are and your intake is around maintenance level some days. To be honest if I were you (which I'm not so feel free to ignore me) I'd be thinking that I may have to eat a little less.

I got to be quite light when I first lost weight. I was walking mega and 1200 cals was the norm. I cut cals at any cost. Surprise, surprise, 119 lbs did not stick. I did, in fact, bounce back to 152 at one point.
So I started hunting around for info on how to do that better. The maintainers were a great source of info. An interesting number of them lift weights.
While women cannot easily add pounds and pounds of muscle, doing our best to add some muscle mass can increase our basal needs for calories. That's what I decided I wanted. A body that would burn more calories instead of gradually dropping cals like some chronic dieters (and aging women) have to do.
I did a bunch of reading and studying and driving the Ladies Who Lift nuts with questions. I came to the conclusion that (for me) if I could feed muscle growth, I would do it.
It's not as simple as 'eaten protein makes muscles' but in my mind, it's something like that.
I headed for lean proteins and quickly became aware of the cost and routineness of tuna, chicken, tuna, chicken, ff cottage cheese, egg whites ...

When I first started looking at protein powders, I was like you ... 50% sugar and 43% stuff I couldn't pronounce??? For 30 bucks a can???
I went to the bulk food store. Country Bulk actually. I found plain protein powder isolates. Not much else in 'em. And half the price.
Because it has no flavour of it's own, I can throw it in anything. It's whey so it kinda froths up like a milk shake. I really rather have a frothy shake than an egg white omelet any day!

Oh another thing is that I never have eaten breakfast. The whey and a scoop of fruit is easy and even I can slug that down in the morning

I'm pretty hesitant to advise people to up calories for weight loss. I don't want to cause a ruckus ... it's just that that makes no sense to me. You would be more or less replacing carb calories with protein ones ... my favourite tweak.

To finally get around to answering your question ... yes, satiety value is part of it.
Sorry that was a bit rambling. I've had a couple interruptions and lost my train of thought (which can be weak undisturbed).

Weight training without a gym:

Squats. Stair squats. Lunges. Pushups Chair dips.

Also, if you have a few hand weights you could get Jari Love's Get Ripped DVD. It's not a cardio/weight combo. So You could do your ellipitical (maybe trying to up the intensity) and three times a week do the Get Ripped DVD or something similar. Dumbells don't cost very much and the DVD is $10.99 on Amazon. you need one set of light weights and a set of heavier weights (whatever that is for you) because she does a lot of reps.

Thanks for the suggestions. I agree - I need to cut my food intake. I think upping can be appropriate for someone who's been eating very low-cal, but that's not me. I should go back to some free weights - I was doing them, then got a bit bored, and my time is a bit limited as I work out at 6 am, and need to be done by a certain time.

A frustrating P.S. - I had a not-very-good weekend (it was a long holiday weekend up here in da true nort'.) Holiday Monday actually devolved into my first binge in absolutely ages. In terms of quantity of food, it wasn't really that bad - nothing like in my bingeing "prime". But the mindset and choice of foods was definitely set on "binge". So anyway, I weighed this morning, with great trepidation....and I was... 145. STILL. So, apparently I can have an entire weekend of not great choices (and some downright bad ones), and still end up weighing the same as when I've stayed on program all week. Grr.... most frustrating.

So, it's been back OP since Tuesday. I'm determined to see 144 (and lower) - out of sheer stubbornness, if nothing else!