I am so frustrated!!!! I have been losing and gaining the same three pounds since October of last year!!! Mind you, I have lost over 60 pounds. But I still have about 15 to get to my goal (155). In an attempt to do this, I joined boot camp at my gym and have added long bike rides and have been journaling and really counting points.

The scale will not move!!!! I am so tired of people saying, "it's muscle." or how about, "Maybe you should re-evaluate your goal." WTH???? How about that body mass index chart??? How about I be healthy according to all of the national standards? How about that???? UGGG!!! I read the sticky about plateau busting ideas. Not sure if I am not doing any of those already.

Anyway, just had to get this off my chest. Even DH has thrown up his hands and can't offer any encouragement. I WILL NOT STOP. I WILL NOT GIVE UP. I am just pissed!

Phew!! There, that feels better. Thanks for "listening."

Good for you!!!

I have absolutely no advice for you It sounds like you've got it all under control anyway.

Just hang in there because you are healthier for it!

Congrats on your successes to date!

have you considered either upping your points or trying core for a few weeks?

I have thought about upping the points. It is just hard to do mentally. However, I have not thought about doing core for a bit. Perhaps that may be worth a go. I have decided to stay off the scale other than my weekly weigh ins. I go tomorrow night. I won't see my weight again until the following Tuesday. If still no change, I will give core a shot. Thanks for the suggestion. That's a good one and one nobody has offered up until now.

First off relax about the Body Mass Index --- it does not correctly reflect a healthy standard if you have a larger muscle mass to fat mass ratio. What you need done is Body Fat Measurements.

I have a friend who it says she is obese but she is a size 8 (5'9" tall) and she lifts weights and is in competition. She is not obsee but has a large muscle mass ratio.

I upped my calories last week and noticed I started losing an extra pound a week. I was consuming 1200 a week and upped them to 1250-1300. It killed me to up the calories but I figured I would give it a try and so far it has been working. I was losing 2 pounds a week and have lost 3 pounds a week the last 2 weeks. This may work for you as well!? Just a thought! Keep up the good work!!

I know it ticked you off, but the suggestion to revise your goal (hold on, don't panic or bite my head off) TEMPORARILY. Trying to maintain your current weight for a while isn't a terrible idea. Especially, if you're frustrated enough to feel demotivated to the point of wanting to give up (after all 171 is a better goal than the 233 plus you could end up at if you gave up).

Letting your body get used to this weight for a while, allows you to learn maintenance skills (you already have dieting skills), and changing the focus will reduce the stress you are feeling over your lack of success (because by your new definition you are completely successful). Stress supposedly makes weight loss more difficult, so reducing your stress level over this, no matter what you decide can't hurt.

Also, by becoming comfortable with the level of dieting and exercise needed to maintain this weight, you can take the time to re-evaluate what you are willing to do, in terms of reducing your calories, or increasing your exercise to take it to the next level.

Try the Wendi plan?

So I weighed in tonight. Down 1.6!!! YES!!! Finally!!! Not a huge loss but when I am down to the last 15 I will take anything over 1. Thank you for all your kind words and suggestions. After this site and complaining to anyone who would listen around me the general reccomendation is to take in a few more calories (or in our case points). Thanks again, Amy

Not a huge loss?! It's 1% of your current weight, when most of the expert recommendations are that you should attempt to lose no more than 1/2 to 1%per week. Research suggests that this both minimizes side effects (like metabolism slowing, hanging skin and gallstones) and is associated with more permanent weight loss. Those that lose it the fastest, put it on the fastest.

Your comment of taking anything over 1, implies that anything less than 1 doesn't count to you. Why not?

I don't understand....what would you suggest she eat more calories? Wouldn't that make you gain weight and not lose it? I may be naive here... I just don't understand.

I had the same 3 pounds go on and off all through April and it was very hard. There was one week I did awesome and I still gained the 3 pounds back. I just kept with it and the scale is moving again.

I'd love to know what you think of core if you decide to try it.

And by the way, losing 60 pounds is AWESOME!! You go girl!!

The theory is that if you eat too few calories, your body goes into starvation mode, and slows your metabolism to keep you from starving. The Wendi Plan (a way to use your WW points) mixes up the daily point (calorie) count so that the amount of food you eat fluctuates from day to day, the theory being that this helps weight loss more than eating the exact same amount of food every day.

People don't always agree whether these techniques work, at least for everyone, but so many of the people who have tried them have had success breaking a plateau with them, they're definitely worth attempting.

Oh...thanks! So the Wendi plan is the OLD way... like I used to get 18-23 points a day, and now I get 20?

No...there is a sticky (at the top of WW General) about the "Wendie plan"...it is worth reading! Basically, it is a plan that a 3FCer came up with after she noticed that she lost more weight during weeks where she had a high day and some low days. So the Wendie plan is made up of a super high points day, high points days, and low points days. So for example, I get 29 pts per day. On my super high day I could have 43-46 pts, and then on my low day I would have my normal 29 pts. I would not get the 35 flex points, though.

I tried it for a few weeks, but had a hard time keeping track of which day it was! LOL! I would read the sticky though...some VERY good info!!!! Plus she explains it better than I ever could!

Actually she came up with the Flex Plan before W/W. She took the total points and based everything on the minimum a day and figure days for lower points and higher points and a super high day.