So, I've been calorie counting since mid-June and I've lost almost 30 lbs. It was coming off pretty well until the past month or so where it's significantly slowed to MAYBE a pound every two weeks. I think my calories are probably too low. I'd say I consume about 1200-1300 a day and I weigh 182 lbs.

I have a pretty set "plan" that I've been using which is pretty much a combination of several methods. I have a slimfast type shake(walmart brand) for breakfast and lunch at work, those are about 220 calories each, 3 grams of fat. I usually have a snack sometime during the day of about 200 calories. I come home from work and have a Lean Cuisine/Smart Ones/Healthy Choice meal, those are about 250 calories each and a dessert of about 140 calories. I take an Alli capsule with this meal at dinner also. I am a night owl, usually up til around 2am so I usually have a snack of some type in the hours between my dinner at around 6pm and bed at 2am, usually something in the 100-200 calorie range. I drink LOTS of diet soda.

I exercise nightly on a Gazelle for 30 minutes also. I should mention that I lost the first 25ish lbs without any type of exercise. The exercise is a new thing I've added in BECAUSE of the stall in my weight loss that I'm ranting about right now. Any way, I'd say for the most part, I don't *feel* deprived, I feel fine. I'm not really hungry and I feel satisfied. I am able to stick to this plan easily enough, but I'm frustrated that I was doing so well but my weight loss is still going so slowly now. I'll stay the same weight or it'll go back and forth between losing a pound and it being back the next day. I just don't see how eating MORE calories will help me lose weight, but man I need something to change. Advice?

Wendy- it was scary looking at your stats- I am 5'8 , I started at 211 in mid June and I am also at 181 ish!! I did little to no exercise to lose this weight, just ate really healthy food. I went to a nutritionist who weighs me every other week and is very motivating. I started walking about 2 weeks ago and have not been losing as quickly. The nutritionist said she believes in exercise but sees it hurting people who have been losing weekly because they feel hungrier and possibly eat more. She said it takes about a week to get over this "hunger" feeling and you need to keep your cals about the same to continue to lose. It is hard to understand because you would think exercise would only help. I hope this helps and hang in there- we have done so well!!! My Christmas present to myself is to weigh 165 around xmas time. I hope I can do it! Have a good day~~~~~Sue

I am going to recommend a few things for you:

~Do something for exercise other than the Gazelle. The Gazelle is fine, but if it is the only exercise that you ever do, then your body will become accustomed to that, and won't work as hard. Think of a walking mailman/woman. The first couple of weeks it is probably hard to walk all that way each day on their route. After a year, it is nothing to them. I recommend adding something different to your routine, such as yoga, Pilates, walking, aerobics, strength training, a dance class, ANYTHING. Just make sure that your exercise isn't the Gazelle every single day, all of the time. Your body will react better if you surprise it now and then.

~Eat cleaner. The Slim-Fast for breakfast AND lunch, and the Lean Cuisine with a dessert for dinner means eating processed foods for all of your three meals a day.
You mentioned that you are having snacks of 100-200 calories a couple times a day, but you don't say what they are. Is it something processed like a 100 calorie pack, or is it something nutrient dense like fruit or yogurt?
There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a Lean Cuisine, or a meal replacement shake, or even a low calorie dessert-but you shouldn't be living on them.
If your snacks are not whole foods like fruit, veggies, yogurt, but other low fat processed things instead...then that is something that needs to change. I didn't see any fruit, veggies, dairy, nuts, eggs, or anything like that in your menu at all.
I do have a Lean Cuisine or a meal replacement on occasion-on nights that I teach class and don't have time to eat with my family, or when I am traveling, for instance. They are great for convenience. I would recommend though, that you start branching out with more whole foods. You can have a slice of whole grain toast with a tablespoon of natural peanut butter for the same calories as a Slim-Fast.

~Try moving your calories around a bit. At 182, and having already lost 30 pounds, you don't want to move up too high, but try 1400 for a few weeks, and see how you do on that.

I also wanted to add that there is no need to take a single Alli capsule just with dinner. It is one of those things that either you should take it with all of your meals, or not at all. Especially if you are eating a Lean Cuisine for dinner, you aren't really eating enough fat at that particular meal for it to do much.

A gram of fat equals 9 calories, and if the Alli is only keeping you from digesting 3 fat grams-then it is only taking away about 27 calories a day.

I second Aphil's suggestions, spot on as always, Aphil knows her stuff.

Also you might try adding weight-lifting to your routine. It's not going to help immediately with the loss issue, but building up muscle will help you increase your metabolism over time. Also, increasing the amount of protein in your overall diet might help too (helps in making muscle, increase metabolism, etc). Is there anything in the meantime that you can focus on as a new goal instead of weight loss? 1 lb every other week is usually the best weight loss I ever see. But I focus on eating well and exercising, feeling healthier and (recently) fitting in my clothes better. If the scale follows that is a bonus, but I don't let it drive what I do.