So here I am, 8 pounds from goal, lighter than I've been in years...

I am so close, & yet there is a part of me that just feels worn out. Worn out from counting every calorie, never quite feeling full, not sharing meals with my husband b/c we are not eating the same things...just tired.

It doesn't help that I'm at that point where my weight loss has slowed to maybe a half lb/week, if I'm lucky - that feels an awful lot like maintenance, & I keep feeling like if all I'm going to do is maintain, I ought to be able to do THAT at a higher calorie level.

So I'm just having a pity party, I guess...I don't know...what would YOU do?

maybe your body needs a rest. try going in to maintance mode for a couple weeks and see how you feel? then you can always pick up your dieting again.

Yeah I think that's a pretty good idea...either maintenance mode or trying to do some calorie cycling so that you're able to eat a little more some days?

I think I would take a week or two off and just try to maintain, but have a deadline for starting up again and tacking the last 8 lbs. And then when the deadline came, I would make a strong effort to remind myself of my motivation for dieting. I'd read a couple of chapters from inspirational diet books and make a list of the reasons I'd like to lose the last few pounds. Then try to keep going and reach goal.

I know what you mean about not feeling quite full. Yesterday I had that feeling mid-day. I had about 1200 calories left for the day and guess what? I sat down and I ate them--ALL in one sitting. It felt good and I felt satiated. For some reason, a large amount of food was the only thing that could do the trick for me. 500 calories was peanut butter for crying out loud. Last night all I ate was shredded Papaya for dinner--probably under 100 calories. I wasn't hungry at all but felt like I needed more fiber and water and shredded papaya fit the bill.

I would suggest you find things you and your hubby can enjoy eating together. My hubby eats my same food but differently. I might put extra olive oil on his veggies or a pat of butter on his fish. I make his omlette with full eggs and extra cheese and ham--mine is with egg whites and ham only.

I really want to make choices I can do from now and feel really, REALLY good about. I want to do things that are sustainable and make being healthy FUN and something I want to do--not something I distain.

It sounds like you just need a rest for a couple of days and need to give some thought to what will make you comfortable and happiest.

Good luck to you!

By the way, my weight has slowed too. I take comfort in the fact that I am still losing (even if slowly) and I also take comfort in knowing that I am giving my body what it needs--whole, healthy foods that are packed with what my body recognizes, uses and turns into GOOD--not bad.

Well, after my pity party yesterday, I woke up to a 2 lb loss overnight...which was motivating! 5 lbs to go, & I don't know if I should just back off a bit (maybe I'd still get to goal with a few extra calories; the truth is, who knows what my maintenance range is?), or just put my head down & work really hard to get it over with!

Thighs Be Gone, I HEAR you on the peanut butter - I've been craving it like mad lately; I actually said to my husband last night that I was considering letting myself have all the peanut butter I wanted today & considering it an on-plan day if I ONLY ate peanut butter! And YES, I've been wanting that really full feeling!

The thing about my husband & I eating together is twofold, really. 1) he is a tiny little thing who would seriously waste away if he subsisted on what I eat. Even on the same foods in bigger portions. He has to keep his calories up, & you just can't do that well on "diet" food! 2) as far as the idea of eating together, but with our separate foods - it is just so tempting for me to be sitting across from him and his plates of pasta or cheesy goodness or pizza or what have you. It's a killer!

Hi I'm new here but I have been in the same situation before.. first congrats on getting so far down! I find that below 137 pounds it becomes harder and harder for me, and sometimes, paradoxically, "letting go" for a bit in a controlled way with a cut-off point actually gets the pounds going... like the vacation effect where you go away and have all kinds of stuff you don't normally have and then sometimes end up actually losing or maintaining. Perhaps your body needs a little mini-vacation?

linniet,

I have experienced what you are talking about I think. I had been eating ON PLAN and working out for weeks--probably 5 or 6 straight and seeing minimal results--maybe just 2-3 pounds. One of my kids was sick and hubby was traveling so I missed workouts for 3 or 4 days and ate a few things I wouldn't have normally. Within just a few days I had a big drop. I have actually had it happen twice when I was completely not expecting it.

I have not read the book but I wonder if you, Su-Bee are experiencing what they describe with Intuitive Eating.

I thought I would NEVER lose that last ten pounds and almost settled for a higher goal until someone made a 5 pound challenge. I joined in , walked more and was super careful in my choices and lost that five and a few more. I think the name of the game for me was persistance.

Thanks all for the words of encouragement!

Thighs Be Gone, I have not read Intuitive Eating either, but I must admit the concept, while it sounds great, frightens me - I'm not sure but that my body wouldn't intuit me all the way up to 200 pounds!

I understand what you mean with the small husband, mine is just a small guy too. But small men should not be eating pizza and cheezy good foods because they can get high cholesterol like the fatter people do. This is exactly what happened to my DH, he now eats the same as I do, to keep his cholesterol in check and not his weight. He hasn't lost any weight though, he doesn't need to.