I am becoming very frrustrated!!! lol

Once I hit a 20lb loss, it seems my weight loss has slowed to a crawl and I have had 2 plateau's now, and I am on one this week.

I zig-zagg between 1300-1800 during a week and it averages to 1500'ish (give or take 30-40 calories).
I go to the gym 3-4 days a week with 45-60 minutes cardio and do 20 minutes weight training. I make sure to do HITT and to change machines plus duration every time I go so I don't get used to it.

Why has my scale forsaken me Even my tape measurer has abandoned my quest. I have had the same measurements for a week and a half.

As for food/drink:

I drink mostly water, at least 4 cups (on a bad day) and 6 (on a good day). If I have something sugary or with caffeine I just drink more water to balance it.

I eat a lot of protein (red meat, chicken, fish, eggs). As for giving up the starchy foods it's probably not going to happen but I have reduced them slightly and I don't have much sodium as I used to.

The only medication I take that hinders weight loss is Depo Provera, but I have been on it for over 3 years and I was losing weight just fine before.

I just want to hit that mini goal and it seems it's decided to kill me in anticipation.

Does anyone know how to break out of this slow loss? I want to go back to a steady 1-2lbs a week. I know the body doesn't quite work that efficiently but maybe I can put it back on track.

I think most people will suggest you start with drinking more water unless those 6 cups are very large. I'm not a big water drinker myself, but I make up for it by eating tons of juicy vegetables.

You mentioned that you drink extra water when you have sugary drinks. I have noticed that sugar makes me retain a lot of water. Don't know why, but it does. You might want to reduce sugar like some people reduce salt.

You might want to replace some of your starchy food with more vegetables. Over time, the craving for starches decrease and craving for veggies increase. Veggies have more nutrients & are more filling.

Over time, your body gets used to exercise and you burn less calories. Try to increase the intensity of your exercise. For example, at the gym increase the speed of the treadmill a little bit each week or two. Or lift heavier weights. Make sure your exercise is a bit of a challenge. You might lose weight and even better you'll get more fit and energetic.

I think you don't have to overhaul your program. Tweak it a bit and experiment. Have fun with it.

For me, shocking my metabolism helps. It may sound self-indulgent, but if my weight loss slows (or stops) I go slightly off-plan for a day or two and then get right back on it. That seems to kick start things again. There's a similar idea, calorie cycling (or carb cycling for those of us on LC) that many have reported success with. I don't do this every time I stall, though, as I just don't have the willpower to cycle all the time.

Cutting out starchy foods will definitely help. Starches raise blood sugar, which raise insulin, which locks down fat. For more information on the topic than you'll ever need, I suggest picking up a copy of Good Calories, Bad Calories. It really supports low-carbing, but most dieters could probably still get a lot of good information out of it without drinking the LC koolaid. (For a lighter version of GCBC, you may want to check out Michael Pollans In Defense of Food, which posits you need to eat "real food" instead of the fraken-chemicals available on grocery store shelves.)

Other posters on this board have reported success with adding more weight training or drastically switching up their workouts.

There are two types of calorie "cycling", from my observation. The "good" type is when people cycle higher and lower amounts of good, healthy food throughout the week. This is a sound diet.

The "bad" type of cycling is when someone is eating 1000-1200 healthy calories each day, and then 2-4 days a week they are eating 500-750 unhealthy calories on top of that--desserts, or french fries, or whatever.

The thing is, in my experience, the body needs to be running well to burn fat efficiently, and it only runs well if it is getting a good amount of healthy food. So the first thing I would do is look at your diet and make sure you are eating healthily.

The second thing I would do is check and make sure that you are counting properly--if you've shifted away from weighing/measuring everything and more towards eyeballing, or if you are slipping back into "just one bite" habits. I have a string tendency to do the latter if I do not police myself.

I am NOT accusing you of doing these things. I am saying that they are things I tend to do, and have to watch carefully.

If you are still strictly counting and eating 95% of your calories from healthy sources, I'd be patient. You are doing the right things, and the weight will come off. Sometimes weight loss is erratic.

Thank you everyone for the tips.

I just did some groceries and have bought a lot more healthier foods.

As for the starches the problem is a lot of the food my boyfriend likes is rich in it (pasta, bread). So I have to somehow incorporate it in. I will start with replacing some items with more veggies and then work from there.
I also make a lot of casseroles due to the fact I don't have a lot of time and need something I can bring to work, and these I can make in mass quantities.

I guess it is a time for tweaking. Tweak a bit of food, tweak a bit of exercise. And I think I will stop taking the ocassional nibbles. I have been bad for that lately.

It always seems to come off eventually. Longest plateau I've had was 2 week and then I had a woosh, but damn, I really wish I could go back to steady results.

I think you can compromise on meal structure with your significant other. Mine eats way more (portion-size) than I do and I've accommodated for that. If he wants to eat more bread, for example, I make extra for him and keep my bread/carb portions small. Maybe even substitute a few veggies in there as well. As far as the casseroles for lunch, make a smaller casserole and buy lettuce and olives, tomatoes, cheese or whatever you prefer on your salads. You could try alternating casseroles with salads for the week. That will reduce your carb intake and keep you satisfied - just make sure it's a large enough salad.

I love tweaking!

And in casseroles? the tweakability is almost limitless! Your fella probably won't even notice that there's more celery and zucchini but less pasta and potato.

How about healthy fats? Do you like avocado? nuts? take an omega-3?

Do you have to eat the same thing as your boyfriend every night? Maybe 3-4 nights a week he fixes his own dinner and you eat something healthy. You can still eat at the same time.

Instead of casseroles, try baking big pans full of chicken breasts. These can be chopped up, pre-portioned into single servings, and frozen just like you would a casserole. I eat these plain (seasoned), but you could dump them into a bowl of lettuce or stick between two sandwich thins.

Pretty much any time you hear yourself saying "The problem is that I have to . . .", you want to stop and reassess. Most of the time, there are ways around those things that we assume are immutable.

He pretty much refuses to cook for himself and if I don't cook for him it starts a big argument.
I would have to make two seperate meals and I don't want to spend the one hour I have a day, cooking two lunches and two suppers.

I am aware it's an issue, but I am choosing to make a sacrifice. Stress is a big issue and unwind time is very very small.

For Omega-3 I get it from eggs and fish. I hate nuts and avocado's I haven't tried, so I will pick one up to see if I like it.

Time for someone to grow up and realize you arent their mom.

You need to cook for you, if you want anything to change, you gotta be willing to change it


****And in casseroles? the tweakability is almost limitless! Your fella probably won't even notice that there's more celery and zucchini but less pasta and potato.**** - awesome suggestion!

this.

I'm not advertising....but a drink that seems to help me is Emergen-C. It's in the pharmacy section. It comes in lots of flavors. Has lots of Antioxidants, Electrolytes & B Vitamins. I can be feeling famished after an hour walk & it is a quick revive. Gives you energy! The Acai Berry is probably my favorite flavor. It's kind of an acquired taste! My Hubby doesn't like it!
I think replacing some of the starches with Veggies would probably give you a boost on losing. If you aren't eating whole wheat bread that should help too! Hang in there! The scale will start moving again!