Alright, so those of you who know me know that I have been on the boards since the last week in August 2010. In the first 6 months I lost 58lbs. It was amazing, it fell off of me like melting cheese! My body is tight and I have great endurance.

The problem is...the last 20 is taking FOREVER to come off. I think I can admit that part of the problem was me getting complacent. Loving my "new" body so much and feeling so much more confident that I just enjoyed it. We also moved into a new place during the past month so that didn't help.

Mind you, I've still been going to the gym during all of this 4-6x a week.

This week I decided to try something new. I am no longer in Boot Camp and now working out on my own. I am going to try HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) for 15 minutes a day and then do 30 more minutes of long term jogging. Not to mention continue doing my 30minute 3x a week strength training. I love my firm body and I'm not giving that up....I LOVE strength training

anyway...the problem is...if this doesn't work I dunno what to do!!!

SO, my question is, to those of you who have been there and done that, gotten down to your goal weight...did you find that at some point you hit a plateau that you just couldn't break through? Losing 0.4-0.6 pounds a week is unacceptable to me at this point. It's driving me INSANE! Summer is right around the corner and I need to GET IT TOGETHER! Any help is appreciated!!! Advice on exercise, eating etc!

I've already tried the "eating more calories and giving my body a break" routine...so that didn't work. I didn't gain but I didn't lose.

I know it might not be what you want to hear, but it just might not come off in that quick way that you lost before. From what everyones saying, and even from what I've experienced/am experiencing.... those last 20 just take longer. It makes sense why, though. I lost my first 60 in like 9 months. It's taken me over a year to lose the last 20. I'm okay with that though, because my body is adjusting a lot easier and naturally... settling well, so to speak. So don't get too upset about it.... it might just be for your own good!

Still, don't give up! But don't hold it against yourself too much... cos we're all in that boat!

I don't know anything about your history but you mention the exercise you're doing but not the calories you're consuming.

As I'm sure you know - a caloric deficit is how fat loss happens. The exercise you're doing is good for you but really doesn't burn that many calories at your height and weight.

I'd say a pound a week is realistic for the next 10 lbs. After that - who knows ... you might only be able to lose a lb every two weeks.

By the way - in most cases a break isn't designed to cause weight loss - although it sometimes can help the body release water. A break is designed to help reset your hormones and bring up your BMR which gets depressed a bit due to dieting.

@Krizstyling, well firstly congradulations on loosing 58lbs. The last few pounds are always the hardest to loose; you have to watch your calorie intake and intensify your exercise program. And have a bit more patience, all the best...

JohnP - Thanks! Those seemed to be some reallllllllly helpful tips! For the record, I eat anywhere between 1300-1500 calories a day.

I'm hoping this HIIT and me adding a few more veggies to this plan will help me see a drop next week. Thanks for giving me the 411 on the pound a week!

The beginning is always the easiest. I found I was stuck in the 160's forever and I was working out, but inches were falling off of me. I actually stopped working out (most likely lost all the muscle I gained) but the scale numbers were dropping. (and the last two months I've been pretty much just doing it with diet) I'm now down to my last 10 pounds finally I don't count calories and I'm not really strike I know what to eat and what not to eat and when I do eat junk I do it in moterations. I find when I'm not obsessing the weight shreds off me no problem. I'm eating a lot more fruits and veggies and going to the washroom regulary now that I've incorped so much more greens in my diet. I'd say switch things up try something different and then the weight will start coming off. Once your body get's used to something, your body will stay where it's at until you trick it into doing something else. Good Luck!

Kriz,

Have you visited the featherweights section of the forum? It might help to read about how others are doing with a smaller amount of weight to lose.

We are in the exact same boat right now. Despite my ticker, which I just don't want to reset (!!), I am 5"4' and today 155.8 pounds. Of course to my credit I am just coming off a break like you and John talked about. Yesterday was my first day back, and not a day too soon!!

So no advice, just sympathy. It's nice to know you're not alone. I got to 144 and was just thrilled. 155 feels just awful. I can't believe what these last 5 pounds have done and I can't wait to get them off again! I really hope it's just water and that it will fall off.

We seem to have started here at 3FC around the same time...and lost about the same amount of weight too!

That said...I too was sailing through those pounds up until I hit the 150's. I went from losing 8-10 lbs/month to losing 4-5 lbs/month. The last 20...maybe not as hard as the last 10, but you can expect to lose between 1-2 lbs/week. You may need to ramp up the intensity to your workouts. If you workout 30 mins...increase to 45 mins or better yet...an hour! Keep your calories on the higher end while you do this or you could stress your body.

Oh yes...and speaking of stress...you sound a bit stressed/anxious. This actually releases hormones into the body that actually work AGAINST fat loss efforts. RELAX. Try to accept that this could take months yet, and embrace your new body as it is. Eventually, the weight will come off as you wish....but patience and a cheerful, relaxed attitude is often helpful to weight loss efforts....I guess that's why I am...and have been since day 1 a JOYFULLOSER! on your MAJOR LOSS...Gotta luv the new bod already...eh?

I second the relaxed attitude, it will come off if you just keep trying. It took me about 6 months to lose the last 20lbs (still got tiny bit to go), and the changes really start to show then so even if you're losing less slowly you will feel the difference. I have not been able to lose without 3 hard 60mins aerobics sessions and 40mins daily walks per week in around that weight range.

You are going to have to watch your calories (assuming that you are a calorie counter). When I got stuck I bought a food scale so I could measure more accurately and the remaining 10 flew off right after.