Hello everyone! So, I started South Beach in February. I lost 20 pounds in 3 months. Then life got too busy with events to make sure I always had on plan food around, so I combined SB with calorie counting. I eat SB most of the time, but if I want something off plan, I make sure I stay within my calorie limits. Now that I'm within 10 pounds of my ideal weight, I am having a lot of trouble losing.

I've been keeping a food journal for the past month, again eating mostly SB foods (protein, veg, lean meats and cheeses, nuts, 1 fruit per day, 1 serving whole grains per day). I was eating 1000 to 1200 calories per day with one non-counted off plan day on the weekend and one 500 calorie day on Monday. I exercise for an hour per day (a good paced walk) 5x per week. However, I really haven't lost much in weeks now. I keep going up and down the same pound or 2. I've considered increasing my calories to 1300-1400 every day (adding more protein) and removing the 500 cal day and cheat day thinking perhaps the 1000 to 1200 aren't enough on a daily basis and my metabolism was too low. Anyone have any suggestions? I'm in no rush to lose weight anymore. I just want to concentrate on getting as healthy and fit as I can as I lose these last 10 or so pounds and transition into a permanent healthier me. Thanks!

Do you drink 8glasses of water? Do you take any medicine? Does your body pain? You may be having water retention.
Otherwise also, it is hard to loose weight after 140lbs. You may also try weight training, some times change in the workouts help.

When was the last time you took a REAL DIET BREAK? ie; a week or 2 eating at or ABOVE maintenance? That could be just what your body needs to reset its falling and out of whack hormones from neing in a deficit for so long.. the general recomendation.. if fairly oer weight or more, you need a break every 12 weeks. If already "leean"ish and trying to drop stubborn fat, you need to break every 8 weeks.... a break is ONE FULL week of eating ABOVE maintenece. Yes, you will gain alittle weight, and it will be 99% waer weight that comes right back off within a week or 2...... its taking one step back to take two steps forward.

Google Re-feeds, diet breaks, leptin levels, metabolic adaptation

I do not take any medications, and most days I consume plenty of water.

The last time I took a break was about 3 weeks in June. For the first week I suprisingly did NOT gain weight over vacation. But I soon slipped into old habbits and gained a couple pounds before resuming calorie counting and healthy eating. We went on vacation and I didn't pick right back up when we got back.

I do probably need some strength training. For months I was walking on my treadmill at a decent speed. That got too easy so I started walking outside (more difficult) and jogging every few laps, but not for too long. I notice my muscles feel it more when I walk outside, especially with inclines and declines. A few people have told me it looks like I've lost more weight, even though I haven't. So, perhaps I have built a little muscle. But you are both right that I probably need more strength training.

I've looked up my calorie requirements and I was eating at the extremem fat loss amount, and losing nothing. That's why I was thinking of upping to 1300-1400 daily. Any thoughts on that versus the 1000-1200 per day with one day "off" and one day at 500 cals? Could eating a higher amount daily be more conducive to weight loss?

Have you tried calorie cycling? I used to more ridigly follow it and I got down to my goal weight without really plateauing. I have had a hard time doing it this time around but it really helped keep my weight loss going.

I have tried calorie cycling. No noticable difference, but thank you.

How long are you walking at a given clip, and do you know how many calories you're burning? I was eating 1200-1300 and doing 20 minutes of a light jog or 30-day shred, which amounted to only about 150 calories burnt, and I plateaued. I increased my calories to 1300-1400, no change, but when I doubled my calorie burn I started to lose again. Always make sure you're drinking plenty of water! I fill up an Aquafina bottle and make it a goal to drink two full bottles before lunch and another 1 to 1.5 bottles before I go home from work!

I will up the water. It couldn't hurt.

Inside on a treadmill, I walk about 3.8 miles per hour. Outside I walk a bit slower, about 3.4 miles per hour, but I walk 4 miles total regardless of whether or not I'm inside or outside. I probably need to shake things up a bit too.

Hi! I have similar stats to yours and losing weight at this point is a slow go. When you say that you haven't lost much in weeks, what numbers are we actually talking here (weeks)? It wouldn't be abnormal to lose less than a pound a week, and it's easy to have that camoflaged for a few weeks with water retention.

Well, after 3 weeks off in June I went from 143 to 145. After a couple weeks watching what I eat again the weight was coming off again.

On July 13th, I was at 144.0. July 20th I was 142.0, down to 140.6 on July 22nd. Back up to 142 on Aug 2nd. 141 .6 since this past Friday. I keep going up and down the same pound or two. I can't seem to break 140.

Well, the trend is down, and if you treat July 22 as a fluke, all the others are down week-over-week. You lost 2.4 pounds in a month, which is pretty normal for the last ten pounds for a lot of people. And sometimes people have bad weeks, or even bad months. My weight is up this week over last, and I've been perfectly on program.

Some folks retain water in the summer heat, so that could be playing a role. Or there could be some seasonal variation in your diet... you eat more (whatever) in the summer which may also cause more retention.

When I've gone through rough patches (and it's happened to me a number of times; I've been up and down the last ten pounds a lot, unfortunately), I've just stuck it out and things have always sorted themselves out.

If you do stay the course and keep having trouble with the scale, a lot of folks claim to have success with increasing their calories (to "shock" their bodies out of starvation mode). I don't have personal experience with this, but it might be worth trying.

I think you are far too low on your caloric intake.

http://www.sheerbalance.com/nutritio...n-calculators/

You also might benefit from shorter, more intense workout sessions. Doing interval training on the treadmill and adding in some weight and/or resistance band training or pilates or yoga... something to build muscle and tone.

I will say that I have had "stalls" that frustrated the dickens out of me and I would do what sounded like nutty advice to me, namely increasing calories by 20% or so and increasing intensity, but not duration, of my workouts, and I would have a corresponding drop on the scale later. On average I have lost 2.5lbs per week and I am training myself to look at that rather than my weekly number to assess my progress. So shaking things up on a regular basis does work.

In fact, I just had a "blow out" day today on the advice of my diet coach and for some really weird reason I am weighing LESS this evening than I did this morning. (ate at maint level and did 2 short, intense cardio and weight sessions of 20 minutes per session) Tomorrow I may blow up the scale, but I know that, based upon my experience the last 2 times I gave in and took what turned out to be totally excellent, although counterintuitive, advice, that I will have a "woosh" next week as my reward. Hey, if you look through the Labor Day Challenge thread you will see me having hissy fits over my stalls so you are not alone in experiencing this kind of frustration!

hth

Thank you all so much! It's nice to hear I'm not alone and get some great suggestions to keep the weight coming off. I am definitely upping my calories to 1400 rather than the 1000 to 1200 I was doing. I am also going to increase the intensity of my workouts while keeping the big picture in mind.

I 2nd/3rd whatever upping the calories or trying to calorie cycle again. I am also curious why your goal weight is at 129?

What is it that you want those last 10lbs to do for you? If your wanting to be a certain size/shape/toned etc why not just start a regular weight training routine to try to change the shape of your body at the weight you are now?

I also think you should change up your workout routine. Trying a class or riding a bike or something for a few days a week mixed in with your walking but start weight lifting routine as well and I think one of two things will happen. 1. you will loose weight or 2. your body will change and you will be happy with the 140's!