So, I am hardcore, without a doubt plateaued, and I know it's all my own fault. I have been stuck at 160 (down from 210) for months now, and I just CANNOT find the motivation to drop this last 25 lbs. It's killing me, because I'm still extremely unsatisfied with how I look, but every time I start counting the calories over again, I give up within 3-4 days. The will power just isn't there anymore for some reason, and I cannot figure out what the difference is! The hardest part is that I generally don't eat more than 1400 calories a day even when I'm being extremely lax, and so it scares me to think how low I have to drop calories to lose weight now. Just don't know what to do, and I feel completely helpless whereas before it seemed like I had things down to a perfect science.

I wouldn't drop calories, I am pretty close to your height and I maintain on 1400 calories. Are you actually counting your calories or estimating ? I find when I try to guess I am consuming more calories than I think. Do you use a lot of salt in your food ? Do you exercise ? Just some questions for you to think about.

I think you're giving up because your plateau has you angry, but not angry enough to do something about it...angry enough to throw in the towel and think the negative thoughts (i.e. why bother..., etc.).

I suggest you write up yourself a simple plan. Pretend you're going to the spa and they will prepare your meals for you. Those meals will be to healthfully nourish your body and drop a few pounds on the scale. They won't necessarily be about the eating experience. Utilitarian meals. AND, you have no choice but to eat them. Period.

For instance, breakfast will be cereal, fruit, milk. Or an egg, toast, tomato juice. Yogurt, fruit, light granola. Banana, peanut butter, 1/2 english muffin. Try to keep breakfasts at 200 calories. You know what you like to eat...put it into your plan.

Morning snack. Fruit. Period. 1 whole or 1 cup fruit salad.

Lunch. Salad, protein (chicken/tuna/cheese/beans), light dressing. or 1 can Progresso soup. or cottage cheese and sliced tomatoes/cucumbers. A whole wheat tortilla wrap with protein and veg. <---that sort of thing. Eat it. Get it over with. You have to get that mind set.

Afternoon snack: Fruit, or 1/2 granola bar or 1/2 cereal bar, or a large glass of V8 or a skim milk latte ... Whatever you choose, make it around 50 to 80 calories.

Have some skim milk in your coffee/tea throughout the day. Make sure you have some fat also, at least 2 teaspoons during the day. It could be butter on your toast or oil to cook dinner but don't skip it. Your body needs it.

Dinner is where you get to enjoy your meal and have some leeway. 1 plate of whatever dinner is, and hopefully it will contain protein, veg and starch. If it is pizza, so be it--1 slice accompanied by a salad. It can be a baked potato from Wendies with a chili atop and a salad. It can be a meatball and a cup of spaghetti with some cooked veg on the side. It can be a porkchop and rice and veg pilaf. Whatever it is....one plate.

Weekends, while not a free-for-all, don't have to be so strict.

When you see the scale moving, you'll be happier. You'll be re-energized.

Write yourself up a plan that is doable, that takes the focus OFF the food and the eating, and think about putting that plan into action. Don't get mad and give up on your efforts....get mad and sink your heals in to get that scale moving again!!!

Good luck.

I just notice you posted this too long ago, but if you still need help...here's my advise. Stop counting calories...count carbs. Eating excess carbs is what creates need fats...so by counting calories your body is just maintaining the weight, but is not letting your body burn the fat that is left behind. Ideal Protein is excelent...and results are typical...but is not cheap. You can also read "The Powe of your Metabolism". Will help you understand your body so you can loose weight. Is really a very good book.

Hope this helps you!

I have definitely found that counting carbs helps. It reduced cravings tenfold, but then I would slip and have something carby once, and it would all fall to **** : \. My biggest issue is resisting temptation...because, let's face it, when you've been dieting for an entire year, even certain diet foods start to have binge/overeat potential.

I think any sort of mental trickery that others use might be to my benefit, since portion control is a much bigger factor than the food itself (I still eat extremely healthy...just not little enough to lose weight, it seems)

What I have found that has worked, though very slowly, for me, is having a very light breakfast (if any at all, I know it's against conventional wisdom but it works for me.) also a light lunch, or just small snacks throughout the day, and then pretty much whatever I want without it being a huge binge at dinner time with a pre-bedtime snack if I feel I need it. In addition I have started counting my exercise on fitocracy. Again, conventional wisdom says losing weight is a lot about diet, but my body says otherwise. I gained this weight by cutting back on an hour ro an hour and a half of exercise per week. My eating habits did not change. Taking it off has been as slow as putting it on, but it's happening, and putting exercise back in my plan has had a lot to do with it! And not just cardio, I'm strength training as well because stronger muscles = faster metabolism.

~Katy

What does an average day's menu consist of for you?

Breakfast:
Nuts- 250-300 cals depending on how much I pack
coffee w/milk-50

Lunch:
Big salad w/ plenty of beans, veggies, little or no cheese, no dressing- 350
Tea w/ agave-50

Dinner:
Protein-250
Veggies, sprinkled with parm and cooked in a little OO-100

snack:
Piece of fruit or an egg-~100


My diet is pretty darn good, so I know it must be activity level...but geez, not losing at 1200? Or even 1300 if I splurged on my snack.

You may be right. I might have to cut down my breakfast from 300 cals to maybe 200, and keep the rest of my meals the same. It seems my body is maintaining at a pretty low number of cals, so I might just have to drop it a little lower to get things moving again.

I'm in the same spot as you admittedly. I've plateaued for the past two months (or losing and regaining the same 2-3 pounds). I feel your pain as I'm struggling to find the motivation too; but I'm upping my exercise (adding minor strength training) and hoping this may eventually be the thing I need to kick start the loss.

Considering you're eating at about 1200 calories a day, mind if I ask how much exercise you're doing? If it's more than 30 minutes worth of cardio or decent/moderate strength training then I would suggest actually upping your calorie intake - or at least cycle your calories a wee bit (eat a bit more on the day you exercise - say 1500, then restrict on your off days - say 1200.) If you lose, yay! If not you can always go back or try something else.

At this point we can't do anything but experiment yet again. :/

It sounds like you've worked really hard doopdoop. I find you have to switch things up every once in awhile to keep yourself motivated. Like buying a new book on nutrition. Or trying a new excercise program. I just started running 2 months ago and love it. Maybe grab a new workout dvd. I've heard alot about this "pink method" diet program and it looks excellent. I think I'm going to purchase one. anyway. If you're just counting calories everyday it gets repetitive. Do something you've never done before, you might just love it.

I might try regimented calorie cycling. It's one of the few things I haven't really done, and from what I'm hearing it works pretty well. And yeah, I have not been able to stick with my strength training, so staying on top of that 3x a week with my cardio might help. Right now, I do 30 mins of elliptical 4x a week, but I have a very sedentary day as I work at a computer for 8+ hours.

A 50lb loss in just a few months is a huge (and commendable ) change. I'd bet your body is adjusting. I would give it 3 more months before getting overly concerned.

Try switching up your exercise routine. Whenever I've stalled, switching it up has helped me move past it.

In fact you should vary your routine each time you go to the gym. Doing the same exercise over and over becomes less effective after a while.

I worked in a sedentary job too. Make an extra effort to get up and walk around if you can every so often (I usually had to do this because I can't stay still )

I lost almost 60 lbs with WW last year and stalled out last fall and have struggled exactly like you're saying for an entire year. I would track, but it would only last a day or two because I'd eat so many things I wasn't supposed to. I'd already read all the books, it's the time of year that exercise is difficult (I love to exercise outdoors - a gym or dvd just doesn't do it for me, but it's too cold to take my kids with me now and my dh exercises after work so it's either early in the morning when it's freezing cold or after everyone is in bed when I am tired and have too many other things I need to be doing). I've gained weight in 5 lb increments over the past year - usually it's every time my parents come to visit I gain 5 pounds. And they stick. Otherwise I'm pretty stable. Even coming to these boards didn't help. I was just in a slump and couldn't get out.

This week WW updated their points and I went back to a meeting (I had checked in monthly through August which was a year from when I reached lifetime) and of course I had to pay because I hadn't been there and I was two pounds over my official goal (I put it at the top of my range so I have flexibility). Last year when the new plan came out I thought that would help my slump, but it didn't. But going back this week seemed to make something click. I've been on plan all week. I've only exercised once - just a half hour of yoga vs an hour of walking as is my custom. I've actually stuck with it long enough this time to actually lose something and I totally feel like I'm back in my groove again.

So all I can say is treat it like a chance to practice maintenance. You may simply need a break. I've learned a lot about maintenance in the last year, and I've learned that I really do like being slim. I've matured a lot. Now I'm finally back in the groove that was so easy for me last year and it's easy again. Obviously I'm ready for it.

So hang in there - this, too, shall pass. Relax, take a deep breath. Be grateful for how far you've come. Don't let go of what you have achieved. And you'll know when you're ready to get started again.