Based on my current measurements and where I ultimately want to be, I probably have around 20 pounds more to lose and three inches off the tape measure before I reach my goal. But for the last month or so any movement downward has been glacially slow, and it seems I've plateaued.

Has anyone else who has been this close to their goal gotten stuck? Is it a common thing to happen when you near your goal? It's almost like having to start a brand-new diet all over again in order to get things to moving once more. It's incredible how my body is managing to hold onto fat with how little I'm eating and how much I'm exercising.

After the kids I always got to my high school goal, but the last 5-10 pounds on me (I'm short so maybe it would be 20 if I was taller) I have to tweak a little more, watch the processed food, no carbonation at all (meaning even carbonated water), and sometimes I upped exercise. Tea works for me, but I tend to swell (my entire female side of the family swells LOL especially summer) in the fingers and feet so the tea helps that. I'm sure others will have advice, but no I don't think it's unusual.

It's not at all unusual. The closer you get to your goal, the harder it is to create a caloric deficit. So, unless you go drastically low calorie, losing weight is going to be a much slower process. Half a pound a week is a realistic rate of loss when you're within 10-20 pounds of your goal weight.

If this is true, I don't want it to take me eight months to lose 15 pounds. I'm going to have to make some modifications to my current model of losing weight, especially if it's in my ability to control it. Unfortunately, it's probably going to be a reduction in calories for me to make it happen.

I am at 178 now and trying for 150 and have noticed a drastic slow down/halt in my weight loss. I am a little surprised actually. I was expecting to retain my pace for another 10 pounds to get me out of the obese BMI category. I am trying to figure out how to improve my micro nutrients and alter my exercise and see how it goes.

I am also wondering if my metabolism has slowed during this process. My numbers indicate that I should still be loosing about a pound and a half a week. I am eating right at my BMR.

So, yes, all of that to say that yes....the process does slow when you get closer to your goal.

Well what is the alternative? It takes you eight months to lose fifteen pounds or... You never lose another pound? Is that what you'd prefer?

You either eat to maintenance and stay where you are, throw your hands up and gain weight back, or continue on down the scale, however slowly it changes. The choice is entirely up to you, but when faced with slow progress on the scale vs. none at all or the wrong direction? I'll take half a pound per week, thanks!

It's not fun when it's a slow slog, but surely it is better than the alternative?

There is a third choice you didn't mention. The solution is quite easy - drop my calorie intake and learn to discipline myself not to binge.

It all comes down to do I want that extra bit of food more or to lose more than .5 pound a week? I want the latter.

I know for myself, if I rely on self discipline to get me through a drastically reduced caloric day/week, I will fail miserably. I simply can't sustain functioning below 1200 calories per day - and 1200 is the lowest I ever go in my calorie cycling. The hunger will overwhelm me and I'll end up binging on far more calories than I would have consumed at 1500-1800 in a planned way. I completely get how frustrating it is to lose the last 20 at a snail's pace - that's where I'm at too. However, keeping an eye on the big picture, the important thing is that we are losing and we are doing so without punishing ourselves.

Well, you haven't done it yet! Hemming, hawwing, and posting about it on a support board makes me think it isn't something you're mentally ready to do or you'd have done it already and with much less ado

Binge tendencies are about more than discipline issues, don't kid yourself. When you're close to goal, especially if that is a fairly low weight for your frame, you simply cannot drop the calories far enough, long enough, and consistently enough to shed pounds more speedily. Your body needs nutrition and beyond a certain point you are going to be pounded with a hormonally dictated physiological cascade that is driving you to eat substantively and oftentimes beyond, in the frantic heat of the moment it almost always turns into a binge. Willpower is all well and good, but having a sensible enough expectation for your body that you aren't pitting your mind against your body to the point of one of them snapping - I'd say that is much more wise.

Ah! But how much is she eating now ? I seem to recall from another post that it wasn't close to the 'magic' 1200 number. Lots of people reduce calories when they approach goal weight. Her plan might be very reasonable and healthy. And without knowing her exercise plan, it's possible that tweaks could make a difference. Is it just steady state cardio? HIIT could be helpful. Adding weight training could be helpful. Just waiting it out doesn't seem like the only possible positive option.

I'm so with you on that. Like you, I was really surprised how difficult it has become. I consistently lost 10 lbs a month for 5 months and then, BAM, I only lost 1lb. It was very hard to deal with and the only thing I changed was one extra cheat meal. after 2 1/2 months of this dreaded plateau, I continued what I was doing, stayed on track and finally the scale moved again. Some people can have their occasional cheats and still lose, but i'm definitely not one of them so my advice to you is to stick with it no matter what, lessen any binges and give your body time to figure it out again. I completely know your frustration, good luck

When I was within 20 pounds of my goal, it took me 5 months of eating healthy, excerising daily, and just taking care of my body to hit my goal. I guess our bodies just naturally struggle to get those last few pounds off. Have you adjusted your calorie intake since dropping from your high weight? Changed up your excerise intensity? If you have, and your sure your doing everything right, then don't worry and it'll come off. Pacience

Tricon7 is a guy as far as I know.

Tricon - assuming you're a guy - are you lifting weights yet? As I recall you're not but you're riding a bike around.

If you're not lifting weights now is the perfect time to start.

If you are lifting weights than you might want to consider an more disciplined program than the calorie counting you're doing now.

Ultimate Diet 2.0 is a seven day cycle which involves muscle glyogen depletion workouts and a weekly controlled carb binge which might suit you better. Most people with 15-20 lbs to lose can drop about 2lbs of fat a week on the program.

Right, I workout about four times a week with weights.

I'll see if I can find something the Ultimate Diet you mentioned. Thanks.

Perfect. It is a Lyle Mcdonald program and on his support site you can take a look at the logs.

This particular guy is the reason I started reading Lyle Mcdonald's stuff in the first place.