I cannot lose weight. From 2007 to 2008 I lose 80+ pounds and maintained that loss until 2012, when I got pregnant. Gained 50 pounds in spite of continuing to eat well and working out. Lost at first afterward and now weigh 157. I WANT to weigh 147, which is what I weighed when I got pregnant.

But I'm stuck. I haven't lost a pound in 6 months. I've dropped my calories to 1300 a day. Nothing. Raised them to 1500-1600 a day. Nothing. I work out 5 days a week. Nothing. I've said screw it all and gone off plan for several days to "shock" my body. Nothing.

I am beyond frustrated.

Mindi, your baby is beautiful. I don't know how to help you with the weight loss. I do know the less you have to lose is the hardest. I thought I would never lose the last ten and nearly gave up but I persisted and it finally came off. My only suggestion would be to continue the low calorie and exercise and don't give up.

Thanks! Laney is a handful for sure, but we think we will keep her

I am just sooooooo hungry on 1300 a day with working out. Like I'm snapping everybody's heads off and run down and sleepy all the time. I'm not sure if I can keep it up too long because it isn't sitting well with me, you know?

On myfitnesspal they have you "eat back" workout calories, and I even tried that. Nothing. I even ate maintenance calories for the weight I want to be. Zero.

Are you breastfeeding?

I completely understand why you would be frustrated. I was wondering though if you only use the scale as a tool to check your progress? Have you taken before photos? Have you taken measurements? Can you check a pair of jeans and if they fit now? I ask because with all of your efforts, it's possible that you're just toning up and gaining lean body mass, but losing adipose tissue (fat).

Have you tried drinking more water? Are you eating enough protein?

You clearly know what you're doing with weight loss....but you are super close to goal which makes it a lot harder, as someone else mentioned.

Are you sure you're counting your calories right? Do you weigh or measure? People often underestimate how much they consume and overestimate how much they burn.

Lately, I've been doing two things differently. I'm doing IF (Intermittent Fasting) and then once of twice a week I do a modified Michael Mosely 5:2 diet. I started by having 2 nonconsecutive 500 calorie days but now, I have one or two days a week of 800 calories and it's rather easy at this point.

Finally, have you tried HIIT? It's supposed to burn 3x the amount of fat as a regular intense workout. I thought I might throw it out there. I can't do it due to chronic daily migraines, but I used to and it really helped.

I hope you figure it out. If nothing works, maybe you could see a doctor and check your thyroid levels as well as Vitamin D levels. Most people are deficient in Vitamin D and it plays a very large role in weight loss (you can google it). If you want, you could supplement with Vitamin D3.

Best of luck to you! You're doing AMAZINGLY WELL!!!! Just don't give up!

I just read that you're hungry. That's not good. I like IF because I eat the same amount of calories in a shorter window of time, which gives me the feeling of fulness that I enjoy. You have to make sure your calories are high quality. Protein, fiber, healthy fat (avocado, raw olive oil, raw unsalted nuts, seeds), no refined sugar. I really do hope you figure it out.

Mindi, are you getting enough protein ?

I'm getting anywhere com 50 to 100g protein a day. I do some HIIT on the elliptical, and weight training 3 days a week.

Not breastfeeding. Just didnt work out for me.

I didn't take any before pics or ,easier nets...should have! I have one pair of jeans that has started fitting better but only in the past few weeks while I have been doing a squat challenge. Most of my clothes are still tight.

I weigh and measure on a digital kitchen scale.

I do need to shake up my workout, but its hard with a not helpful husband and no access to anything but an elliptical. My schedule is,wake up at 5 am, get ready, get the husband up and going, get his breakfast and lunch ready, get Laneys food ready for daycare, have like 15 minutes to myself, get Laney up, take her to daycare, work 7:30 to 11, home for lunch, workout 40 minutes, cram down a bowl of fiber cereal while standing in the kitchen, back to work til 4, get Laney, go home, cook dinner, clean up and then maybe have,time for a shower before bed.

Last time I asked a nurse about if something could be wrong with me they blew it off and said I didn't need to lose weight.

You have a very stressful schedule. You are not getting enough sleep. You are obsessing over losing the last 10. Don't mean that in a bad way. All of these factors could very well be contributing to the problem. I say step back,slow down as much as you can. Continue to eat healthy and exercise and you will get there. Remember having a baby changes your body. You can do it but stop pressuring yourself.

Wow, I'm stumped. I would insist that they do some bloodwork and check your Vit. D levels and thyroid function just as a precaution (unless it's difficult to afford).

Forgot to ask you about sodium. Do you eat a lot of processed foods? They often have lots of sodium.

I recently read that Chris Powell advocates for alternating low carb and regular carb days. Or maybe you could just try lower carb.

Sorry, I'm really at a loss. I think you are amazing. It sometimes just takes a long time. Maybe you could just stop weighing yourself for a while and go based on how you feel and fit into clothes. Keep doing those squats! They're obviously working. Just keep building muscle and lift heavy weights. You're really doing amazing.

FitByForty - no offense taken I know my schedule is rough, and it's not likely to get any better unfortunately. Being a full-time working mom is taking it out of me, and this summer the baby will be with me AT work a lot of the week. So I'll be a full-time mom with a full-time job. Eeek! I'm trying to make it work, but sleep isn't an option. I haven't slept through the night without having to wake up since she was born between her and two dogs that need out.

Luckymommy - I DO eat too much processed stuff...it's a convenience thing. Before Laney came, I was all about eating lots of veggies and avocado and things. But now...the ONLY time I have to work out on my lunch break from work, so it leaves like 10 to 15 minutes to eat. Not enough time to do anything healthy and filling that will get me through to supper time, or even snack time.

Well, I think you should be incredibly proud of yourself and just keep plugging along. Eventually, the weight should budge and you should celebrate just not gaining anything back. I've recently gained back 50 pounds that I lost also not that long ago. We just have to do the best we can with what we've got and try not to let it get us down. Perfection might not be attainable right now, but why not try to appreciate where we're at now? I'm certainly working on it.

I thought "wow what a pretty girl" and then realized it was MindiV!!! Holy moly, I can't believe how big that baby has gotten!

I had this issue with my 1st. And like you, I couldn't blame the breastfeed, that lasted a week. Between not sleeping (bad sleeper that baby), work, etc. I have to say that the stress was just too much. Once he started to sttn (which i'm afraid to say, 23 months), things started to move.

It's not a solution, I'm sorry, but i'm not sure this is entirely your fault either.

I think luckymommy is right! I got tired just reading and imagining your summer plan, Mindi. What you're doing is incredible - and what you've already accomplished is remarkable. Given everything in your life right now, celebrate where you're at!

Not enough sleep could very well be the reason you're encountering issues - and if you truly can't change that right now, then it's out of your hands for the time being. As Laney gets older and a little more sleep gradually returns to your life, I bet that will help a lot. (Could your husband take over his lunches/breakfasts? Even if you get 20 minutes more sleep for it, that could very valuable...)

My other thought is whether a once a week/once a month cooking approach might help, if you wanted to tackle reducing processed foods. Mega prep on Sundays, store up meals in the freezer, etc. Or not - that might be too much. Everyone's got a limit. If you're at yours for right now - then that's that. For right now, anyway.

Thanks, y'all! I guess I'll just keep on keeping on and try not to gain until things settle down a little...if they ever do!

Sacha, she's gotten sooooo big! We had her first birthday party a couple of weeks ago, and she's walking all over the place!!

How old is your baby? Sometimes it just takes a year or a bit more for the body to let go of the extra fat stores I think. How are your clothes fitting? And are eating enough healthy fats? When I added healthy fats and increased protein to one gram per pound of lean body mass to my diet I lost the last few pounds. Just a suggestion.