Okay so, I've been stuck in the 250's for over a month now. Admittedly, I went off-track several times in June (a friend from out of town was visiting me for a week, and I allowed myself to eat like she does, which is my old way of eating, during that week.)

However, since she left, on June 22, I've been eating clean, but haven't dropped anything, aside from minor fluctuations, a pound or two up and down.

Here's an average day's menu for me:

Breakfast: A bowl of cereal with skim milk, around 300 cals.
On days I lift weights, or do freight at work, I add a protein shake, another 200 cals.
Lunch: Usually a Lean Cuisine-type meal, again around 300 cals.
Dinner: Often a spinach salad and turkey burgers, or lean stir fry of some type, 500-700 cals.
Snack: Cottage cheese, or wasa crackers and Laughing Cow cheese, or sugar-free chocolate pudding, something along those lines, usually around 200 cals.

I've been averaging 1300-1500 calories a day, sometimes up to 1700.
I also take a multivitamin every morning.

My activity varies day to day. I work in a home improvement store, in the flooring department, and at work, my activity might include anything from merely walking, to hand stacking 3 palettes of heavy tile and loading 2 rolls of carpet by myself.
Most days, I will also either hit the gym or go walking; my walking route is about 3 and a half miles. If I do the gym, I spend about an hour there. Even days, I do cardio only, like the elliptical, stationary bike, etc. Odd days, I do about 15 minutes of cardio, followed by two to three sets on each of the weight machines.

I feel like I'm doing everything right, but that scale just isn't budging. Every day for the last week, I've gotten on, expecting to see it below 250, and every day, it's been hovering at 250-253. I'm not letting it wreck my day or anything, but it's starting to get really frustrating.

Would you be willing to try eating more (say, upping your calories by 100 a day this week, another 100 a day next week, until you're sitting at 1600-1800) for 4 weeks?

You are on your feet all day. You're starting at a higher weight. In addition, you're getting gym exercise. That's a LOT of burn - it's possible your body is not giving up fat stores because you've gone just a little bit -too- far to the other side, eating too little and moving too much. So if you're willing to try it, it might make a difference.

i agree with mandalinn..you should try adding more calories to your diet... healthy calories is what i mean.

there are calculators on line where you can check to see how many calories you should be taking in..
http://www.freedieting.com/tools/cal...alculator.htm#

this is what i go by.

good luck...

I agree with mand- I think you should be eating closer to 1600-1800 calories a day. Maybe add more protein and fiber to your diet if you are feeling hungry as well

Uh....I would totally add more fruits and veggies. I mean a spinach salad is good but that is pretty much the extent of your veggie consumption. Also, are you doing your 8 glasses of water a day, this makes a big difference.

Gotta agree on needing more fruits and veggies. The multi-vitamin helps, but it's meant to fill gaps, not replace them.

And you may well want to raise calories. Before I joined this forum, I didn't realize how hard I had probably always been making things on myself by going too low calorie. Always staying in the "safe" range, but probably too low for me. I just raised my calories 200 - 300 per day and the scales started moving again! But my calories are about where yours are (1400 - 1600 daily), and I'm further along than you are and not nearly as active. Try bumping them up, it might surprise you!

Thanks for the tips guys, I will try upping my calories.

I do drink my water, for sure. It's pretty much all I drink. That or brewed iced tea.

I guess you're right on the veggies, I need to get back to eating them again. When I started this, in March, I was all about finding new recipes for veggies, finding new ways to cook them, and made them every night. Roasted brussels sprouts, etc. Ever since summer started, it's just so much nicer to let the DH fire up the grill for turkey burgers and salad than to warm up the oven, and make our apt even hotter.

Fruit, I don't know. I like a few types, but it seems like I get hungrier if I have a piece of fruit.

5-10 servings of fruit and veggies per day are an absolute must! For fibre, vitamins especially. I see a large proportion of processed foods as well so you might think about that being a problem and change that as well.

Good luck!

It's also possible that you are the sort of person who stalls and then whooshes, though two weeks is a long time to stall. Where are you in your cycle? I can stall for a week during TOM. Incredibly annoying.

Try everything suggested here, but keep really good records and if the stall continues for much longer, go to your doctor with records in hand and ask to have your thyroid tested.

More veg fo' sho. Maybe some more lean protein? And cut the lean cuisines down to a few times per week? Not sure how much sodium is in packaged meals.

ps. A BIG congrats on the 43lbs!!!!

Hi Lachelle,

I can make two suggestions:

First, have someone take your measurements: upper chest, middle chest, waist, hips, upper arms (right in the middle) and thighs. Retake them weekly.

Second, try increasing your protein, i.e., look for high-protein, low-carb meals/snacks. Protein will help keep you full and will not put weight on you.

In increasing your protein and tracking your measurements, you may find that you are losing inches ... the pounds will follow, but if you are losing inches, you are doing just fine! We tend to be the married to the scale, but it is not the only measure of success.

Good luck!

Debra

As far as the walking...are you walking at a normal pace, speed walking, walking on a flat surface, etc? My personal trainer said that your body gets used to walking (especially since you are on your feet all day) so just "regular walking" won't be enough. Add an incline, that will help burn calories.

Good luck!

I can completely relate where you are. I am down 35 lbs and have stalled out the last 2-3 wks. I am at the 5 month mark and was worried that the dreaded plateau was just around the corner as 40lbs has been the most I have been able to lose at any one time before I plateau and eventually give up. So, I got me a trainer thinking that would help. It hasn't. I keep bouncing over the same 2 lbs. Mine is at the 260-262. The trainer had me cut out a lot of my cardio and had me up my calorie intake from average of 1400/day to 1600/day and she still thinks that is too low. I'm getting very frustrated and abit depressed as I see my short term goal slipping away.

I don't have any suggestions as to some degree it does seem to depend on your body. And what it does. Does it adapt to changes in your life pretty easily? If so, maybe completely throwing it for a loop one way or another would help. I am going to finish up with this trainer (another 3 wks) and then make some decisions. I have noticed improvements in strength, balance, and smaller size. So the trainer is helping in overall fitness - just not seeable on the scales.

You mentioned you grill stuff - throw some of those veggies on the grill! We do it all the time and they are awesome. I understand wanting to keep the house cool by avoiding the oven.

I think you guys are right, about my body having adapted to the walking. Back to the gym for me. It's probably also time to reintroduce the Pilates. I purchased a DVD in March, and did it several times, but haven't touched it now since April. Just something to change it up a bit.

Deblyn, I haven't taken my measurements since I started. It seems like my jeans have been getting looser in the last month, even without the scale moving. I know my belts are looser. Would leather stretch, or is this my wishful thinking that the belts are looser?