Anyone else with only about 10-20 pounds to go and it keeps going up and down on you?

One week I'm 143. Then I dip down to 142. Then I hit 144 or 145.

Arrrrrrrgh!!!!

Once I hit my original goal weight of 135 I realized that would need to lose anywhere between 10-20 more pounds to be happy (I'm going by how I look, not the number on th scale which is why my goal range is so big). I took about a month and a half (maybe it was two) just trying to maintain. I needed time to evaluate my progress and formulate a game plan for these last pounds.

I know they aren't for everyone but this mini break really helped me. First of all, it taught me how to maintain which is something I wasn't at all confident about (I've never done it before!). Secondly, it gave me a mental and emotional break from expecting the scale to move every week. I hadn't realized just how draining that had been. Finally, it gaves me an opportunity to view the weight I have to lose as the FIRST 10 pounds instead of the LAST. That has lessened a lot of my frustrations. I suppose it is having the mentality that this is a new journey rather than the same one I've been trudging on for the past year.

We are all anxious to get to that magical number. But, you are in the home stretch so try to relax just a bit. You WILL get there.

jawsmom - I'm not to that point yet, but I like the mentality of maintaining a while, and then restarting the loss.
Good luck!

And good luck to you, too, LLV!

Oh god YES do I know about that! I've "plateaued" at around 168 for a whole YEAR (ok I had finals and was moving house and ). But now I'm just thinking, "Well here we go again, let's get a move on and it'll be over soon!" So I'm not thinking "last" 20lbs, it's first 20lbs with a different routine and plan and motivation.

LLV you might want to focus on something else for a little while, or weigh yourself every month (I do that now). Try starting weight training, it will tone you up like nothing else. And try and keep away from the scales for a while! You can do it! You've come this far, the last 10lbs will be quaking in their boots soon! :

Thanks, everyone, for the comments. I'm wondering, too, if I'll want to keep going once I make it to goal. I don't want to stress myself out over a specific number, I'd like to hover between 130 and 135. A friend of mine had to have that specific number and even while maintaining, she drove herself batty trying to stay there. If she'd go up a pound, she'd freak out. And I told her that was ridiculous, give yourself a range, not a particular number. Once she started doing it that way, she relaxed on herself a bit.

As for weighing myself, I usually only weigh once a week, if that. Sometimes I forget. I'm not as 'obsessed' with the scale like I used to be. But when you first start out, it's understandable to want to get on those scales every day to see if anything else has moved.

I know I'll get there eventually, but it's still a little discouraging to step on the scale after not weighing for over a week and you're up 2 or 3 pounds from last time, lol.

I have a feeling I want to lose more than the 12 that I have left before my current goal, but I want to get there first before thinking about what comes after.

I've not run into a real slowdown yet, but I know that I'll come to a halt over Christmas so I need to see how easy it is to get things moving after that. I've been lucky in that I've not had a real plateau so far, so I just get the feeling there's one waiting for me soon.

Well, in my teens and 20's I always hovered around the 120 mark. I was never overweight as a child. I didn't start gaining weight until my 30's. That's when I started 'dieting' and the more I dieted, the fatter I became. Then I really packed it on when I was pregnant with my son. He's 6 and I stayed around the 200 mark for close to 5 years, finally topping off at 220. Then my doctor slapped me in the face by telling me my blood pressure and cholesterol were both high and that's when I said, "Okay, it's time to do something, I want to live long enough to watch my son grow up."

I have been hovering too LLV, so I know what you mean..I am close to 6 weeks at the same weight range and it is nerve wracking!!! I went to my dr yesterday and have to go back today...everyone in the office was surprised at how much I have lost and how I have done it...but I think some dont take my complaints seriously since i am "dieting" they think "she just wants to keep loosing" well that is it too, but mostly I want to be able to sleep at night and not be cold all the time. (I Have Hypothyroidism, and a goiter) They started testing me yesterday and now I need to go today and see what our next step will be in tweeking meds... I hope this will help me get over this HUGE hump!!!

Hey, I know what you mean. Its been happening to me. I have 15 more pounds to go, and my weight is playing such a big game with me. One day I am down 1 lbs and then next day I am up 2... etc. Its so depressing for me, and I am so obsessed with my scale. I weigh myself too many times a day. I need to change that habit, so I put away my scale this morning. Lets hope it works. I am just afraid that if I don't keep weigh myself then may be I will end up gaining more... Well, great advices ladies, I hope I can use it in my case.

I totally agree. I haven't been going up and down on the scale, but have stopped at 140 for the past 3 weeks. I am trying to add weight-lifting into my exercise to help get past this, but so far have been doing weights only about once a week.

Oh, I just had to add that every time I see your signature (LLV) I think it says "I love my cocktails" instead of "cockatiels"!

I love those too, lol!

Thanks everyone, the comments are appreciated. Guess I'll just keep on keeping on. I can't wait to see 130-something again. It's been YEARS since I've seen that.

I'm having trouble with a plateau, and I'm still at the beginning of my process! I lost the first 15 lbs (of 50) relatively well: about 1.5 pounds a week. I even managed to lose a pound over Thanksgiving, when I wasn't so diligent about writing down every single thing I ate. Post-Thanksgiving, I've gone back to my exercise regime -- cardio 6 days a week, weight lifting 3 days -- and writing down every single damn thing I eat.

I've been at the same weight for the past 10 days. It's making me a little nuts. Aren't plateaus supposed to happen when you've been at this a while?

It isn't really considered a true plateau until you've been at the same weight for 2-3 weeks. 10 days isn't bad. Give yourself some time, keep doing the right things, and it will start moving again

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Grrrrrrr!!!

140....141....139....141....139....142

FOR NO APPARENT REASON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's driving me bananas, but I figure my body is just kinda trying to adapt. Plus, you never know what *else* is going on water-wise, hormone-wise, etc.

It's irritating, though, I agree.

That's very true. It's nice to know I'm not alone, yet I don't want anyone else to have to deal with this, lol.