Alright, so everyone that already knows me, sorry I havent been on in the last couple weeks. My life all of a sudden got crazy.
So i've lost 65lbs so far, and I cant seem to lose anymore. I'm stuck at 170-168 and cant get any lower. I've tried changing eatting habbits and exercise but its not working. What did you guys do when you get a plateau? I had a goal of 155 by the middle of May, but I dont think I'm gonna make it. Help please! I really wanna make this goal, if I do... I'm no longer overweight!

HI!!!

First of all! WHAT a great job!!!! Amazing!!!

OK... now what are your calorie counts for the last week?

I have been having the same problem and posted about it (my eating has been uncontrolled because I am very hungry).. I have added allot more exercise and actually need to up my calories..

How much exercise? daily? how long?
How much food? (you are writing it down, right?)

I've been between 1500-1700 calories a day. Should I add more cardio then I normally do? Or weights and cardio? Thanks for the congrats. I see you've lost 40lbs, congrats to you!

First great job with the weight loss. Some people will say it also helps to eat more fiber. Include lots of fresh vegetables. Sometimes it is not just how much you eat(I know that is a factor) but what you consume. Start your day with a high fiber breakfast like one of the high fiber Kashi cereals mixed with fiber one and skim or light soy milk. Try something else for 2 weeks before you give up on it. You can do this.

Hey there! How long have you been stuck at that weight? And how do you track your calories?

I'd say try to stick very close to 1500 every day consistently for a couple of weeks and leave everything else the same. If you have had "spike days" where you go above 1700, that can stall your weight loss. Make sure you are drinking enough water also.

Jay

Leygh, just don't give up. You have come so far...that even if you never lost another pound, you don't want to go the other way. I dont' have any real advice, i'm sorry. I seem to be sucking at my own weight loss at the moment, (although, it seems the scale may be finally moving down). But i do want to lend my support and encouragement and congrats on the weight you have lost. And don't let the fact that may is just around the corner get you down. The great thing about goals are that they are just that....goals. And goals can be changed. I need to drop ten pounds in 2 months, but as long as i drop at least half of that, i will be happy and know i am doing something right, and just keeping trying to adjust things until my weight leaves alittle more quickly. just don't give up. and CONGRATS on the great job so far!!! :-)

WoW!!!!! You have done an amazing job. And now you're in the home stretch. I find as I get smaller and smaller I have had to keep on cutting back my calories in order to keep on getting a weightLOSS. If I stay at the same calorie level for too long then I just wind up maintaining and not LOSING. We're just at about the same weight as each other now. Although you are much taller (lucky girl). I think you should try a 1400-1500 calorie range for a couple of weeks if you had been eating 1500. If you were closer to 1700, then 1500 just might do the trick. Really, really track it though. Those little calories have a way of sneaking up on us. If you don't see any results in 2 -3 weeks then it may be time to cut back a bit more.

Have some patience, I know it's hard. You've come so far. You'll work it out, I have no doubt. Good luck.

I agree that sticking to 1500 now, rather than up to 1700, is going to be best. As you get smaller, your body uses less calories now-so you will need to eat less to continue to lose. You are so close!!!

I would try mini-meals instead of three squares. It took me some time to gradually ease into it, but it seems to work in taking off the weight.

Furthermore, convential wisdom is to drop your calorie intake when you lose weight, but in my case weight loss was a lot easier when I upped my calories. I used to eat 1800-2k, but I was starving all the time so I decided to take a maintenance break and up my calories by 200-400.

Since then I've lost almost 40 pounds and I still eat more or less within my usual range (2200-2400), but instead of counting I try to eat healthy.

Exercise-wise, I would try high intensity intervals. Those are excellent for getting your heartrate up and they supposedly are better at burning fat.

So the only way to find out what works for you is to experiment.

Congrats on the loss so far! I find (and this is just for me personally) that if I'm at a Plateu, I gotta do 2 things: 1 not focus on it. I reflect on what I've lost so far and that I've maintained that loss, and I make mini goals. Instead of saying "20 lbs by May 15" I'll say "ok...2 lbs in the next 2 weeks" etc. It seems to take the meausre pressure off, at least for me. And if I get stuck for a bit, I'm positive about it, and just continue to say, I've made it this far, I'm not gaining it back, I'm 2 steps ahead. If you are closer to your ultimate goal, meaning your final weightloss, that could be it too. Incorporate more exercise and cut maybe 100-200 calories a day out. Goodluck!

Thanks for all the advice guys! I really need some support at the moment!

It feels like every six weeks, my body is telling me, "You don't want to do these exercises anymore! Take a week off!" Well, that's what I usually do, but then I feel like I've just done something awful by taking a week off from exercise. Except, this time, I take the week off and allow my body to rest, and then I start a different exercise routine.

I also visited a cousin in the middle of March, who lives in a warm, sunny place, and she has a fitness trainer who takes her outside to exercise. That's the first time I've exercised like that outside as an adult. I also was able to walk on the beach, which is a different form of walking than I'm used to.

I guess I would suggest giving your body a rest for a week, not from eating well, though, and then start a different exercise routine and see if that works. I think that our bodies adapt and adjust to exercise routines, and we need to change it up every so often. I like watching FitTV and doing some of the programs each week, like Gilad, Namaste Yoga, Caribbean Workout, etc. because each routine is different and it's not like doing the same DVD over and over again.