My weight loss has been in about three phases, Phase 1 was pre baby, Phase 2 was post baby and Phase 3 is post baby after I got serious about losing. So far my journer has taken my almost 4 years! In Phase 3 I've lost 17 lbs since January 1st, so that is an average of 1 1/2 lbs per week, but since I started zig zagging my calories my average has been a little more, maybe 1.8 lbs per week. What's weird is that I'll lose like 3lbs one week, 1/2 - 1 lbs the next then no lbs the next and 4 the next. So anyway, I know the less you have to lose the slower you loss tends to be, so I was wondering when would I expect my weight loss to drop to maybe 1/2 lbs - 1 lbs per week? According to LoseIt at 1 1/2 lbs a week I would reach my dream goal by August and that would just be awesome, but I don't want to get to attached to that and I want to have realistic expectations.
I think a good way to not plateau is to mix up your exercises. So one week, have your cardio consist of mostly spinning, the next stair-running (try to find real stairs). Does devoting different days on focussing on different weight-training different body parts work?
Also, I remember reading some article about a women who was dieting, and she was exercising and staying within her alloted calories but she wasn't losing as much weight as she should based on her calories in/calories out calculations. Then she looked closely at what she was eating and discovered that she was eating about twice the daily recommended amount of sugar. Once she cut it in half, she began noticing better results. I guess go over your food and make sure your sugar and sodium are in check.
Weight loss seems simple enough but there's a ton of different things that could affect it even when it seems you're doing everythin right, like not drinking enough water. Also, remember that you will build some muscle as well, which would make your weight loss number lower.