What is it you know isn't working the way you want it to, though? You haven't exercised enough to know if it's working as intended; you've seen a mini-stall on the scale as your body hangs onto a little more fluid, but you haven't seen what a solid month of it will do for you.

Believe me, I can empathize with wanting the weight off quickly. Over the past month, I have wished I could just get a kitchen knife and carve the excess off my haunches like I'd do to a pork roast. I've called myself things that I would hate another person for saying to me. I've even had dreams in which people DO say them to me, so even my subconscious mind is a Mean Girl.

You control how well you construct a plan, how faithfully you adhere to it, how much you exercise. You do not control genetics, age, the precise number on the scale, or the speed at which your body decides to let go of its fat. If it gets too frustrating to look at the stuff you can't control, refocus yourself and set your sights on the stuff you can control.

We all know ourselves best, and I definitely believe we need to take our idiosyncracies into account. Empirical evidence is always important to consider.

I look forward to hearing about your progress! :)

i thought your response to Sacha was very disrespectful.
She (and everyone) was trying to help, in a logical, objective manner

Just so you know, we started out at the exact same weight, and are nearly the same height and I stalled out in the mid-250's too - for over a month. It had nothing to do with the exercise I was doing, nothing to do with what I was eating. It was just a stabilization period for my body.

That said, don't give up on exercise. It's good for you!

The scale doesn't measure just fat, it measures fat, water, tissues, muscle, bone, etc. Our bodies are composed mostly of water. Our fat cells after they empty also fill with water which means that we can lose fat and stay the same weight. It is also why many people report the whoosh effect where they don't lose or don't lose very much and then lose a lot at once.

I have to say that there were many weeks while I was actively losing weight with a food deficit and exercise that I didn't lose a pound on the scale. I ended up with a major whoosh after that though. I think it is normal to plateau for weeks.

Also, at your weight, I would recommend upping your calories to something closer to 1600 calories.

I gained and lost the same 2-3lbs for over a month, yes. I weigh myself daily, though, so there were normal fluctuations with bloating, etc. I didn't start to go back on a downward trend until after about 5 weeks. I just stuck with it, and knew that I was doing what I needed to do.

In my opinion, I don't think you're eating enough calories to support any intense cardio at your weight. I was eating at least 1500-1600 calories at that weight & activity level when I began losing again. What cardio are you doing?

Some people's weight loss occurs in a nice, predictable trend. Other people lose in more of a stair-step pattern. Finding the optimal balance of nutrition and movement can take some practice and experimentation. Clearly you have an idea in mind for what works for you, which is great. But when you ask a question on a forum like this, you will get a lot of varied opinions, some of which are based on years of experience.

It is true that typed responses on the internet can be interpreted differently by different people, so let's all try to take a nice deep breath together and remember that this forum is about support.

:yes: ...as much as I'm itching to just stay out.

Are you ill? I don't understand why you can't hold food down?

I have read that it is a temporary state in part of emptying the fat cell. Also, someone else mentioned it but your muscles also need water as part of their recovery process so they can also fill with water.

You might want to look at something like adding almonds or avocados. They contain healthy fats but can also give you some extra calories during the day.

Ahhhh, yes. I have IBS too so I understand! All I ask is that you give it a little more time - maybe try adding in some fun exercise. Running in place for a hour sounds sooooooo boring to me!! Do you have other exercise options?

I'm not sure what you are eating but I think it's very easy to eat 1500 calories and eat healthy.

I eat pretty healthy and my calories are usually around 1500/day.

Yesterday my breakfast was 1 whole wheat bagel thin with 1 egg and 2 laughing cow wedges (I was hungry I usually do 1 wedge) and that was over 300 calories.

My lunch wasn't as healthy cuz I didn't plan ahead but it was a lunchable and around 350 calories.

I had a snack of peanut butter with celery was around 200 calories.

Dinner was whole grain pasta with peas and alfredo sauce: 500 calories

That made 1400 calories (I think it came out to 1385 yesterday).

That wasn't a perfect day for me but I'm able to get in 1400-1500/day.

It's harder if you are vegetarian but protein is the easiest way to up your calories IMO.

Muscles need water to rebuild - so its entirely possible that you're retaining water while your body recovers. Give it time!

You are awfully defensive in this thread. They are only trying to help.
Maybe you should reconsider to help elevate your mood a bit ;)

And, your calorie burn comes from muscles. The more muscle you have. The more you burn. Weight lifting is a MUST. I went from curling 2lbs to 20lbs.

There is also the after burn effect (or EPOC) when it comes to weight lifting.

Good luck on your weight loss journey!