Plateau again? Discouraged and figuring out where to go from here.

azwen

Last summer, I weighed 153, my body fat % was 39%, and I didn't work out regularly. At the beginning of July, I got back to MFP, started working out (weights & cardio) regularly, and started making big improvements. By the end of September, my body fat was 27.5%, I had lost over 10 lbs., and I was getting stronger, leaner, and more fit. October was kind of a plateau, but then I started losing again. However, in December, my body fat percentage hadn't changed since the last measurement, and when I realized I was losing muscle as well, I got very discouraged. My trainer is suggesting I cut my calories to 1200 (NO exercise calories) and increase my protein to 125g (I usually get 80-100g a day). I know that would be a more radical change my my diet than I've made before. (That would mean over 40% of my calories coming from protein.) For training, I have been lifting weights and/or bodyweight exercises 3-4 times a week for about 30 minutes. I also do cardio (either stair master, Zumba, Hip Hop Abs, kickboxing, hiking, or incline treadmill - plus I am in week two of c25k) 5-6 days a week for 30-60 minutes.

I am wondering if my progress slowdown is because of my body adapting to my new habits? Is eating only 1200 calories and doing all that exercise a good idea? Seems like it would cause stress and make it harder to lose, but maybe I'm wrong. I am hoping that getting into running will help (I have never been a runner), since it is something new to challenge my body.

I guess I am looking for advice/encouragement from those who have found that what worked for awhile isn't working, and how to push myself to the next level while still enjoying myself. So far, I haven't felt deprived, and I've learned to enjoy exercise.

I currently weight about 132 with 27.5% body fat. My goal has been to get my body fat % under 24%, preferably 20% eventually. Do I need to suck it up, cut my calories, and suffer it out until I drop 5-10 more pounds of fat? I want to build muscle, too. (Sorry this post is so long.)