Going crazy with standstill numbers on the scale!

I reached a plateau 6-7 weeks ago after losing 1.5-2lbs a week steadily since January. Couldn't even shift a pound a week. After reading several threads on MFP, it seems that my metabolism has settled into a new pattern, using what my body needs and storing the rest. I have a very sedentary life with not as much exercise as you are doing and I eat 1400-1500 cals a day. (5'10" with 21lbs to go). Like you I was getting frustrated but then went on holiday for 2 weeks. Had my usual breakfast but decided to eat what I wanted for the rest of the time.

When I came back, I'd put on 3lbs but then lost 5lbs in 2 weeks! The idea of eating more for a while is counter intuitive but does work. You may see a weight gain for a short time but that seems to kick start your metabolism again when you go back into deficit to enable you to break through the plateau and carry on with the weight loss.

I'm not a gym bunny or exercise fiend and I'm sure you'll get lots of other advice. My experience just proves that sometimes you have to go against what you've been doing and then start again. Try it for a few weeks and see what happens when you go back to your usual routine.

As we get closer to goal, the weight comes off more slowly. New or increased exercise can cause some fluid retention as muscles heal and repair themselves, which can show as a gain or stall on the scale.

If you're not already, start taking measurements and progress photos at least once a month. Ofthen the scale is busy messing with your head while the tape will show inches lost.

Are you clothes fitting any better, getting loose? Also, have you adjusted your calorie goal at all since losing the initial weight? Your body has changed, likely your caloric needs have as well - increased activity and weight lost make a difference.

If you could make your diary public so we could take a look at what you're eating, it would be easier to offer advice there.

Do you know your BMR and TDEE? That would be a start. 1200 is generally too low and your body has most likely decided it doesn't like being deprived and is hanging onto whatever it can get. FYI, I'm 5'2" and eat 1500 to maintain 115 lbs. So does 1200 for you sound like a good idea?

MFP gives almost everyone 1200 if you select you want to loose 2lbs a week. Your body is different then my body and your activity is different then my activity. So please check out your TDEE. This will give you a more accuracte reading on how many calories you should consume.

It's not muscle, certainly not 4lbs of it. To gain muscle you have to lift heavy and eat at a surplus for quite awhile.

As others have said, if you've set MFP with a goal to lose 2lbs a week, change it to .5 or 1lb a week at the most. This is much more attainble at this point, and will most likely give you better success.

You could also check out the TDEE method - great info on finding your BMR and TDEE and eating in between those numbers for awesome fat loss here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912914-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013 I've had my best success and finally hit goal weight since following the plan there.

I hear ya dear, but there is a way out!! In February of this year I had lost 23 pounds, then I took my niece into my home, my busy time of the year came around, AND I suffered an achilles tendon injury on top of it all stunting any working out that I could really do because I had to heal it. And achilles injuries do not heal quickly by any means.... I watched what I ate pretty well and did as much working out as my body could handle without hurting the tendon. 2 1/2 months later I pick back up my running (June of this year) and I am back at it. I didn't gain a ton of weight, but after losing so much, it's so frustrating when you gain 5 lbs back. Now I am starting to see the tape measure AND scale move again! First off, always use the tape measure because the scale is a jerk and goes only by weight. I weight quite a bit for my height and my BMI says I am close to overweight, but my body fat % says otherwise.

Anyways, I changed up my eating routine AGAIN and now I am using 40/30/30 (carbs/protein/fat) for my macros. It's hard because I love carbs, but there are so many alternatives to healthy eating, you just have to bite the bullet and spend the money on those veggies and fruit that kill the wallet. I also have started cross training quite a bit. I run 2-3 times a week, weight lift (12-15 reps of a heavy weight and DO IT SLOW) 2 times and mix in elliptical or a mile jog afterwards, and swim laps either 1-2 times a week. Also, I am eating betweeen 1500-1900 calories a day depending on how hungry I am and how much I worked out. Somedays it's a real struggle for me to eat enough calories because if you are eating the right foods, you are full for longer and most of those foods are low cal! Mix in a protein shake too because protein is what will keep the muscle strong, taste great for when you have a sweet tooth, and will help up your caloric intake. I am just getting over my plateau hill and really starting to lose again and it feels great. Have patience because plateaus sometimes takes weeks or months to get over, but don't give up because you will become more fit with time and lose the extra "stuff".

Another thing, if you have been eating at 1200 calories, if you do choose to up the caloric intake do it slowly. Your body isn't used to taking in so many calories so you have to get the body used to the higher numbers slower. Like up to 1300 for two weeks, and so on and so forth. Otherwise, your body, which isn't used to eating as much, may choose to store it instead of using it to burn away the stuff we don't want. I really do think that upping your intake and changing up your routine of workouts regularly will help get you off the plateau. Despite being a woman, weight lifting is VERY GOOD for you too. It helps burn up the glycogen stores and helps the body start using fat instead to fuel workouts. Plus, weight lifting actually burns more calories in a 24 hour period than cardio. Don't worry about bulking up either

Are you eating any fruit? It has carbs and sugar, but is a healthy way to increase your calories. Also, I tend to be low on fat most days. Butter, or cream cheese won't fill you up, but adds tons of flavor to things.