Need help with plateau!!!

I would say to maybe lower the calorie intake to around 1550. This should force your body to intake a bit less, and you should see a difference from it.

I agree, I'm 6'0 tall and my calorie intake is set at 1350

I know how you feel. I've lost about 15 lbs since the summer, but having a hard time losing the 10 more lbs I would like to lose. Even when I was running 30 to 40 miles per week a couple of years ago I never seemed to get under the weight I am now, although I was doing a lot of strength training at the time and had a decent amount of muscle and was only about 19% body fat. Right now I am 32 years old, 5 feet 4 inches and weigh between 129 lbs and 131 lbs depending on time of day and time of month. I am not overweight, but still would like to get down to about 120 lbs. I work out 5-7 days per week....usually doing elliptical for an hour at a pretty vigorous pace....burning about 600 calories. I also swim about 3 days per week...I usually do about a mile in the pool....64 laps, burning around 600 calories again. In the summer I bike about 40 to 55 miles outside on a Saturday, and do some 20 milers a few times per week in the evenings after work. I was also running a bit in the summer, but have a back injury and tendinitis in my Achilles, as well as IT band problems from all those years of running. I am thinking about trying the Vibram Five Finger barefoot running shoes...I've heard they have helped a lot of people. I love running. I was/am good at it and I have good cardio...my last V02 max test was 53. I miss it terribly. In addition to all this I do strength training about 2 times per week and back strengthening and core exercise about 4 or 5 times per week to strengthen my back and help my back injury. Oh, and during the winter I do about 2-3 cycling classes per week....burning around 600-700 calories.

I also eat very, very healthy....hardly any white sugar ever, very little white flour, only good carbs...whole grain, oatmeal, brown rice. I do not eat any fast food almost ever, except for maybe Panera...in which I try to choose the healthiest option. I have not eaten at places like McDonald's or Burger King since 1994....no joke. I read health and fitness books all the time, as well as experimenting with healthy recipes. I am a Librarian and have a very sedentary job, but I am hoping I make up for it with my activity and healthy eating habit.

So, I must be doing something wrong since I can't peel off these last 10 lbs....help! Again, I have a few injuries, so I can't do anything too crazy, although I would if I didn't have these injuries. I love cardio and use to feel like I could run forever....I would only have to stop because my feet became sore. I use to be able to do 42 push ups in a row, but after I herniated the disc in my back, I stopped a lot of things for two years due to the pain in my back. I started to improve finally about 6 months ago, which is when I started exercising again and lost 15 lbs.

So, any suggestions????

So what to do about the hormones???

I recently had this problem. This girl gave me the advice to take 1 day and PIG OUT. If you want brownies, eat brownies. If you want pizza, eat pizza and so on. I am allowed 1540 calories a day and I said I would eat 2000 minimum. I ate 2300 and something calories that day. She said the next day she gained a pound and then the day after dropped that pound and THEN some. That happened to me! I gained 1 pound the next day and then dropped 2 the following day. I am now back on track with no plateau and losing weight. Your body needs to be tricked and your metabolism needs a kickstart by shocking it.

Hmm, maybe I will go back and have that extra muffin tonight

Ok, so I had a pig out day as well and two days later I was down to 128....my lowest weight so far!

Excellent! Keep up the good work!

I agree with having a cheat day break the plateau..but I think you are eating WAY too much, I know you are tall, but 1600-something seems high plus you eat your exercise cals. I TRY not to eat my exercise cals unless I am starving. and I at 1200 daily, instead of bumping up your cals, try dropping it to 1400 and then maybe eating you exercise cals. I have lost 8 pounds in 9 weeks doing it this way..but I am diffidently no pro, lol...Good luck!!!!!!!

But if she's breastfeeding then she would certainly need all of those calories....I'm not saying she is for sure, but with a son so young it would definitely be possible.