Stalled and could use advice...

I'm on a low carb diet. I'm eating 20-30 carbs a day, and 1600-1700 calories. I've been tracking with this site for over a month now, but have stuck to my diet consistently since January 25 without cheating. I've lost about 16 pounds since then, from 236 to 220. My goal is to get to 140, although I plan to stop whenever I feel satisfied with my health and appearance, no matter what my weight is at that point. I'm a 36-year-old woman and also am struggling with insulin resistance and high insulin levels, hence the low carb approach to losing weight.

The problem is that I've been stuck at 220 for nearly a month. I'm not sure if this is just my body's "catching up," as some people say, or if I'm legitimately stalled. I exercise in my home four to five times a week, anywhere from 30-45 minutes. In addition, I walk 2-4 miles every day of the week. I live in the city right now and can walk to most of the places I need to go.

I realize that losing 16 pounds is good, but I thought I would be further along by now. And my weight just isn't budging. It's been exactly the same for weeks. The only place I have lost in my measurements is in my hips (the last place I want to lose inches right now, unfortunately). Otherwise, I see no difference at all in my body. In fact, the last few days, I've felt really bloated. Even my face looks a little puffy. And I've been dealing with constipation for weeks as well.

I eat high fat, medium protein, and low carb; and I'm frequently hungry, especially in the evenings. I eat a lot of eggs, meat, and some cheese every day, as well as non-starchy vegetables. I use heavy cream in my coffee in the mornings. I do not eat nuts right now. I take vitamins. I have continued to use artificial sweeteners (Splenda, Stevia, and Torani sugar free syrup), because they satisfy my cravings. Yes, I know that they're not healthy, but they're my crutch for now.

I'm starting to feel pretty frustrated, not only at the stalled weight loss, but also because I'm still tired all the time and have not felt the energy burst that many low-carbers say they get. I don't think that any of this is stress-related. I started a new job exactly a month ago as well, but this job has been a welcome change and relatively low-stress compared to my last one. I'm really happy with it.

This is not my first time trying a low-carb diet, but this is probably the longest I've ever stuck to it consistently. I'm starting to wonder if this plan doesn't agree with my body; but then, isn't this what is best when dealing with insulin problems? I just feel exhausted and flustered every time I look in the mirror and see my "spare tire" still hanging there. I'm tired of feeling tired and not getting the results I want. I want to try something else, but I'm scared because I've failed so many times at so many diets. I've come to the point that I'm afraid to eat fruit or non-approved vegetables because my worst nightmare is to have to lose this weight yet another time. Anyway, thanks for reading this. I really needed to vent, and I appreciate any advice or words of encouragement right now.