I was stuck and stuck big, but this week, the scale moved. A

Between March and September, I lost about 65 lbs. I'd learned to not eat for emotional comfort anymore, when to stop eating, what not to eat, what to eat occasionally, and what treats I REALLY needed to keep me going. I changed the way I looked at food, the way I appreciated the taste of food, and the way I ate the food I chose to eat. I conquered my addiction to junk and was on my way to a healthy weight.

Then, in September, my weight loss stopped. Not stopped for a week; not for a month-- for almost THREE months, the scale stopped moving. I'd lose two pounds, gain it back, lose it again... and repeat that awful cycle so many times that I would cry and scream (while no one was home) in frustration. After all, I was eating fewer calories on a regular basis than I'd probably ever eaten in my life. I was watching my carbs, my calories... eating mainly whole foods and less processed junk. Sure, i'd treat myself to a very occasional cup of ice cream or a cupcake, but I counted the calories and carbs. But despite the fact that I was eating 1200-1600 calories per day (400-800 calories below my BMR), my. Scale. Would. Not. Move. Beyond. A. Certain. Point. For three months, I lost only 2 pounds total.

In a bout of frustration and anger, I took a leap. After reading some articles that told me to actually eat my BMR every day, I decided to give it a try. 2000 calories. I felt like such a... cheater. I did lower my carbs a little bit too, but for the past week, I've been eating between 1900 and 2100 calories per day.

AND I'VE LOST 4.6 POUNDS. More than I lost in THREE months. In SIX days, I lost almost FIVE pounds. By eating MORE.
Whhaaa? I thought this weight loss stuff was science?!

I really think that my metabolism had slowed to the point where my body just wouldn't let me lose anymore weight. By feeding it more but still being in a deficit due to my exercise, I have managed to FINALLY move that scale.

If you're in a long term plateau, try this. Stick to healthy foods, of course (I'm not cheating at all at this point-- not even counting the calories in a Hershey's Kiss. I'm eating only whole, natural foods-- just more of them.), but see if it works for you. I tried EVERYTHING before this: changing up exercise, reducing calories, raising my calories a bit (but still below my BMR), cutting back on carbs along with cals... nothing worked. For me, eating my BMR seems to have restored my metabolism back to fat burning mode.


I'm back, baby! (Sorry-- can you tell I'm PUMPED?!)