Not losing but sticking to calories and exercising :(

Are you measuring yourself? another way to see progress

I agree! Seeing measurements change is rewarding -- but only measure once every 3-4 weeks. Also, pay attention to your endurance levels... are you able to go a little farther or faster that last week? Can you lift a little more than before? All this shows progress even when the scale decides to remain silent.

You situation sounds similar to mine a few years ago. Back in March 2009, I had lost 10lbs in a week by diet and exercise. For the rest of the month I lost 2lbs for a total of 12lbs. I could not lose any weight until almost May 2009. However, I noticed in that time that I was losing a massive amount of inches and decided to try a different size of jeans at the store. I had dropped 2 sizes but no weight! That made me happy.

Now from my understanding is that it's your body adjusting to the weight loss. It was rather quick for me to lose 12lbs in a month, even 10lbs in that first week. But once I realized that I was still "losing" and that it might not show up on the scale.. I just kept what I was doing and the scale eventually started moving again.

I didn't try shocking my body in the first few weeks after my losses, but I just ate my eating plan and exercised. I waited until almost 2 months before I had a day of eating to shock my body. The reason why I waited two months is because I was losing inches so I wasn't truly at a stall. You could try a meal or a day to shock your body but I think it's too early to do that. I waited two months because it seemed counterproductive for me. Now, I've learned that my body likes to lose weight this way.. a ton of weight in a month, then a month or so of a pause then that cycle will repeat.

you're not doing anything wrong, assuming you're eating enough calories and drinking plenty water, 15lbs is not typical weight loss every single month, my highest pounds lost in a month was 10lbs, the lowest, maybe 0-4

Quitting just isn't an option as I want to adopt a young child and to do so in the UK i've been told my BMI has to be under 30 It is 34+ at the moment!

What is their reasoning for requiring you to have a maximum BMI? It seems a bit discriminatory to me.

Obesity brings health issues that may prevent you being around long term and these kids have already suffered enough upheaval and loss... That's the answer I got!

I kind of get that, plus means you'll hopefully set a good example to the kids, however is a bit harsh for someone with a lot of love to give...anyways re OP... you'll get there, you just can't expect the same big drops in weight every month am afraid... slowly but surely wins the race and keeps you winning. In other words, lose it slow, it'll be healthier and will stay off better assuming you maintain an active and healthy lifestyle - nutrition/physical activity.

Good luck.

It's quite normal. Just tweak your workouts and adjust your calories. Try this link below...
http://body-improvements.com/resources/eat/#plateaus

Quitting just isn't an option as I want to adopt a young child and to do so in the UK i've been told my BMI has to be under 30 It is 34+ at the moment!

What is their reasoning for requiring you to have a maximum BMI? It seems a bit discriminatory to me.

Obesity brings health issues that may prevent you being around long term and these kids have already suffered enough upheaval and loss... That's the answer I got!

I kind of get that, plus means you'll hopefully set a good example to the kids, however is a bit harsh for someone with a lot of love to give...anyways re OP... you'll get there, you just can't expect the same big drops in weight every month am afraid... slowly but surely wins the race and keeps you winning. In other words, lose it slow, it'll be healthier and will stay off better assuming you maintain an active and healthy lifestyle - nutrition/physical activity.

Good luck.

That was the only answer I came up with too. But you hear all the time about "perfectly healthy" people having sudden heart attacks and dropping dead for no apparent reason. Just last week I read about someone who was non-smoker, non-drinker, non-drug user, healthy diet, exercised, all that good stuff, and they had a stroke.

Anyway, OP.. all I can advise is just keep at it. I lost 8 pounds my first week - mostly water weight of course - and now my losses are starting to ease off. It happens to everyone. Just have to be patient (and that's harder for me than anything else!)

Thanks for all your encouragement guys, It's just so disheartening when you're trying so hard. I had a treat day last week to try and do the shock approach but seems it didn't do the trick! Quitting just isn't an option as I want to adopt a young child and to do so in the UK i've been told my BMI has to be under 30 It is 34+ at the moment!

What an amazing motivator. You will hit your goal. Keep doing what you are doing. You may be building muscle which sometimes slows down the results you see on your scale (initially!) but it boosts your metabolism and increases your fat burn which leads to long term weight loss results. So the plateau is frustrating, but temporary. Think of it as your bodies rest period before it starts sprinting to the finish. Also, watch your sodium intake. You need some, but going over can cause your weight to fluctuate buy 5-6 pounds.