Losing steam and getting discouraged.

Im 30, 2 kids.  Im doing 30 day shred 3x week, keeping my calories between 1300-1600 (1880 sedentary) so far in the last month Ive lost 3# which Im very happy about but it seems in the past the pounds fell off a little faster.  I weighed 145 in December for my wedding and I admit I didnt lose it the right way(the last 5lbs werent the right way but I panicked because my dress didnt fit so I drank tons of lemon water grilled fish and vegetables and fruit only, no carbs other than fruit) then I got lazy and busy with kids, life and whatnot now Im up to 170 and in 6 weeks all Ive managed to budge the scale by was 3!!  I use a scale and measuring tools to serve my food and Ive been on CC for 6 years so Id love to think I know what Im doing but apparently the force is against me!  I dont cheat, but lately I want butter!  I give in and have a grilled cheese with butter on the pan not the bread so Im not slathering it on and I still count it as 1tbsp to be on the safe side.

Maybe I need to eat more food but keep the calories the same?  Heres an average day

• cherry almond crunch and original almond milk 250 cal
• fruit 100 cal
• almonds or cashews 150 cals worth
• turkey/cheese sandwich 300 with tomato and avocado spread no mayo
• carrots or salad 40(add 35 for dressing)
• 3-4oz lean meat or fish, double veggie serving and a starch(potato, rice or couscous dinner usually 400
• 2 snacks usually 100 calorie packs(as dessert) or string cheese80 cal kind

this is what I do almost every day but I vary the foods.  Any other ideas?

Wow, I read this and you sound just like me. At been trying to lose weight now for the last three years when I was very out of shape. I am female, 5'3", 179.4 lbs, hourglass-pear figure, and 41.5% body fat. I am also a married mom of two who works full time and its very social. I eat between 1200 to 1600 calories depending how I feel. If I am really really hungry, I drink water. If I am still really really hungry afterwards, then I'll eat until I am satisfied. Although the scale hasn't budge much, when I started this I was 190 pounds, my stamina is much better. I have gone from not able to do a single squat, push-up, lunge, crunch to doing past 25 effortlessly. Also three years ago I couldn't walk for more than 15 minutes at a time, now I can walk 7 miles easy before I start to feel any discomfort. In terms of diet, I eat better, cleaner. I don't drink soda or juices of any kind, mostly water. If I want something with flavor then I add protein powder and that tends to work. I hardly eat processed food is I can help it, but if I want pizza or a beer, I'll have it from time to time. I don't believe in depraving myself. Everything in moderation and one step at a time.

Fast forward to today, I am on my 9th day 30 day shred challenge with another CCer. It is a tough, but this type of workouts work for me and my time allotment. I know that while on the challenge, I will hardly lose any weight, but my shape will change, my stamina will increase and all of it is long lasting.

Do you also measure yourself? I do and although the scale won't budge, I have lost lots of inches.

Original Post by nikkicaligirl:

Maybe I need to eat more food but keep the calories the same?  Heres an average day

• cherry almond crunch and original almond milk 250 cal   2 eggs done any way
• fruit 100 cal
• almonds or cashews 150 cals worth
• turkey/cheese sandwich 300 with tomato and avocado spread no mayo
• carrots or salad 40(add 35 for dressing)  1/4 cup hummus or oil & vinegar dressing
• 3-4oz lean 6-8 oz any kind meat or fish, double veggie serving and a starch(potato, rice or couscous dinner usually 400
• 2 snacks usually 100 calorie packs(as dessert) or string cheese80 cal kind try regular cheese, cottage cheese or almonds/cashews again

this is what I do almost every day but I vary the foods.  Any other ideas?

Try this

Great idea Sybil878 and don't forget to drink a lot of water throughout out the day, from the very first thing in the morning to get your organism started.

I believe it would be more beneficial for "fathutson" to take his idiotic contributions to a site  ....than attempt his lame humor here.  And why doesn't the  ...learn to use punctuation and spell? At the very least, the self-confessed  ....could use to learn words correctly.

 hahahaha!!! Hilarious!!! And I thought you quit Calorie Count. What happened? btw. I will neva use spelcheck

Patience and consistency are key.  Losing weight can take a long time, and keeping it off is a lifelong process of making good choices. 

Keep that food log and keep using the food scale -- they are helpful.

Even at a rate of 3 pounds every six weeks, you'll lose 25-30 pounds a year, which is nothing to mock.

It is better to think in terms of healthy weight than a goal weight, IMHO.  A "goal" seems to imply a finish line, where you stop the exercise and healthy eating.  Maintaining a healthy weight means pretty much continuing the "play" -- exercise and good food choices. 

 My only suggestion is to make sure you get enough calcium in your diet.  It is one of the important ingredients for successful weight loss. Maybe replace one of your snacks with yogurt, if you like it.

You are doing most of it right, though.  Keep with the effort and you will see results.  Weight DOES come off more slowly the second (or in my case 3rd...) time around.  The reason is that when we re-gain weight it is often more composed of fat (not lean muscle) so the body has a lower metabolic rate to build on.

Thanks for your replies!  My whole family is doing the eating makeover with me this time.  The reason Ive failed in the past is I would give in to the kids wanting mac n cheese or random crap and Id eat it too because I was just too tired to be a short order cook.  Not saying we wont ever have it just that I dont get the costco sized pack of it anymore!

I always keep 100 cal yogurt and 80 cal cheese sticks handy.  Anything else you can suggest Id be all ears!