never-ending plateau

and i've lost a total of 34 pounds in the last two years. for about the last year and a half the trend has been that i drop 8 to 10 pounds quickly and then plateau for months, then i'll drop like 10 more and plateau for very long periods of time. i've still got like 30 pounds to go and at this rate it will probably take me another two years. i screwed up my metabolism really bad because i got really desperate and started restricting my calories down to about 700 a day for quite a while. this is how i lost the last 10 pounds but once again i'm at a plateau. i realize i didn't lose it the right way, but now i'm determined to eat 1200 a day, which i've been doing for a while now. i've been stuck between 157 and 159 for about a month now. every couple of days i go up a pound or two and then down a pound or two but i can never break 157. i'm so scared i'm going to be stuck here for another 7 months like last time. it seems i've tried everything. the slightest increase in calories seems to put weight on me. if i over-eat for one day even i usually gain 2-4 pounds and i have to work hard to get back off every last one.  

i've been eating about 1200 calories daily. i eat mostly protein and only complex carbs. i excercize and drink close to a gallon of water daily. i've explained my situation to many friends and family members and no one can seem to tell me why i can't lose weight or what i'm doing wrong. it's so frustrating. i know its mainly because of what i did to my metabolism by practically starving myself, but have i screwed it up permanently??

You didn't screw it up forever, but some damage is done.

Generally, I'd say it takes on average, as long as you did the starving, to fix your metabolism.

Your current plateau definately speaks of that.  Most people who get to a lower weight by really low calories or practically starving themselves as you put it, regain their weight and more.

People who have had this happen, slowly increase their calories to maintainence level, gain a couple pounds back, then slowly decrease their calories each week to start losing again. 

No, you haven't screwed up your metabolism permanently. It should bounce back after a while.

And bear in mind that even without restrictions people hit plateaux - it's part of losing weight... Not an encouraging part, but still. You can sit on a weight for ages and after no more effort wake up pounds lighter. Just trust that (long term) the math does work out.

Keep up the good work (and eat enough! Starving isn't worth the effort).
 

I did the following, but I can't tell you if it was a fluke.  After almost six months, I hit a four-week plateau.  So I took three days off and ate everything I wanted (it took me a while to eat anything "extreme" because my habits were so honed from the discipline on this site.) but after a while, and pretty much by my third day, I had eaten some guilty treats but there was no guilt.  The fourth day, I went back to my regime (1300-1400/day) and dropped three more pounds that week alone.  I only had a few left to lose (5-10), so I took it as a victory!  I think my body just needed a change in diet.  I don't know if this is something others on this forum would recommend, but I just listened to my body--and I knew I needed a break!

I also plateau, usually for 6 to 9 months at a time, then lose weight for a few months, then either get stuck again, or worse yet, put the weight back on very rapidly, within a few days.

I don't know how old you are but sometimes I feel like I will never weigh below 130 now that I am over 40 y/o.  I don't call my weight-loss brick wall a plateau because I have been dealing with it for months now.  I think maybe my body will just not go below that weight for some reason.  Of course I have not tried anyting unhealthy to lose it and I am not the best at cardio exercise.  But I do get in the cardio at least 4 times week.  I'm really working hard on giving over my issues about how much I weigh and how I look. 

In the mean time I am just plugging along and damn glad I don't weigh 145 like I did at the beginning of the year.  If I lose some more weight great.  If it doesn't come off until next year, OK too! (well, I don't really feel that ok about it but you know, fake it 'til you make it!!!)   

I have been stuck for about a month, maybe I have been going up and down because i have had a few binges I just havent noticed it cause I havent been weighing myself everyday, but every time I do it says the same thing. I guess thats better than gaining though. I amd back to weighing myslef everyday though so keep track :)