starting to get bummed... need some ideas!

hey CCers,

i started this round of calorie-counting at the end of the november, and lost 7 pounds between november and january, which felt great! now i'm looking at how things have been going in february, and it's been fluctuating like crazy.. i did drop about 2 pounds at one point, but i've gone up another 3 or 4, and i can't it back down! it's soooo discouraging.

i started february with consistent weigh-ins of 124.4, and my goal was to hit 120 by the end of the month... but i've been 125.4 all week (and it's been over a week since my TOM). i don't understand how this is happening - my burn estimate is 1700 (sedentary), and i eat between 1200-1500 calories a day. i almost never hit that 1700 maintenance number, so i believe i'm not actually gaining real weight, but i've been pretty conscious of my sodium intake and have increased the amount of water i drink. exercise is not a regular part of my routine, but i've been able to lose weight without regular exercise before. maybe i need to rethink that?

have i hit a plateau? is there something i can do to kickstart my weight loss again? i feel like i'm so close, and i'm kinda in a new relationship... it'd just be so nice to feel better about my body, you know?

thanks for any support or suggestions, i love the CC community =) 

yes, it's probably going to take some kind of exercise to get started again, but it can be as simple as going for a long walk.  also, sometimes you need to actually eat "maintenance" calories, maybe once a week or so, just to let your body know that it will not have to be in a deficit forever!  some people lose weight by eating the amount of calories they will be allowed on reaching their goal.  it takes longer, but it's good practice for making habits that will last a lifetime.  don't be in a hurry.  take your time, and you WILL get there, i'm sure!