Ask Mary

Weight loss plauteau are inevitable.  To handle them, increase your calorie intake to eat the number of calories it takes to maintain your ideal weight.  In your case, that is about 2100 calories a day, assuming that you do some type of cardio exercise at least 30 minutes on most day.  After maintaining your weight for about 6 months, you can reduce your calories to 1500 per day and start to lose again. For more information about how to handle weight loss plateaus, read Break Through Your Set Point: How to Finally Lose the Weight You Want and Keep It Off by George Blackburn, MD.