I started eating healthier about two months ago, the first few weeks went by fast, as I lost about four pounds per week. But then it all slowed down, and I totally stopped. I went online and read an article that said I should eat at least 1200 calories a day. I immedietly changed my diet and lost two pounds per week for two weeks. Once again it came to a halt. I kept it up for about two or three more weeks havin no success, then went back online. I read more about eating 1200 calories, and found that it's not totally true. I then found my basal metabolic rate and realized that I should be eating at least 1600 calories, and I was keeping my body in starvation mode by NOT doing so. Well I started that this past Sunday, and now I've started to loose again. I also do twenty minutes of excercize a day, and about ten minutes of pilates. then another ten minutes workout for my abbs.

After all this, I try to have lots of vegetables and fruit and whole grains. Am I missing anything? From your own opinions, am I doing what I should be to loose? I need to loose about twelve more pounds. I don't want to stop loosing again.

Thanks

~Dannielle~

you arent missing anything that i know of, but more cardio will help you lose weight faster if it fits into your schedule

The only thing I see that might be missing is the reasonableness of your expectations.  Consistantly losing 2-4 lbs/week is not realistic, especially if you only have 12 pounds to lose.  A loss of more than 2 lbs/week is not healthy and rapid loss results in rapid regain 99% of the time.  Just stick with your plan and worry less about the number on the scale from week to week.  The important piece of weight management is establishing healthy habits that last a lifetime rather than a temporary diet and going back to old eating habits once you hit a particular weight.

Sounds like you're not doing anything wrong. I've been in your same situation in the past. At one point, I think I might have even gained a pound or 2.  Then, I broke through the wall and dropped the weight.

Have you considered weightlifting? This helped me. The more muscle mass, the more your body has to maintain so the more energy it has to burn to do so. Hence, you'll need to burn more calories.  If I know I'm eating healthy (no simple carbs/sugars, lots of fiber, fruits&veggies with a GI of 60 or lower), and exercising, I don't count my calories. What I do do is exercise a little longer & focus a bit more on the weights.

Also, I switched to working out in the a.m. I knew I lost weight better but didn't know why. I now know that the body has to use reserves (stored body fat) for energy. You can burn up to 300% more by working out in the a.m. before eating.

Your biggest muscles are your thighs/butt, chest, & lats (back) so work on bulking those to get the most bang for your buck. I think that should do the trick. It did the trick for me.