I have been on a diet for like 3 months (eating approximatly 1300 calories a day - writing it all down in an online diary). And I've only lost 7.5 pounds. I've "cheated" maybe 7 times in that period (vacation, birthay dinner, ect) but even when I cheated I was careful (maybe eating 1700 calories)not enough to gain - not enough to lose. I took me three weeks to lose the last 1/2 pound. I excercise, at least 3 times week (intensive cardio). So, maybe some muscle gain? I was also doing pilates but i got busy and plan on starting again after finals. It's just so frustrating, I want to lose another 16.5 pounds to get back to 125 but god -- why should it take a year! Am I doing something wrong? I have lost a dress size but still.... I don't want to be fat anymore! My husband seems happy but I know he wishes it was quicker

First off, congrats for making it 3 months. Generally speaking, if you can maintain a new regimen for 60 days, that is a big deal.

As for the plateau that you have hit, this is not an uncommon thing. To get past this, you may want to consider making some changes in your cardio program. Perhaps you up the number of days to 4. Perhaps you increase the resistance by 10% on whatever it is that you are currently doing. Perhaps, for example, change from the elliptical machine to a stationary bike.

I am an actual swim coach and trainer of adult triathletes. You body is a very adaptive machine. When you do the same thing, day in and day out, your body will adapt, becoming more efficient at whatever it is that you are throwing at it. A change in your routine will cause the body to start losing weight once again. Eventually, your body will adapt to that routine as well, and you will once again, find yourself needing to shock it by changing your routine again.

One last thing, pilates may be fun and even challenging to do, but it is not exactly the sort of aerobic exercise that people seem to think that it is. On average, a person weighing 165 pounds burns 480 calories per hour from an advanced workout, 390 calories per hour from an intermediate routine, and 276 calories for every hour of a basic pilates workout. I doubt that you are getting as much fat burning from it as you would hope for. I am not suggesting that you stop doing it, all I am saying is that you should be careful not to overestimate what it is doing for you.

I hope that this helps.

Out of your entire post, I can't help but notice you mentioning that your husband seems "happy", but you know he wishes this process was quicker - as if he's doing the work to achieve the long-term goal. So, I hope you're not stressing out about this because he lacks patience regarding the process.

Losing weight takes times, and the closer one gets to their goal weight, the slower it seems to come off. It's obvious you're losing, and it's obvious you'll continue losing. So, relax.

If you're eating any type of pre-packaged food, my suggestion would be to cut all that stuff out of your diet completely! Try no sugar - absolutely none - for a few weeks. You'll be amazed at the weight/inch loss!

Hang in there an don't give up! You are loosing steadily and that is very good indeed!

I agree with Coach, there is a whole fitness-industry out there built on selling inaccurate facts and unrealistic promises to women who wish to become lean and fit. Pilates, yoga and such are part of it - these exercises are good for flexibility and coordination, but won't necessarily get you very far with building muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness. "No pain, no gain" still holds true to some extent and within reason.

I agree with Sunshine as well. This might be a somewhat unorthodox standpoint, and please do note that I have no formal credentials whatsoever in nutrition. However, for some (and this is not for everybody) it might work to be on a so called clean diet most of the time, but to schedule in regular cheat-days every 14 days or so. You try to cut out all simple carbs like sugar, white flour (pasta, white bread), white rice etc - and eat as much fruit and veg, lots of lean protein and complex carbs, plus good fats (from fish, nuts, avocados etc - watch the calories though) and the daily calorie-intake is somewhere around 1.500 cals depending on your weight and activity. Once in two weeks you allow yourself to cheat with a good conscience - if you think that you can handle it and get back to the plan the very next day.

This is roughly how I personally have been existing for several years (my daily calorie-intake is a bit higher though because I run on most days, but I still keep a keen eye on my intake). But you have to keep in mind that there's no one formula and eating-plan that suits everybody.

Try including strength training. You won't bulk up, I promise! If you do intense cardio change the kind of cardio you do. Make sure that you're eating 5 small, clean meals a day and make sure you're eating enough. Too often women cut calories drastically and their bodies will fight not to lose fat.

I noctied sdome years ago when I Atkins-ed that if I "cheated" on Sunday evening: cobbler, a Coke, pie, or something, it seemed to alleviate the cravings and accelerate the weightloss during the first part of the week.

That was me though.

T.

Cheat days are a very common practice. They are arguably beneficial by keeping the cravings down that sabotage a nutritional plan.

Additionally some argue that the caloric shock prevents your body's metabolism from shifting down because of the lower calorie intake throughout the week.

I never thought of a cheat day or a cheat meal once a week. Sounds like a good idea. Maybe a cheat day every few weeks would be OK for me. But then again, I've lost my appetite for the stuff I used to eat. I used to love fetticine (sp?) alfrado, but now when I smell it, it kind of makes me sick.

I've noticed as well as others, who study male female relationships to food, that this is one of the differences that men and women have toward diet and exercise.

I'm generalizing of course.

But women often feel like giving into a single craving is a personal failure or a defeat of their nutritional plan. "Oh screw it...I might as well eat the whole freaking box now!!!"

Where as men say "that was dumb, I just ate a jelly filled donut...guess I'll just have to try to spend more time on the tread mill tonight"

Giving up entirely on your nutritional plan is the failure that does most aspiring weight losers in. If you follow most plans aka "diets" 80% of the time your probably going to be ahead of the game.

I'm not suggesting you go overboard with a cheat day, but eating something your REALLY REALLY miss once a week is not going to destroy your health.

Here's a good read about trouble-shooting dieting problems:
http://www.figureathlete.com/article/features/10_ways_to_screw_up_your_fat_loss&cr=
(I've been reading the articles on figureathlete, and I can't help being very impressed although I was very sceptical at first.)