Years ago my best ever successful diet was based on calorie counting. I didn't know I was gluten intolerant and didn't count out wheat, let alone other carbs. My husband several times suggested low carbing and I argued against it every time - unhealthy, faddy, unbalanced, unsustainable, too much effort while working away, the list of reasons not to low carb was longer than I am tall.
Then I gained back about 25lbs and when I tried to get it off again it didn't shift - calorie counting stopped working, or I stopped being able to calorie count, call it what you will.
I tried variations on the theme with intermittent fasting but my bingeing tendencies put the kibosh on that and then I decided to finally try low carbing as a way to break free of the sweet trap I felt I was in. I'm not perfect obviously but that's mostly worked in that I eat sweet things maybe a tenth as often as I used to - actually no, less than that - and don't really binge anymore (once in about 3 months after previously bingeing weekly or more often), I feel more in control, I have fewer mood swings even though I quit taking antidepressants. All great things.
But.
I truthfully started this to lose weight,and in 3 months or so I've lost a massive 4lbs. Yes, I said lbs. Yes, I mean only slightly more than 1lb a month (and truthfully again, most of that in the first 3 weeks)
So the dilemma - everything except weight loss is great eating this way. But I am overweight, not just trying to get lower in the healthy weight range. Bit I'm not very overweight - 5 or 6lbs above the top healthy weight for my height. And I've read books that say slightly overweight is healthier than underweight (or even average weight).
So do I stick with what works on every other yardstick, forget about losing those last few lbs (and the others I want them to take with them), buy clothes for the size I am now and stop trying to squeeze myself into the ones I used to wear - and risk getting more overweight with time and relaxation (though so far maintaining at this weight seems really really easy).
Or do I change what I'm doing now to chase weight loss however miserable it makes me, with the plan to go back to this once I've lost the weight? If I do?
I've been calling this a plateau for weeks. That's what got me back on the climber (almost) every evening after work, in an attempt to kickstart things again.
But so far the plateau is winning...
I don't know what to do. Here's a question for you, if you're reading this - have you had a plateau lasting more than a week? If you have, how long did it last? And how did you break it / stay motivated until it broke? I could really use some advice... My knee jerk response, as you've no doubt noticed, is to tweak or change things without necessarily giving things time to have an effect, but I'm sick of that and its got me nowhere so far..
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