Hello everyone, I've been following for a while now, enjoying all the posts. FYI, I've gotten over the mourning the loss of food issue. I've got a new problem now. I've been losing great for 4 months and then lost only 5 pounds last month and so far I've waivered a 1lb gain/loss scenario. I asked my NUT what should I be eating and was given the usual reply : 60-80 grams of Protein, 64+ oz Water, exercise daily 30 minutes.....You know the drill.

I am going to share with you, what I shared with my NUT on my daily eating/exercising practices:

Up until about 5 days ago, my daily calories were 500-600. I upped my calories from that to 600 to 800 after reading posts about my body possibly being in starvation mode. Consider that 150 -300 of my calories were from Protein shakes. I proceeded to move from 2 shakes to 1 and increase my calories. I am struggling. I can't seem to get anymore in. I don't want anymore food. I'm not hungry. I get my water and take my meds daily without fail also. I walk 1 hour per day at work and just joined a gym to get my strength training, on 1/9 and will begin Zumba at home on the weekends.

I don't even know how to eat 1000! It just seems unachievable and laughable at the same time when I think that eating way over 1000 calories per day is exactly how I got here!

I don't know if I'm in a stall, the first one I've had. I don't know if I've fallen into the dreaded (dnt, dnt dnnnnn) 'Maintenance' phase and I still have 51lbs to lose. Or am I just stuck in starvation mode. What if I've tanked my metabolism?

I may have to see the NUT. My old one move out of state. Gosh I miss her. This new one is working strictly from schoolbooks. I need real world experience. I don't need portion size info as I weigh everything.

Help. Too determined to stop.

You will transition into maintenance phase but just not now. It is still way too soon. It sound like you are following the program so just stay on target. Someone on this site adopted the slogan "Embrace the Stall".

I think it is probably too early for maintenance phase. Stalls happen, and your weight loss will probably continue if you keep doing the right things. Which it sounds like you are.

As for calories, I am 9 months out and just barely getting in 1000 a day. (I get in over 100 grams Protein too.) Don't eat if you aren't hungry. Don't stuff your pouch trying to get in extra.

Keep following the rules of protein first, drink timing, good veggies, low carb, etc, etc.

If you are getting in all your protein and fluids, give yourself a pat on the back. You are also getting in good activity, give yourself another pat on the back.

Everyone is different. This is just where you are right now.

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Hang TIGHT!!! It all will come together if you do what you seem to be doing. Like was said DON'T stuff yourself. I'm 3 and 1/2 years out and I just now get around 800 to 900 Calories on most days but not all days. I will say that I got below my goal weight in 6 months. I did gain 8#'s but I have maintained my 124#'s for 3 years. I can say I really didn't have any stalls, but I had Strictures starting at my 6 week appointment and continued until Jan 2015. I think that is the reason I lost so fast as I couldn't eat much food. I did have a 3# gain early on but I lost that the next day. I'm not telling you this to brag just trying to help. Keep doing you and you will be successful!!

"starvation mode" is overrated. Your metabolism does drop when you're eating low calories, but at 600-800 calories a day, you're going to lose weight. You're just in a stall. What you're doing sounds fine. Just be patient, and the weight should start dropping again.

we all panic when we hit a stall which is what I think you have done. it is depressing but just keep up what you are doing because it all sounds like you are right on target with the food and exercise. try to read some of the old posts and look for non scale victories. those little hurdles will help when the scale does not move. good luck to you

So, at the risk of repeating what others have said...

don't count calories!!! Continue to count the grams of Protein, etc, not calories. That's the old way and can mess with your head. Counting grams of protein is so much easier!!! And more accurate for our needs.

You will have stalls, just power through them. Keep doing what you need to do, don't weigh yourself quite as much and it will pass.

Do what you had been doing before. Don't freak out about starvation mode. If you are getting in your protein and Water like you said you are, then you are fine. If you need to add a bit of protein, then do it. You can probably up it a bit but if you can't handle it right now, you are still good. Just ride the wave through this stall. It will pass. You will have other stalls as well. THat's normal!

Best of luck!