The most important thing is to know your own body
 

I second the calorie cycling, though those numbers from the post above aren't set in stone. I used this site to figure out my recommended calories per day; click on the 7-day cycle link:

Calorie Calculator - Daily Caloric Needs

The idea behind not going too low is the notion that the body will go into starvation mode and actually cause you to burn fewer calories in an attempt to hold onto its reserves. It also supposedly gets used to burning fewer calories so that when you are at your desired weight and go up to eating a normal calorie load again, your metabolism is slowed down enough that you put weight on very easily.

The most important thing is to know your own body. Many on here have experienced not being able to lose below a certain amount of calories; many have done lower calorie diets with success. Everyone is different. I had always believed that lower calories was better, but when I started FitDay and did the calculations of still being able to lose while eating more calories, that was the only time I ever had success. I can't lose a darn thing on 1000 calories a day, but I lost great on 1250-1350. But that is just how it works for me and my metabolism.

Generally, my premise is, if it works for you, do it; if it doesn't work for you, don't do it. Just giving you the rationale as you asked. Good luck in your journey and don't be afraid to experiment with different things to find out what's best for you

I would highly recommend you cook from scratch.
 

I would highly recommend you cook from scratch. I saw a TV show on those packaged diet meals and NOT ONE OF THEM WAS EVEN CLOSE TO ACCURATE!!! All of them had tons of sodium, higher calories and higher fat contents than what was printed on the box, and in most cases it was significantly higher. I don't know if the same is true in Europe, but here in the States the regulatory agencies that oversee these things doesn't have enough man power to keep up with every product and the fines and penalties aren't enough to offset the profits they make catering to the diet crowd.

I also had trouble a time or two sitting at a plateau when I was doing everything else right, so during those times I boosted my protein to 40%-50%, dropped the calories by 100-200 and waited for the scale to show me the money. Weight loss = burn more than you take in + time. Another thing I can't stress enough is water, 64 oz baseline + an additional 8 oz for every 10 lbs you want to lose. Get yourself a water bottle and glue it to your hand.

Also you might want to increase the intensity of your workouts, walking is great exercise, but jogging burns 3-5 times more calories for the same time commitment. So maybe you walk a minute, jog a minute, etc etc. Get that heart rate going and keep it up there. And keep the workouts interesting, change it up weekly/daily whatever, and push yourself to a sweat as quickly as possible.

Don't despair
 

Hey there,

I was in the same boat until just this week, this is my 3rd week in to my new healthy lifestyle. I was really disappointed i was not seeing any result for my efforts. yes i felt great and my body felt tighter but the scales wasn't having any of it. So I didn't panic or lose hope rather I made some changes to my diet. Brought my daily cals intake from 1400 up to 1800 (yes up) and tried to eat more regularly rather than going the whole workday without eating which i was doing. I too have heard that eating too few cals can put your body into starvation mode. Think of your metabolism as a fire- you've got to keep refueling it to keep it burning if you don't feed it enough and often enough it goes out.

I also up'd my protein intake as i am a veggie and really wasn't getting enough despite eating lots of meat substitutes and egg whites. I now try to balance my meals out to 30% fat, 30% protein, 40% carbs (similar to The Zone).

Hey presto this week I've lost 5lbs and 5% body fat. Fingers crossed this continues.

Have you used the tools on the weight goal tab? I recommend setting yourself a realistic weight loss goal & time scale. The tools will help you determine how restrictive you should be with your calorie deficit (burned - eaten)

Hope this helps.

The body is a confusing thing
 

I'm a 37 y/o female 5'3" 224 lbs. (start weight 240) I hit a plateau 3 weeks in. First 2 weeks the weight flew off, then nothing in the 3rd week.

Scale stuck for 8 days. And it even went up a couple times, but always went back down. This week the plateau ended and over a 3 day period I had a 5lb. loss.

I upped my water (from 64 to 80), ate the same (1200), increased exercise and switched it up a bit. I did have my "free day" in the middle of my plateau also, I ate without counting calories or figuring nutrition, so maybe that actually helped. The body is a confusing thing, just stick with it, the plateau will end. I know it's frustrating when you are doing everything right and the scale won't budge.

Five or six days at maintenance levels generally did it for me
 

This is actually what I use to do to break through plateaus. Five or six days at maintenance levels generally did it for me. But I had to learn this on my own. ;)

The right carb-protein-fat ratio varies for everyone
 

Jeannette, do a search for protein in the forums; there have been a number of threads, though not recent, that have had ways to eat more protein. If you can't find any, let us know.

Sadly, I have to disagree with the fact that your weight staying the same is the result of gaining muscle. Fat does not turn to muscle; this is a myth...losing fat and building muscle are 2 completely different processes. I've read that if you are dedicated to putting on muscle (i.e., making a conscious effort to do heavy weight training, eating a ton of protein, and doing everything toward the goal of building muscle), the most you will probably gain, as a female, would be 2-3 pounds over about three months. I don't think that's the case here. However, your muscles may, shortly after a workout, be retaining some water and other things as they go through the healing process, which may account for some of it.

No, I think what you have is a good old-fashioned plateau, and we all hit 'em. The previous poster is right in that you will probably see a drop soon.

The right carb-protein-fat ratio varies for everyone. 60% for carb is not horrible, but that depends on your body. It's worth experimenting tweaking it to see if more protein and fewer carbs would be helpful. And don't forget your healthy fats...so many folks shy away from fat (me included, previously), when it's really necessary for body functions and even weight loss.

Changing your usual ratio is a good way to snap your body out of it
 

I know I could never follow the carb restriction of Atkins, but I agree that when in a plateau, changing your usual ratio is a good way to snap your body out of it. The body gets used to what you do and changing anything (including exercise) sometimes wakes it up and breaks the plateau. Thanks, Mai, for reminding me of that.

If you cut too many calories weight loss can slow up or stop
 

Plateaus are very frustrating but common problem. Besides being brutally honest and counting any slips up you might be changing fat to muscle. Fat is actually very light so you can be losing fat with it turning up on the scales. Check you body composition and measure...also look are you more toned?? Finally I agree if you cut calories too much weight loss can slow up or stop and finally some bodies need to check more than cal...I have to cut (unrefined bad) carbs and alcohol out almost totally to get my body into fat burning mode. Good luck!

What you're eating matters
 

If you have blood sugar spikes, your weight loss is going to stall. I got rid of refined sugar, white flour, and white rice. You need to read up on what you need to be eating.

Fluid retention due to illness?
 

It sounds like fluid retention to me. Your cold may be to blame. Are you taking any medication for it? I find a cold usually makes me retain water. If you keep on doing what you are doing you will be back losing soon. You could increase your water. It's funny but usually the more water you drink the less you will retain. Good luck. Mary