Hi Brooke,

Since I started my weight loss at the beginning of January (the StickK post), I’d had good success. Lost 4 pound the first week, then 1-2 a week after that. I have been able to stick to a <1300 calorie intake target, most days (tracking every bite!). I try to hit a 500 calories expenditure (Apple watch makes it easy to track), most days. I do 2 spin classes and 2 barre classes a week. I love my workouts and would not want to change that! On top of my workouts, I try to hit 10,000 steps, again most days, by going for a walk after dinner to burn some of the calories from my dinner. I have Bulletproof coffee in the morning, then lunch around 1:30 and dinner at 7-8pm. My rules are no wine during the week, limit of 5 glasses a weekend. I never had issues with sugar (aside from the wine), so no worried there; and the only flour I have is when I have tacos once a week. I do have carbs for dinner, such root vegetables, potatoes and the occasional wild or forbidden rice. I am practicing IF on Saturdays, and I have a good “refeed” day on Sunday but only to the extent that I satisfy to my hunger completely. Most days I do ride waves of hunger, and just deal with it!

Three weeks in, I think I might be reaching a plateau. I am worried that I am maybe restricting my calories too much. I have experienced in the last few days more intense hunger (like a +7 or 8) and my weight went up a little. I am just shy of my “last 10 pounds” and thinking that things will start getting harder. But still, in the past, I was able to stay at my desired weight (i.e.120 pounds) with 1600-1700 calories a day (my pre-perimenopause days!). It is possible that I am pushing too much with a daily 300-500 calorie deficient?

Thanks!
Nathalie