redsoxgirl2418

I'm an obese female, 26 years old, 5'3. I have struggled with my weight since I was a teenager. I went on a low carb diet about 4 years ago and lost 50 pounds. At that point, I weighed 180 pounds. Still a lot, I know. I went back to college after losing that weight over the summer and gained a little back over the course of that year, it was difficult to be in that environment and try to eat little to no carbs. Anyway, since then, I have dieted off and on. Even when I'm "off" the diet, I can't say I eat a tremendous amount. But over the course of those 4 years I have gained 100 pounds, most of that over the first 2. I had never gained weight at such a high rate before. I tried various diets (not fad diets, just eating better), including weight watchers for about 6 months, but I have had no luck losing weight. I may lose 5-10 pounds over the first month or so, but after that I either gain a little or stay the same no matter what. It really brought me down and so up until a month ago, I had really gone a good year without making a valiant effort to lose.

Right after the 4th of July, I decided to try again. I consume approx. 12-1500 calories per day. I include fiber rich cereals, light, whole grain bread, lean meats, veggies and fruits, olive oil only in small amounts. Cut out a lot of sodium. I go to the gym every other day and do 45 minutes of vigorous cardio and 45 minutes of weight/resistance training. I feel much better, don't get as out of breath walking distances or up hills, have more energy. But, I lost 6 pounds over the first 2 weeks of this diet, and now have been stuck at the exact same weight for the last 2. I just feel that someone of my weight, given what I eat and the activity that I do, it just seems that I should be seeing more weight come off. I'm burning close to 600 calories at the gym, not to mention someone of my height/weight should have a BMR of around 2000 per day anyway.

I certainly plan on continuing this lifestyle I've started for myself, because I feel healthier and better. But does it seem like there is some problem here that is causing me to not lose weight? I'm not looking for a miracle here, I understand that I'm looking at more than a year to reach a healthy weight. But should I be losing at a more regular rate, even if it's only a pound or two a week? It seems that a month is a little early to plateau in a diet...