:c( :c( :c(

I have lost and gained the very same two pounds in the last... 2-3 weeks. Just before then, the weight was just sliding off! I used to lose 3-5 pounds each and every week! ... I'm seeing good results (27+ LBs lost) but I'm getting quite frustrated with what seems to be my very first plateau... :(

advice appreciated. Thanks.

Hi, Dan. Yes, plateaus are difficult. But they happen to all of us at one time or another.

The problem is that our weight-loss is not a consistent slide downward. We tend to think that the lbs. will drop off at the rate of 1-2 lbs. per week until we reach our goal weight. But it doesn't work quite that way. And as we get closer to goal, the weight comes off more slowly.

Probably what is happening is that your body is catching up with itself. You are gaining muscle due to your exercise. And you are undoubtedly getting healthier due to the weight you have lost. You have lost quite a bit of weight, and you should be very proud of yourself. And you will lose more.

I am a bit of an expert on plateaus. In the year 2000 I lost over 45 lbs. with a low-fat diet plus exercise. Then I hit a plateau, with no weight loss for 2 1/2 years. My weight loss resumed in May when I began controlling my carbs, and I have lost an additional 10 lbs. over the summer.

So my advice is be patient. Keep plugging away. Maybe vary your exercise a bit. Check over your food intake to see what is what in that department. You have probably done all that.

But most of all, do not give up. You've got lots of time ahead of you. I lost weight when I was 74 years old. Now I am 77, 60 years older than you are so I could be your great grandma. I speak with authority. :D

You are doing great. Keep doing what you have been doing.

How about maybe upping the cardio intensity just a bit. Do you do cardio in the morning? If not this may also help burn that unwanted fat away. JO, how inspirational 77 years old and doing the fitness thing. I want to be just like that when I am in my 70's. What a great accomplishment, actually for both of you. Good job!!!!

Oh Dan, I'm so sorry! I know how awful these are and you have my total empathy!!! Hang in there, though - maybe change your diet for a few days or up the cardio like May said - you'll get through it. Let us know when it's over, okay???