Trouble Losing Weight, getting v.depressed - HELP!

[minime]

congratulations on your body fat reduction! As the others have said, hang in there!

[LiftGirl]

I think you're doing great! I know it's slow and it sucks sometimes that it's so slow, but you are getting there. Keep up the great work!

[Nat Bica]

Hi

Well - its been a while since I logged on an gave you an update - I have been focusing and training hard, and the time has just flown by!

Problem is, my results seem to have hit a plato and in the last 2 months I haven't lost any weight on the scales, or lost any size (I measure myself once a month).
My problem areas are this really annoying bit of flab beneath my belly button that creeps over the top of my jeans - the ever famous 'Muffin Tops' and the inner tops of my thighs.

I still stick by a healthy diet, ensuring I get a good mix of complex carbs/fat/protein at everymeal, with no carbs in the evening and an extremely limited sugar intake. I have recently cut my daily cals back by about 200, so I am now down to about 1500cals a day. I don't really want to eat any less, as I will be starving!

I am still doing the training you advised - Upper body day #1, lower body #2, cardio #3, rest day #4, but have recently introduced another cardio session in as day #2 to try and kick start some weightloss, with no results yet.

I am wondering if maybe I am doing the wrong type of cardio? Cardio day #1 I do 30 minutes on the treadmill at 11.5, and then one 15 minute followed by a 10 minute session on the rower/stepper/bike/cross trainer.
Cardio day #2 I do pyramid/interval training on the treadmill for 40 minutes, and then the same as above, one 15 minute followed by a 10 minute session on the rower/stepper/bike/cross trainer.

I have read in some of the other threads that doing HIIT (is this High Intensity Interval Traning??) is the best thing to get rid of the lbs. Can you recommend any good programmes I can use in additional to what I am doing to help kick start my weight loss again??

Cheers

Nat

[cursor]

Manipulate your fuel intake so that you eat more on workout days, while eating less on non-workout days. Eating the same number of calories each day is not the optimal way to lose fat. Continuing to reduce daily calories across the board can be quite destructive to your metabolism -- and consequently, to your fat loss goals.