Weight loss plateau, the basics and checklist

Question
Hi there

I started a weight loss regime on 16/1/09, weighing in at 311 lbs.  I am a 5ft 4 female, aged 35, so very morbidly obese.

I have been following a calorie counted diet (of proper food - no shakes or faddy stuff) of 1200 cals a day.  I lost a good amount of weight for the first 4 weeks, but my weight loss then slowed, so I thought perhaps I was eating too few calories for my size, so I upped my intake to around 1400 cals a day.

For the past 3 weeks I have only lost 1lb a week, which is worrying me, as I would have thought that at my size, I would be losing weight faster than this.  I am limited in my exercising due to a back problem, but I have been getting out every lunchtime and walking for 30 mins or so (which is more exercise than I was doing before).

I am really mystyfied why I am not losing faster - I feel well in myself, but am now not sure whether to keep eating the 1400 cals a day, drop down to 1200 again, or what!

Is there anything I could do to further improve my rate of loss?  I have heard some supplements are helpful to weight loss but don't know if that's true.  Any help you can give is greatly appreciated.

Answer
Helen,

There are too many reasons for weight loss plateau to jam them into one simple answer. You might want to figure out what this plateau is and what can be done to break it. Please read:

What the plateau is about
http://bantadiet.com/banta/?page_id=46

Body-weight set point
http://bantadiet.com/banta/?page_id=49

Plateau Checklist
http://bantadiet.com/banta/?page_id=48

Are you having enough nutrients?
http://bantadiet.com/banta/?page_id=49

Are you having wrong supplements?
http://bantadiet.com/banta/?page_id=49

Read also my answers to similar question at allexperts.com

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Special-Diets-768/South-Beach-Diet-plateau.htm

Tanya Zilberter

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Nutrition-Dieting-939/2008/10/Weight-loss-plateau-bel...

1. Prev:advice....
2. Next:Carb addict