Maybe VLC isn't for you! I really struggled in VLC, and then I added some good carbs (60-100 grams daily) and I feel great. I started losing more fat, and have a lot more energy! You might also be eating too little. What are your calories? Ht? Wt?

You really have to experiment with Paleo. What works for one, may not work for another. Find what makes you feel the best and go from there.

Theresa, since you're 43, you might want to consider that perhaps you've entered perimenopause which, for many women (including myself) makes it much harder to lose weight. In my case, I am suffering through a 3-month stall after losing 30 pounds fairly quickly (although, not as quickly as my husband...naturally). I tend to judge more about how I feel, and how much energy I have, rather than how much weight I'm losing - it helps keep me from feeling discouraged.

If you are discouraged after losing 11 pounds in two months then you are trying to lose weight way to fast! Don't compare your weight loss to others, as Ben said you have to adjust to what your body needs to function happily. Paleo will not usually result in very rapid weight loss if you have a broken metabolism/hormonal issues/or you do not have a lot of weight to lose, so thinking you should be 25 pounds down at three months is setting yourself up for disappointment.

I still have not found my "sweet spot" either, therefore it helps to focus on measurements and how getting healthy is more important than the scale. As a former yo-yo VLC dieter (Atkins induction style) who was used to dropping 15 pounds when necessary, switching to paleo was a rude awakening as far as plateaus are concerned. One thing you could address in addition to adding more carbs is lowering your PUFA. If you cannot get GF meat, then eliminate chicken, pork and nuts. Inflammation can cause stalls that last for weeks. I have been working on keeping PUFA lower than 4% and I just feel better in general, more energetic, and more muscular even though the scale hangs around the same number. Good luck!

Congratulations on your weight loss! It is normal to have weight fluctuation around your period. Since you are unable to eat red meat, you may have low ferritin levels...meaning low iron available in your body. This can cause extreme fatigue. You may also need to look at your adrenals, thyroid, and other hormones.

With regard to staying in ketosis, you might try meat & fat only for a few days. In my experience, it takes about 48 hours to see a big change in levels. Intermittent fasting is working well for me. I have not seen a huge change on the scale, but it boosts my ketosis and leans me out. I can tell a big improvement in losing fat and adding lean muscle. There is the possibility of being reactive to dairy in which the cream and regular butter could be sabotage. You might try ghee and full fat coconut milk instead.

What are your Vitamin D levels? Are you taking Vitamin D3? Most people need more than 5000 IU per day of Vit D3 with a lot more if they have leaky gut or an existing deficiency. For example, it took me a year of 10,000 IU per day to raise my D levels from 27 to 58.

The need for laxatives is concerning. You might want to add coconut oil to your regimen. It could help with your regularity and fat intake. I like 1 T coconut oil in 10 oz. coffee with 1 oz. heavy cream. It is like clockwork within an hour. If you are not a coffee fan, you might want to give it another try with coconut oil or milk. It tastes less like coffee and more dessert-like.

There are two things I thought of when you said you had constipation and low energy levels:

1. hypothyroidism--Get your thyroid levels checked if you haven't already.

2. dairy allergy/intolerance--Not all dairy sensitivities cause rashes and/or diarrhea. Sometimes constipation is the only symptom of milk allergy.

Regarding the read meat and constipation issue. Might not be making enough enzymes to help break it down. I asked a question regarding why some people can't eat red meat, and that was one of the answers. (Some people do have an allergy apparently to red meat.)

I recently bought some pro-biotic liquid for a friend of mine (an ounce a day---tastes like juice)-- I think fermented veggies do the same thing; help with enyzmes in the stomach & constipation. This also helps with absorption of the food you eat. I had the fermented veggies and pro-biotic liquid (1 oz)the other day at a seminar-had very healthy BM the next morning.

I am 45 and my peri-menopause symptoms have seemed to have corrected themselves-and I don't have any weight issues.

hoping eventually you will be able to add red meat into your diet. Good luck!

http://paleohacks.com/questions/23804/how-can-some-people-not-be-able-to-eat-red-meat#axzz1HKxSjhuR

It took you years to get where you are today. Don't imagine a couple months can easily undo years of damage.

"it feels like i take two steps forward three steps back"

You know, everyone else is contributing great advice on the diet regimen, which is awesome. But it sounds like your question was actually two parts: diet and feeling discouraged.

I just want to say, it's okay and normal to feel discouraged. It happens to everyone. It's part of the process. It's normal to want to fast forward past all the work and struggle and frustrations and be at the flippin' finish line already.

I recently saw several people posting articles about discouragement and finding your motivation again, which is part of why your post caught my eye.

Maryann Devine, in Discouragement Alley

Havi Brooks, When You Feel Discouraged

Havi Brooks, On Discouragement

And one (possibly dorky) thing I've started doing is making a list of 101 things in my life that support my diet/fitness/weightloss goals. Little specific things about my spirituality, philosophy, family, etc. that contribute to my motivation. Little images of why I'm doing this. Quotes that inspire me to keep going. Little habits that are helping in small ways. Just a list. I'm finding that the act of writing the list helps. And re-reading the list helps.

I hope some of this helps. And for the record, I think 11 lbs is great -- and I hope I'll be there in another couple of months!

I feel the same way. I lost 10 pounds over 3 months and I'm so very very discouraged. It isn't fast enough! I'm starting on this and eating copious amounts of greens, non-starchy veg, chicken, and beef.

I still feel really ill when I read my totals for the day and it says I"ve consumed 60 grams of fat. TOO MUCH! I"ll never lose weight if I'm eating so much fat. O_O

I've been paleo (similar to you) since around the first of January. I've only lost about 9 pounds and most of that was in the first three weeks. I absolutely know how you feel about being frustrated with the scale. I know my clothes feel different, but not seeing any change on the scale was so frustrating.

I started measuring myself at the end of February (waist, hips, biceps, thighs, bust, etc - basically everything with the idea that I'd see changes somewhere). Seeing those numbers drop has been a huge confidence boost! So..my scale says I've only lost half a pound in the past two weeks, but my measuring tape says I've lost 8.5 inches. :-)

The only exercise I'm doing right now is lunges & push ups and things that are similar because I can do them quickly and they make me feel good. I'm trying to get out for walks, but weather + kids + life is making that a challenge right now.

Theresa,

I started out as obese and had a lot of weight to lose. It took me over 6 years to lose the 111lbs that I eventually lost. Sometimes I thought I had it all figured out and I'd gain again. It wasn't an easy journey, but what I can tell you is that it was ABSOLUTELY AND COMPLETELY worth it.

I think the fact that it took me so long will be the key to keeping the weight off. Each setback started me on a new journey of learning about fitness and nutrition. Weight loss isn't meant to be easy, I don't think. I know for some people it seems effortless, but without the work behind it, then it doesn't mean as much and it seems like it's so much easier for them to slip back into old bad habits.

The little voice inside my head (What?! I know you have one too!) was brutal sometimes. Self doubt, self flaggelation and just feeling like giving up was so much easier sometimes.

Please stick with it, losing 1 to 2lbs a week is exactly where you should be, I think, for a long term weight loss. Some weeks will be awesome and you might lose 3lbs and others might just suck ass and you'll gain a pound. How our bodies deal with the changes are not always obvious. If you know you have been eating well and exercising the best you can BELIEVE IN YOUR BODY and it usually will all catch up.

I think calorie tracking and tweaking your ratios of fat/protein/carbs and a bit of HIIT can be the key to weight loss. I know it doesn't work for everyone though.

<3