WHY IS IT SO HARD TO LOSE THOSE LAST 10 LBS?

I need to lose 7-8 lbs to get back to where I was last summer; but I want to lose 10 lbs. I completed a 4 month long yoga teacher training program & during that time I was doing at least 5 hot yoga classes a week, but I completely abandoned my regular weight training sessions at the gym. A lot of my yogi friends are vegetarians & have ridiculously healthy eating habits, so yoga is all they need to stay in shape. I am NOT one of those people & I’ve gained 7-8 lbs to prove it (not on purpose, of course).

I've been working out at a local gym since I was fifteen. I’ve never been over weight, I’ve just worked out to maintain & tone up. I typically eat what I want with a few very simple limitations:

1)Drink water. (No more than 1-2 glasses a week of soda, sweet tea, etc.)
2)No Fast Food! (I’ll eat Chick-fil-A no more than 1-2 times a month)
3)Pack lunches during the work week. (This helps me maintain rule #2)
4)No condiments. (This works in my favor, but isn’t really a rule because I just happen to hate the taste of condiments. So “rule” #4 just comes naturally.)
5)Limit junk food. (I never snack on Ho Hos, chips, etc. I will eat a handful of chips w/ a sandwich for lunch, but I never just snack on a bag of chips.)
6)Limit chai tea/coffee. (I do occasionally reward myself in the morning with a chai tea from Bad Ass or Perked Up. BUT: I only order a small or medium size & I limit myself to 2 chais a week. Ok maybe 3 if I’m desperate.)

So, you’re probably noticing that I’m good about not eating fast food & not snacking on junk food, but you’ve probably also noticed that I didn’t mention what I do eat. And that’s where the problem lies. I eat A LOT of carbs & I have dessert following lunch &/or dinner almost every single day.

I’ve decided that eating the way I normally do & exercising the way I normally do is great to maintain, but not so good for losing weight. I’m not “hard core” or dedicated enough to commit to a major lifestyle change though. So, I plan on starting with a couple adjustments & will reevaluate if within a month I’m not seeing any results.

1)Add 2 morning runs to my normal workout schedule. (My normal weekly workout consists of at least 2 days of weight training with a 3rd day of either a 1 hr Total Body class or an extra weight training session.)
2)Eliminate dessert after lunch & limit dessert after dinner. (Instead of eating ice cream, brownies, etc. I’ll have Yoplait whipped chocolate mousse style yogurt or fresh fruit w/ a small scoop of vanilla flavored Cool Whip. These desserts may seem like cheating but I have a MAJOR sweet tooth, so this is a big deal me. And I won’t eat these desserts every night. If I can restrain myself I may even skip a few nights of dessert so I can go to my all time fave once every other week- Skinny Dip!! )

I’ll keep you guys posted! If this works then I will have figured out how to lose those last 10 lbs that just love to hang around…

-e