My Baseline (BMR) is around 1600 a day. Considering a seated lifestyle (not completely seated but better to be on the safe side ), this brings my metabolic rate (supposedly) up to 2500 calories a day. So, on what I'm consuming (1600-1800) I should be creating a caloric deficit each day of at least 700 calories, and as much as 900.

I'm not adverse to lowering my calories if need be, but don't want to put them too low.

Carlene, I've been afraid to try to do any drastic 'shaking'. I did have a piece of cake last Saturday at my nephew's graduation party, which ended up being at least 140 carbs. The next day I went right back to my normal eating, and have been eating no more than 25-30 carbs daily for the past week instead of my usual 30-40 to see if that would help. Outside of finally getting rid of most of the water weight involved in the cake incident, the scales are just plum happy to bounce between the aforementioned weights. I'm also not taking off anything in inches. I measured a few days ago and compared it to my measurements in January--they were the same.

I might also add, that if I have anything with sugar alcohols (rarely) I count all the carbs. I eat a piece of LC bread maybe once a week, and mostly not even that often.

PecanPie, would you mind sharing your age? I'm 44 so I know my metabolism ain't what it used to be.