I have only been at this since September 1st and I've had my ups and downs too. One of my son's had a birthday on October 11 and I probably had 3 pieces of double layer chocolate cake that weekend. I gained almost a half pound that week and then had to go through carb withdrawal again for 3 days. It's not worth it. I find that I do much better sticking to 20 net carbs (avoiding sugar alcohols as others recommended), drink plenty of water, get a good night's rest, and move everyday. It seems like weight loss isn't predictable; it just happens when it happens. Try to enjoy the foods you make within the diet and give the scale some time to catch up to the work you are doing. You might want to take your measurements too (like bust, waist, hips) and see those change sometimes when the scale isn't budging. I loved reading that you are getting more active and that is great! It may cause some muscle growth which is heavier than fat but looks trimmer and you may have a little water surrounding those achy muscles so drink plenty of water or take a Tylenol to help with that if you can. I can't wait to see the results appear in due time! Good luck!