Quick background: I started running my map toward the beginning of last year, which one of the main parts included losing a bunch of weight to get down to 10 percent body fat. So I started working out moderately and gained some muscle and lost some fat and then put a bunch back on at the end of the year. Starting in January 2017, I decided I needed to take a more serious approach to get to my goal. So I went to a pretty intense workout program, and began restricting my calories to 2,000 a day with 1 pound of body weight to 1 gram of protein ratio. Things have gone pretty well. If my math is right, I have put on perhaps 20-25 pounds of muscle, which is great, because even when I was very lean in the military, I was scrawny. I have also gotten down to about maybe 15-18 percent body fat, losing a steady 2 pounds per week.

So here is where I am stuck and am hoping some of you guys who got down to 10 percent body fat can help. Now that I am about 10 maybe 15 pounds to my goal of 10 percent, I am noticing that my body is resisting losing the weight much more. The plateaus are closer together and require a lot more restriction to get past. So right now, I have to drop to 1500 calories with at least 40 percent protein to move the number down. The trouble with that is that I am pretty damn tired and I get gassed out easier during my workouts. I am also concerned that I am shooting myself in the foot as I spend more time in a very restricted calorie period, as the body will adjust and just lower my metabolism.

Did anyone else run into this problem when they got down to within 10-15 pounds of their goal? Are there any strategies that keep your energy up while still forcing your body past the plateaus? Thanks