18 months out! How to shed the last 10 pounds?????

Haven't posted in a long while since I have basically stalled since May 2016.  Weighed 198.8 that morning and today weight 196.3.  My original goal was 186 (150 pounds down).  My lowest weight since May 2016 was 195.6.

I have been pleased to maintain here for all this time as I feel good, I look good (in my opinion, lol) and I am in the "overweight" category at about 27 BMI.  Just still want to hit that magic number and be able to maintain that for a period of time.  It's kind of like I want that leeway that I would have at 186 that I just don't have at 196 (I really don't want to fluctuate above the 199.9 magic number, which I do occasionally at my current weight). 

It's not that I don't know how to lose that last 10 lbs. just I didn't think I would still be at that point for this many months!  Maybe I am just rambling about nothing right now!  I would still be about 26 BMI at 186, my physician is pleased where I am right now because of my age, 61.  This seems to be a bucket list kind of thing for me......

Anybody else been stuck this long like this???  Is it time for acceptance?

Are you tracking what you eat and how many calories a day you are eating? If you have stayed the same that long then you are in maintenance. In order to start losing again you will have to lower your calories. Eliminate carbs if you are eating them.  

Well, in my opinion it is about avoiding the yoyoing we all became so good at. If you think you can maintain effectively & without nashing of teeth at 10 lbs. less go for it.  But sometimes the body wants what the body wants.

Everyone treats this differently. Some are ecstatic to maintain at a 30 BMI. Some will never be happy until they reach 23. You have to decide first, which one you are. If you want to go lower, you need to decide if you want to work harder to do that. Every one of us has the same choice.

If you want to go lower, stop stumbling around in the dark. Use a kitchen scale and weigh every bite of food you eat, to the last gram. Track it all on Myfitnesspal. Eat 500 fewer calories per day than you have been maintaining on, and you will lose 1 pound per week. 

When you get this close, that last bit is hard work. Only you can decide if the effort is worth it.

I tried to treat the last 9 months as a maintenance period (in my mind) .... kind of resetting my metabolism, etc.  So hopefully I can do better with the weight loss the next 6 months.

My diet, for the most part, is good -- we all have our days I believe.  I don't overeat carbs too much at all (over drink maybe).  If I do eat too much it tends to be high protein snacks.  Exercise is good, average 11,000 steps a day, water is usually around 60 oz average a day.  Plus all the coffee on top of that  . .. :-).  My one vice is probably 4 oz of wine 3-4 times a week.  I know high carbs!  My yoyo weight is between 196 and 203.  I would be extremely happy to fluctuate between 186 and 193 -- I have a target, just need to get there.  It seems so close yet so far.

Well, you clearly know what to do.  Ditch the wine, ditch the liquid calories, increase water, track what you eat.  

What if you cut out the wine? Maybe you could chip away at that stuborn 10.

You have great advice here.  You will be shocked how much weight you will lose cutting the wine out.  Good Luck!

Wine definitely has calories, although it's not actually "high carb."  Check it out.  :)

But back to your actual questions -- how do I get to goal and should I worry about it at this point?  

I went through a bit of this "what if'ing" while, after reaching my first goal of 150 pounds, I slowly lost another 15 pounds over the next 9 months.  I honestly think (with no way of proving it, of course) that losing those pounds so slowly preserved my still-good metabolism.  

I'm like @roxytrim and don't want to revert to yo-yo dieting.  That's rough on the psyche and rough on the metabolism.  That's the main reason why, 2.5 years post-op, I work so freakin' hard to keep the scales as steady as I can, day to day and week to week.  

Just more food for thought as you consider your options.  :)

Cut calories, add exercise...be mindful of the tastes and bites, they add up.