Weight Loss and Trying to Conceive

I've lost 20 lbs in the last 9 mos by closely watching my calorie intake.
I had no idea ow much I'd been eating. I always thought I ate fairly healthy. And I was. I was just eating way more than my body needed.
I'm 5'2", and I'm down to 122 from 140 in March.

Track your calories. Everything. Beverages too. You'd be floored how fast it all adds up. Make adjustments from there.
I keep my calories now between 1200-1400/day, and I work out 5 days/week (that has never changed).

I use an app on my phone call Calorie Counter.

Eat more, more often, and exercise less.

When you create a huge deficit, you can be eating 400 calories a day & hiking 10 miles a day, and GAIN weight.

In order to lose weight long term, you have to increase your metabolism.

Here's the thing:

To GAIN weight, you have to lose a little first (by eating less & exercising more), and then your body adjusts and starts packing on pounds.

To LOSE weight, you have to gain a little first (by eating more & exercising less).

Yes. It sounds backwards... Because most people "do it wrong". Instead of all the fad diets that cropped up a generation ago... Listen to your grandmother: Clean you plate, and then go sit down for a little while. Put butter on your sammies. Eat 3 meals & 3 snacks (aka 6 times a day). Walk more often. Sit up straight, don't slouch, and don't lean back in your chair.

My mom cut out carbs and increased protein... It's been 1 year and she has lost between 80-90 pounds (The last time she was "bragging" it was 80 pounds but she has lost more since then). She looks like a completely different person! I look back at photos from a couple years ago and go "Hey - Where's mom?" before realizing which one is her.

Low carb/sugar such as "17 day diet" and daily cardio with weights 3x week.