Is it actually the case that some fat is more "stubborn" than other fat? For example, is losing the last ten pounds of an otherwise straight forward weight loss plan known to be considerably more difficult? I am curious to know why losing this weight is more difficult, and why would it be inconsistent with previous losses and why, in my case, this fat collects where it does, around the gut.

If it is more difficult to lose the last of this weight, how does one alter their diet/cardio/strength training routine to accomodate this issue?

Is it actually the case that some fat is more "stubborn" than other fat? For example, is losing the last ten pounds of an otherwise straight forward weight loss plan known to be considerably more difficult?
Pretty much yes, it tends to get harder and harder.

If it is more difficult to lose the last of this weight, how does one alter their diet/cardio/strength training routine to accomodate this issue?
That all depends on the person, what he/she was doing previously (type of diet, macro ratios, calories, training volume/intensity/frequency, cardio, etc. etc. etc.).

Sometimes the answer is as straight forward as "cut calories further."

And sometimes the answer isn't as simple. Sometimes the answer is "5 more minutes of HIIT per workout." Sometimes it's "lower training volume." Sometimes you want to refeed more often (a day bumping calories, typically from carbs, up closer to or slightly above maintenance level). Sometimes you need to radically change the diet (change macronutrient ratios completely, introduce carb cycling, etc.).

Do you need help, are you at a point where the fatloss has stalled? If so, what are you currently doing (diet, training, rest, etc.)? How long have you been doing what you're doing?

Well, I suppose I do need a bit of help. My story is this: I have had great success in losing weight recently. In very little time I have gone from 216 pounds to 200 pounds. I feel so much better on every level. People are telling me that I'm looking trim and healthy. And I feel it. All that I've done, essentially, is adjust my diet considerably and become way more active. I eat only healthy, organic foods now -- a good mix of carbs, fat, and protein -- and I bike every day for 45 minutes. I haven't missed a day of cardio nor have I had a cheat meal or a beer or a damn potato chip in weeks. I'm also playing a ton of tennis. But that is all that I've done. Absolutely no weights have been lifted, no strength training, nothing.

My plan was to reach my target weight of 185 pounds before I began strength training. Why? I think the main reason was that I've been seeing such progress on the scale and as much as I hear that measurements are more valuable than numbers on a scale, I was pleased with my results and was/am still determined to reach 185, my high school weight. And it's not as if I'm totally stalled with these last ten to fifteen pounds, but I suppose I am anticipating something.

I have at least part of the answer to your problems, and I am not at all being sarcastic: LIFT WEIGHTS. :)

But additionally, without knowing more detail on what exactly you are eating each day and how much of each food you are eating, it's hard to give any other advice. If you can lay out a sample mealplan for one day then we might be able to offer some tips.

Playing tennis is great, I think that will help and I'm all for getting outside and just being active with sports and enjoying exercise. But still, though, I feel excluding weightlifting in your plan will turn out to be a mistake in the long run.

Whatever you decide though, good luck. :)

If I'm understanding correctly, you're kind of wanting to know what to expect?

Usually when someone starts on the weightloss journey, their first 2-4 weeks they may seem some stellar results on the scale, but in reality it isn't neccesarily all fatloss. If you have been eating poorly, not drinking much water, and not exercising, anywhere from the first 5-15lbs can be nothing more then water weight and waste weight being flushed out of the system. Good things to lose, but once it's gone.. it's gone. Many people will see losses of 3-5lbs a week and get all excited thinking this trend will keep up and the weight will be gone in no time.

After this initial loss, things can slow down a bit as you get into just solely fatloss, and this can discourage a lot of people. You'll move into a pattern of losing 1-2lbs a week (Which is where it should be). Sometimes this causes knee jerk reactions into cutting calories too low or over exercising in an effort to try and get back to the higher losses you were seeing at first. The problem with this is that a) It's very hard to maintain. b) You're doing your body more harm then good in the long run. But if you allow your self to settle into the 1-2lbs per week loss, usually this can hold steady for sometime depending on how much you have to lose and your overall body composition.

Eventually though the body's survival response kicks in and it will actually try to protect it's self from a perceived starvation. It will find ways to reduce your overall metabolism to match the calorie input. It does this by destroying you muscles (Which require more calories to maintain), instead of (or along with) the fat.

This process continues until eventually your diet will stall and you need to adjust. This can come in several different options or a combination as decribed by FastGTX above. What needs to be done will vary from person to person based on several factors.

The main reason why everyone here at JSF and most good succesful diet programs all recommend to start lifting weights right away, is because of it's ability to stop or slow down the body from burning off the muscle and can hold off the dreaded plateau, not to mention is helps maintaining your loss much easier once you hit your goal.

With me I had to keep raising calories the whole way down. The only thing that makes sense is the leaner you get the more my body wanted to keep the remaining fat.

Right now I'm not working out at all while I get ready for a big move. I'm eating on average pretty close to 2200 calories. I'm losing weight. Now considering I'm down to 137 I don't really want to lose weight but it's going.