I'm not sure what you mean by "hard" workouts as its all relative but as women get older, the best thing you can do is strength train to build muscle. Use heavier weights than what you think you can handle and if you can add a couple of workout days to your regimen. Just doing cardio wont do it. Also, cutting out the alcohol really helps too as those are just empty calories. But since it already sounds like you track your what you are eating and the amoutn of exercise you are doing, it sounds like you need to see a doctor to rule out any other medical conditions. Good luck!

You might be consuming too few calories. Have you discussed this plan with a dietician, nutritionist, or physician? 1200 calories may be too few calories to keep your metabolism up, and you may be unintentionally slowing down your body's ability to burn. When the body thinks it's being starved, it holds on more tightly to what calories it does have.

Additionally, instead of trying to burn 2500 calories in one day, it's best to exercise-- even just an hour's walk-- 5 days a week. Anything that's too restrictive or creating a yo-yo effect will only stress your body out and frustrate you. On top of which, you lower your risk for any kind of injury with more moderate exercise on a more regular basis, rather than high intensity all in one day. I highly recommend seeking professional advice, especially if this is a new plan you've put yourself on. Good luck.

It seems like you may have an underlying medical condition that is preventing you from losing weight. Before you try anything else you need to go see a doctor.

If the doctor says you're fine, some miscalculations may be going on. Do you weigh and measure your food intake? How are you measuring your calorie expenditure? If you're estimating these numbers the problem could lie there, or the app on your phone could be incorrect. Get a food scale and a device like the bodybugg. A lot of people underestimate the number of calories they're eating.

Finally, track your measurements as well as your weight. If you're losing inches that's a good indicator you're making progress in the right direction.

Go to a doctor. Your metabolism may be compromised for some reason (e.g. hypothyroidism). I know not all diets work for all people. Some people restrict calories and lose weight fine. Some people are very sensitive to carbohydrates and can only lose weight if you restrict starches and sugars.

I agree with baker_d: You're eating too few calories, especially on the days that you're exercising. Depending on your workouts, you may also be gaining muscle. You could also consider monitoring your % body fat rather than weight to see your progress. It's less satisfying than seeing a smaller number on the scale, but is also less frustrating. Good luck!

That honestly sounds like "exercise bullemia", where you insist on burning absolutely every calorie that crosses your lips. Your body needs SOME calories just to survive (basal metabolic rate), and if you consume too few or burn too many, it goes into starvation mode, holding onto every gram of fat it can possibly hold. Go see a doctor and work out a more sensible plan, please! Our bodies are more complicated than simple math.

We change as our bodies change with the years I resisted looking at my diet because, compared to 95% of the people I know, I ate SO well! Finally, I reached out to a nutritionist - Every Day Nutrition with JoAnna Priest - all real food, simply prepared. I feel wonderful.

Highly recommend AND I know you will feel better! Best wishes!

Everything I read says that you should be netting a minimum of 1200 calories a day meaning that if you have a gym session and you burn 600 calories for that day you should be eating 1800 calories. "normal & healthy" human's basal metabolic rate is usually between 1700-2200 calories a day by cutting or exercising 500 calories a day you should be losing about a pound a week.

How do your clothes fit? Are they more snug after the weight gain? Do they fit any differently? If they fit better or are getting loose, that is a good thing - despite the increased weight.

You will want to rule out something like a thyroid problem. If you already have a thyroid problem, you may need to talk with your doctor about adjusting your medication levels.

For me, slow, steady, and consistent workouts help me lose more weight. I don't get burned out and I don't feel like vomiting after a workout. In addition to what others have said, I would switch to a more frequent but less strenuous workout routine.

I agree with the other who recommended seeing a doctor. Once you get a physical and some bloodwork done (have them check your thyroid), the next step should be to work with a nutritionist to have them test your actual BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) and work with you to set calories goals for both your diet and your exercise. This way you're working toward goals that are tailored to YOUR body, and not the generic "average" person with your height and weight.

Insurance should cover the annual physical, and you can probably get the nutritionist covered as well, particularly if you have your regular doctor refer you. After those two things, if budget allows, I'd consider hiring a personal trainer. Even if you don't want to pay for regular sessions, one or two visits can be enough to set you down a productive path toward your goals.

Some thoughts: You might be putting on muscle which weights more than fat; you might have stalled your metabolism by eating too little and exercising too much; you might have an underlying medical condition; you might be under and/or over estimating on food or exercise.

I agree with the other commenters, you're eating too few calories ESPECIALLY on those days you're exercising. Your body is in survival starvation mode and trying to hold onto everything it can.

You have to consume enough calories to meet the needs of your basal metabolic rate (here's a calculator). Eating below that will not make you lose weight faster -- it'll make you unhealthy, and you'll lose muscle mass, not fat. It will not make you lose weight faster, but it can make you sick. It sounds boring and like a platitude, but moderation! A 500 calorie deficit from what you expend (which is ABOVE your basal metabolic rate -- here's a calculator) will help you lose one pound a week, which is widely cited as a healthy, reasonable goal.

If you're really curious about how many calories you burn in a day, consider something like a Fitbit. It's a pedometer-sized device that you wear all day, every day, and it measures your physical activity, calculating calories probably as accurately as you're gonna get.

If you're exercising so much (too much?), maybe you're adding muscle mass, and as we all know, muscle weighs more than fat.

When people say things like, "losing more than a pound a week is unhealthy," or "don't consumer fewer calories than your basal metabolic rate," we tend to think that we're the exception -- or at least I do. But I'm not an exception, and you're not, either. "Unhealthy" sounds vague and like a small price to pay, but it's no joke, and making yourself sick is NOT the way to go. And more importantly, you'll lose weight faster when you do it "healthily." Medical professionals are not holding out on you or lying to you about the best way to lose weight -- eating too few calories (and fewer than 1200 most certainly, by any estimation, is too few) and exercising too much IS unhealthy.

Please, please go ask your doctor for advice, if you have insurance and the ability to go do so. If you do, you're a very lucky person, so take advantage of your privilege. If not, there're a ton of great resources on the internet, but there're also a lot of really horrible ones, so please, please choose carefully!

Like others have said, if you're really exercising that much then you're not eating enough.
At the risk of going off on a rant, here's what I've figured out through personal experience:
Staying away from sugar is a good idea, but I'm betting that if you're also avoiding fat then you're probably eating a lot of grains and starches, which is almost the same as eating sugar as far as your metabolism is concerned. I'm not suggesting going low-carb, or going on a crazy bacon diet, but you might consider replacing a good portion of calories you get from carbs with healthy fats instead.
I've been struggling with the same sort of situation for years - working out and eating like everyone says you're "supposed to" to lose weight, and I'd just gain instead. Plus I was tired ALL the time, and if I didn't eat something every 2 hours I'd go crazy. Once I cut out most grains (I still eat rice with my Chinese food, and oatmeal when I'm sick and need something comforting) and started eating real food again, I started feeling SO much better. A lot of current research is pointing in the direction of low-fat diets being a major cause of the rise in obesity, mostly because eating a grain-heavy diet does insane things to your insulin levels, which makes it almost physically impossible to burn off stored fat. Try to regulate your insulin as much as possible, which is something that happens naturally when you're eating a reasonable amount of healthy fat. You're body isn't going to burn the fat you have stored up unless it gets used to burning fat that you're eating, which isn't going to happen if you're avoiding it.
I'm not saying go super-high-fat either, but for a lot of people I guess a normal amount of fat can seem like "high fat" at first.
Check out marksdailyapple.com, seriously. There are some crazy paleo-diet people on there, but for the most part what Mark has to say is very sensible and is based on solid scientific research. Eat vegetables, protein, and healthy fats. Mostly vegetables. It's not a super-strict diet, it just gives a lot of information to seriously think about in relation to how you're eating and living your life. After doing Weight Watchers for YEARS and basically getting nowhere, when I started looking into this stuff finally clicked and I started losing weight. I sleep better. I don't turn into a zombie every day after lunch. The food I'm eating tastes infinitely better than the low-fat processed everything I was eating before. I work out when I feel like it, and I don't feel bad if I skip a day because I know it's not a big deal. I don't track my calories obsessively anymore, but sometimes I'll plug a day's worth of food into SparkPeople and I'm always surprised at how few calories I'm eating to feel full.
Sorry, this got long, but it's literally changed my life and my relationship with food, so I guess I had a lot to say.
: )

I would also note that you stated that you're staying away from sugar and fat. While I think it's a good idea to limit sugar content, I don't think it's a great idea to stay away from all kinds of fat. Definitely look to include good kinds of fat in your diet, such as nuts and no or low sugar added nut butters, salmon, olive oil, avocado, and the like.

I would definitely check in with a doctor, but my first instinct is that you're eating too few calories. Especially on days you're burning over 2500 calories!! May I ask what you're doing on those days? My Fitness Pal tells me that I would have to run for over 3 hours to burn that much.

I would think raising your calories and eating a well-balanced diet of carbs/fat/protein is key.

This isn't the place to get answers. You need to see a doctor.

I use My Fitness Pal and I eat substantially more on days I workout to maintain a healthy net calorie intake.

i had a similar issue. one thing to check (after getting a check by your MD) is the actual calories you're burning during exercise. i've found that exercise machines, online apps and even low-end body monitors overestimate what i burn by A LOT. once i got a higher-end HR monitor that used a more accurate algorithm, i realized i was burning ~200 calories less during my workouts than i thought, which adds up FAST.

As others have said, you might be eating too little, and also, dependign on your workouts, you may not be burning off what you think; I just bought a heart rate monitor that more accurately counts calories because I'm at that same spot as you; been working hard and eating right since September and have lost a sad little 5 lbs.

How frustrating! Those numbers don't add up. I'd seek the help of a registered dietitian as a start. This link will help you find one! http://www.eatright.org/iframe/findrd.aspx

I don't agree that you NEED to see a doctor, but you should definitely think about it - if you are concerned enough to ask for wisdom on here, why not see a doctor or a nutritionist?

I think it's quite simple - you may well have been adding muscle, which weighs more than fat. As a result you may have lost some inches on your waist or wherever, but weigh more. I think that's more important - your weight is just a number, focus on how you look and feel and measure weight loss by dress size, not by pounds/kg.

I would suggest editing your diet slightly to eat more carbohydrates on those days that you exercise to fuel that. You must get exhausted otherwise.

Am I the only one who agrees entirely with Rae1? This is TOTALLY not a health and nutrition website. To the best of my knowledge none of the staff here are doctors, nutritionists, or allied health professionals. See a good doctor.

I'd see a doctor to rule out any medical condition and also see a nutritionist for dietary issues, e.g., what foods to eat, portion sizes, etc. Good luck, it is not easy to maintain one's weight after 40.

There seems to be an issue with the calculations that you may have. Also, I have been told repeatedly not to base your progress on weight loss alone, but take measurements. If you are doing hard workouts, the weight gain could be due to muscle gain, since muscle weighs more than fat. There might also be a link to hypothyroidism, which can cause weight gain despite your greatest efforts to try and lose it.

1) she's eating way too few calories, and 2) what is this question even doing here? See a doctor or pose the question on a health/wellness/fitness/nutrition website, not one that's all about cooking/food.

I am no expert but I know my own body and I was in a similar situation, and after doing some research and reading the JJ Virgin Diet (a book about food intolerance and how to test to see if you are sensitive to certain foods), I found there are just certain foods (even foods you think are healthy and are but maybe just not for your specific digestive system) that make me bloat and feel like crap and excluding those makes a world of difference in size and just feeling light and right. I exercise a lot, eat really clean but sometimes you just might need to find out if certain foods as opposed to calories are causing you trouble.

Grains are problematic for me as well. I struggled with my weight for years after turning 40. I went to a nutritionist who suggested I cut out grains and that was the answer. I lost weight, the crazy cravings disappeared and I feel healthier.

First of all, this question doesn't belong on this site. But since it's here, we may as well answer it.

Secondly, you should see a doctor. Getting medical advice from us random 'net strangers is a pretty bad idea. Getting medical advice from anywhere on the net is a pretty bad idea. Talk to a medical professional.

Thirdly, the scale is not really your friend when you're trying to lose weight. Your weight naturally changes from day to day, and even from hour to hour. Try weighing yourself in the morning and evening, or before and after a shower, or before and after using the bathroom. There are number of explanation for your 7-pound weight gain that have nothing to do with you actually getting fatter, including the fact that muscles weighs more than fat.

Finally, how accurate are your calorie-tracking methods? I don't have a fancy smartphone, but I've used online trackers in the past. They often have an index of foods and activities. You say you had a cookie and a glass of milk and then jogged five miles, and it calculates how many calories you consumed and how many you burned. But what if your homemade cookie had more calories than the Mrs. Field's-brand in the database? What if you stopped for a bunch of stoplights on your run and didn't burn as many calories as it calculated based on your distance and time? There could be a fairly large discrepancy between how many calories you think you consumed/burned, and how many you actually consumed/burned.

I second seeing a doctor for metabolic problems, then ask for a referral to a dietician. Most physicians are not extensively trained in diet and exercise physiology, so it would be useful to see an expert in those fields.

Also - have you been tracking your body fat percentage? Most gyms have Tanita scales (or equivalent.) You may simply be adding muscle (which is heavy and dense) while losing fat (which is relatively light and jiggly.) This is absolutely Excellent for a woman over 45 - this is better than losing weight!

Finally, unless you are under 5 feet tall, 1200 calories a day for months is going to send your body into starvation mode. Common low-calorie diet problems are weight increases - mostly fat, plus potentially heart problems, gallstones and diabetes.

Sounds like you're doing all the right things. As frustrating as it might be, don't use just pounds as an estimate of how things are going. How do your clothes fit? Do you have more energy? What about blood pressure, resting heart rate, and waist circumference? Sometimes these are more telling in the early stages of making healthy changes. If you keep at it, eventually you'll see the number on the scale go down, but don't worry about it too much. Also, try to keep yourself encouraged by remembering that your body is benefiting from these changes, even if you don't see it on the scale.

I agree it seems you may be taking in too few calories. However, many if not most people overestimate how many calories they burn during a workout and underestimate how many calories they're taking in. Smartphone apps can help, but are not always super accurate. And forget what any exercise machine says. Get a heart rate monitor if you don't have one already and find out what your target heart rates should be for exercise. (easily available online) And don't forget to add in resistance training.
I'd second seeing a doctor, but also a registered dietitian (beware of someone who calls themself solely a "nutritionist." It is not a regulated term, which means anyone can use it). He/she can over your daily food intake and help you figure out if/where you can make changes. I used to work in weight management. What you're doing is really hard, so kudos to you.

I had this same problem. I went to a weight loss specialist, and learned I was insulin resistant. Check out Dr. Louis Aronne's book, The Skinny. It worked for me. I have lost slighly more than 20 pounds in the last 16 months, most of it -- 8 pounds -- in the first month. And you do not have to be hungry.

Maybe the 7 pounds gained were all muscle?

Your body does need some kind of fuel to burn while exercising - either stored fat, sugars from carbohydrates, or fat.

But, as other people have said, feed your body too little and it goes into starvation mode, transferring every little bit of extra calories it can into stored fat and trying not to use the stored fat because it is afraid it might not have any food soon.

Bottom line - get thee to a doctor! And/or a nutritionist. They might be able to help figure out the underlying cause.

My two cents: Why are you so concerned about weight? Do you feel good? Are you strong? Do you have good stamina? If your body feels good and strong, why worry so much about weight? Especially if it isn't the bad kind of weight/fat (i.e. around your abdomen/organs)? Exercise is wonderful, but starving yourself to lose a few pounds so you can look like an airbrushed model is not.

I think we tend to accumulate water in our body as we age, which might be part of your weight gain. I'm really no expert in this field but I'd say it has often something to do with the metabolism that slows down as women age. I find if I don't sleep enough, 6 hours or less, I somehow start gaining weight slowly. Something to do with my hormones not being activated in my too short sleep and slowing down my metabolism. I'd look at ways to eat things that will more likely increase your metabolism. Drinking coconut water helps for that.

Eating an average of 1200 calories a day is too few, as so many have pointed out. But as a former athlete and still-fit person, let me say: you burn 2500+ calories in one exercise session? Probably not. That's a ton. A TON. The human body is not designed to torch that many calories at a shot, especially when running at a calorie deficit to begin with. I know you probably have a heart rate monitor or some other gizmo that measures your calories--these things are ballpark at best. Our individual metabolisms are just not that simple nor are they interchangeable. (Yes, there are exceptions like running a marathon but unless you're doing that 3 days a week--)

And yes: see a doctor.

I agree with the previous comments in that this question does not belong on this site. However, as a student of holistic nutrition, I'll offer some guidance based on my personal experience and knowledge.

A few things to note:

1. Muscle does not weigh more than fat. A pound of feathers and a pound of bricks both weigh a pound. Muscle is denser than fat, which explains why you can gain muscle but lose inches from your body.

2. You mention that you've been limiting your fat intake. Don't do this. You need enough fat to properly assimilate essential vitamins -- vitamins that help you to metabolize fats and carbohydrates. This seems counter-intuitive, but it's true. You need fat to burn fat. So-called "good" fats (monounsaturated) are often recommended (think nuts, avocado, extra virgin olive oil), but I say saturated fats have their place in moderate amounts. Coconut oil is a (medium-chain) GREAT saturated fat. In fact, some recent studies have shown that it actually metabolizes like a carbohydrate, keeping you full AND giving you a lot of energy. Egg yolks from free-range hens are fantastically nourishing. (Wild, sustainably caught) Salmon is wonderful.

3. It sounds like you're eating far too few calories and overexercising. As previously stated, you've put your body into starvation mode. Exercise on a regular basis, eat sensibly, and relax. Stressing about it will not help you to lose weight. In fact, stress will keep weight on.

4. The calories in/calories out model is not a complete story. Google "calories in/calories out theory debunked" to see the number of articles written about this. It would be really valuable to know the kinds of calories you're consuming. Processed, low-fat "diet" foods do not qualify as quality calories. If you're looking to lose weight, many women, particularly as they get older, benefit from a lower carbohydrate, higher protein diet with a moderate fat intake.

Keep a food journal and track how many carbohydrate servings (particularly grains, potatoes, corn) you're getting per day. I personally believe most of our carbohydrates should come from vegetables (sweet potatoes, squash) with some from whole grain sources -- actual whole grain sources, like oats, buckwheat groats, brown rice, wild rice -- rather than exclusively from items "made from" whole grain sources.

5. Try not to focus so much on calories. I know it's tricky because it's what we've been taught to believe, but it's so much more important to focus on eating real food in appropriate portion sizes than it is to count calories.

1. you could be putting on muscle, but losing fat. That would not necessarily reflect in a huge deficit when you weigh yourself.

2. If you don't already, you need to add strength training to cardio workouts. it's not 100% about just burning calories, and you'll get much better (long term) results by adding some strength training. No need for big weights or machines, either! do bodyweight stuff and get a couple pairs of small dumbbells- one set that is mostly comfortable for you now, and one that is more of a challenge.

3. you may have a thyroid/hormonal issue that is preventing you from losing. See a doctor and get your hormones/thyroid function checked.

4. 1200 is not enough if you're working out like you are! Try upping your calories to 1500.

Good luck! And seriously, get your hormones checked out. I've had an imbalance before that prevented me from losing anything regardless of how hard I worked. frustrating, but it's something you can work on with hormone therapy.

Maybe a more healthy goal would be to improve your measurements of HEALTH as opposed to weight (yes, they are two separate things). Is your blood pressure low? Cholesterol in what's considered a healthy range? Not in physical pain? Then maybe just love yourself and your body and live a healthy life, free of the stress and energy spent on counting calories. Nobody takes care of something they hate, body included.

But have your noticed your clothes fitting better and you're starting to look leaner? You might just be building muscle and muscle does weigh more than fat. So I wouldn't be concerned if your clothes have started fitting better. But I do agree with people that you might be eating too little for your workout regimen. But honestly using only weight to track your process might not be the best. =)

Are you measuring your portions? It's one thing to guestimate what you're taking in, another to be measuring accurately. When you get into your 50s your metabolism slows and you have to be careful.

Unless you are hooked up to a heart rate monitor and the thing that measures you breath I think it's useless to estimate exercise calories. If you are subtracting those off what you're logging and calling that 1200 calories a day I would suggest that you quit substracting exercise calories from your daily totals. Just focus on what is going into your mouth.

Exercise because you feel better, not to lose weight.

Beyond getting really honest about what you're eating, try shifting your mix to more protein. Carbs attract water. More protein may help you slim down.

Ye gods I thought this website was about food and cooking, not perpetuating the tired, old, INACCURATE "weight loss = health" narrative. If you're eating healthy and exercising and not losing weight MAYBE YOUR WEIGHT IS HEALTHY. Not such a crazy concept, really!! But seriously, eat real food, exercise regularly, and see a doctor when your body behaves oddly. Don't automatically assume that losing weight is good for you.

A 130 pound woman running a full marathon in 4 hours burns about 2500 calories. Are you seriously burning that many calories 3x a week??? Your calculations are wrong. See a doctor, nutritionist and a personal trainer, don't rely on the internet.

Co-signed. This is not the place for this type of question.

Though I also agree with the many people who have stated that this woman is taking in far too few calories for the calories she's burning, even if her burn is grossly overestimated. Her body is in survival mode, which is its way of telling her to stop this extreme behavior before she genuinely makes herself sick.

There is no way you are burning 3000 calories per day, unless you are working out at a very high intensity for like 6 solid hours. High intensity interval workouts are killer to do for just one hour, and only burns like 400-500 calories. Most people underestimate how many calories they are eating and overestimate how much they are burning.
And cutting fats out of your diet is a bad idea! Eating Paleo encourages a lot of healthy fats (no grains, and little to no dairy) and lots of people following that eating plan/lifestyle are super fit and are a lot more successful at losing weight that route than by cutting out fat and counting calories.
A very helpful article: 17 reasons you're not losing weight http://www.marksdailyapple.com/17-reasons-youre-not-losing-weight/#axzz2HbQBIopC

The calorie count aside, weight isn't the best measurement of fitness and health anyway. As you burn fat and put on muscle, you can put on weight as lean muscle is heavier than fat. Look at other metrics as well, not just weight in isolation - changes to your measurements (chest, hips, waist, thighs, upper arms, etc) and body fat percentage.

That said, not knowing what your BMI/ height-to-weight ratio is, you really should consult with a health and fitness professional who can really evaluate your needs and progress and provide a sensible weight or fat-loss plan if you're really looking to get fit.

You are getting a lot of the same advise which is prob a good sign. As long as there are no under lying issues such as thyroid or hormonal imbalance (too much estrogens a b**** for weight loss)

-It's not about how many calories, it's about what kind.
-Limit your carb load, stick to slower digesting carbs like beans.
-cut back on dairy which contain hormones that will only add to the problem, and contain sugar (not counting butter/ghee or small amounts of heavy cream)
Make sure to switch it up regularly so your bod doesn't get metabolically stagnant.
-(healthy)fats do not make you fat! You need good fats to help nourish your brain and help with other metabolic processes.
-get checked for vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

All these things make a huge diference.

I think even the "experts" often focus too much on diet, exercise, and potential metabolic issues rather than considering why our bodies might tend to store extra energy. When our minds perceive stress/challenges, our bodies are driven to consume and store more energy to be able to deal with what may lie ahead. Our bodies are the machinery we utilize to interact with the world around us and gaining weight ensures we have reserves to use when difficult situations arise.

I am no doctor or nutritional expert, but from experience, what has helped me maintain a healthy body is quieting my mind. Every perceived stress triggers a "craving" for calories. In fact, just the stress of not feeling like you're at an ideal body weight actually thwarts your efforts to lose weight. So, ironically, when you stop worrying about your weight, you're actually more likely to be able to lose it and maintain it.

I agree with many of the other comments that suggest talking to a doctor about your diet and exercise regimen. However, it really couldn't hurt to try meditation and other spiritual practices to help reach your weight goals. When your spirit is well-fed, your body is less hungry.

You are eating FAR too few calories! Please see a doctor. And then a dietician. At your age, you are heading down a dangerous road and might set yourself up for some serious problems. Please seek medical advice.

Please go see a certified nutritionist. I was in a similar boat (a few more calories), but not losing weight either. I have been seeing a nutritionist that has customized a plan specific to my body type, blood and hormone levels (lots of blood work before). I have lost weight...and still working at it. Make sure you trust and feel comfortable with your nutritionist...s/he will be your coach, therapist, and doctor! All the best to you...you can do it!

Sleep. Make sure you are getting enough sleep.

I can only echo what I assume without looking has been stated: by leading a healthy lifestyle, you will get healthier, but weight loss may not necessarily follow. While I can second the advice to consult with a dietician/physician***** to see if there are any health issues at play, it is entirely possible that this just your healthy weight. The recent gain also may definitely be from loss of fat, and gaining muscle (which weighs more, but is a lot more awesome to have around). Also, 3 months isn't really all THAT long in the grand scheme of things, even though good LORD it feels like it is when you're just starting on a health kick. Either way, you're doing an excellent job! Keep up the good work. I'm sure it will pay off, even if you don't necessarily get what you expected.

*****please keep in mind, nutritionists may be less expensive, but they won't be certified, aren't required to have any formal education on the subject, and aren't legally recognized as experts. They probably won't have any better an idea of if there is something impeding your weight loss than most of us do. I strongly recommend going to an actual medical professional instead of a nutritionist.

Oh, to clarify, some registered dietitians refer to themselves as nutritionists, so it isn't that NO ONE who calls themselves a nutritionist is to be trusted. But if you decide to visit with one, make sure up front that they are a registered dietician and not JUST a "nutritionist," because that term on its own is meaningless.

I am sure this has already been mentioned above, but just in case it has'ent... I really think you are building muscle and losing fat. The fact is, muscle weighs more then fat. So good job! :D I personally would not use a scale to check for progress in a diet, a tape measure is much better. Check how many inches you lose, not pounds. And BTW, the more muscle you gain the more fat your body will lose, because muscle burns fat even at rest.

Check the book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon out of your library. It might help shed some light onto what is going on.

To echo many, please visit with a registered dietitian. To find one in your area, go to www.eatright.org and type in "Find a professional". So happy to see so many commenters caution between a registered dietitian and a nutritionist. For more info on the difference (and there are tremendous differences), http://www.eatright.org/HealthProfessionals/content.aspx?id=6859#.UPBBBonjnDk

My advice is to let your goal of losing weight go. Eat foods that make you feel great in your body without worrying about calories. Exercise because you love to move your body, not because it will burn fat. Take all the time and mental energy you're currently devoting to this goal of weight loss and spend it on something else, like living a life you love NOW.

Wow, sounds woo-woo, I realize, but it works! And hey, I'm from California, so what do you expect? Best of luck to you Sabrina!!

I've seen a lot of doctors in the last year (following a new diagnosis) and not one was interested in talking about how food affects my body or about food intake at all, so I would respectfully disagree unless you have a much better PCP than I have been able to find.

well, something in what your giving us isn't right. regardless you need to get to a dr to check your functions & then a nutritionist.

1. your calorie intake may be much bigger than you think
-many people take in hundreds more calories than they think they are ... mindless snacking, noshing while cooking, etc
-nutrition labels are an estimate. recently a study was done where certain counts were actually a good 400 more than labeled

2. your calorie burn maybe less than you think.
- don't ever trust what the machines are telling you for this one. they are a vague estimate.

3. you may have an issue w/ overall health
-get yourself to a dr.
-my friend was gaining weight b/c she had cysts she didn't know about growing inside her
-you may not be properly processing nutrition

4. your calorie intake may be too little
-you will gain weight in this case

5. your understanding of fitness ... you may be doing really well
-many people expect really fast results ... that's just not how it works, the healthier you are, the more work it's gonna take to see a diff. on biggest loser that stuff flies off b/c they in a horrible place to start. for me it would take months to lose an inch b/c i'm in decent shape already. maybe you're doing really well. stop beating yourself up.
-your fitness may be improving, but you're too busy looking at numbers on your scale to notice ... are you feeling any better? if so, keep it up! throw out the scale. the only number you should ever pay attention to w/ this is waist measurement.

6. stress

This sounds like a kind of dangerous routine! I think it can be important to revisit our expectations for what a healthy, beautiful body can look like, and what that kind of body might weight. I encourage you to eat more food! A healthy body needs plenty of good, nourishing foods! And it sounds like even your exercise routines might be a little extreme, too.
Here is my recipe for a healthy me: 1. I never weigh myself. This number isnt important, and sometimes seeing that number makes me do stuff that isnt healthy. 2. Eat something that has to be washed and chopped, at least once a day! Dont remove foods from your "diet" (i hate that word) but ADD foods! Whole grains and legumes and veggies (ice cream can fit into a healthy body, too!). 3. Get at least 1 hour of exercise at least three times a week.

Remember-- weight loss is NOT the same thing as health! Love your self and your body!

There is a lot of basic information missing from the orginal poster.
How tall is this person?
What is the BMI of the OP?
What is the ethnicity of the OP?
What IS the current weight?
What, if any, medications are being consumed?

Sabina, get to a doctor. You haven't given us enough information to even start to answer your question.
For all we know you could be 6ft tall, Ethiopian Vegetarian Female with a BMI of 22 and weighing 55kg on heavy medication.
You claim to be fat, exercising like crazy, if the numbers you state areto be believed, gaining weight on a rather restrictive calorie intake.
Giving advice here is like trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle with pieces missing, never having seen the box picture, in the dark with the design covered.
Good on you for trying to do the healthy thing but believe me you need to see a professional, for your own sake. I would make the professional someone away from any gym, commerial weight loss program or any money making enitity.

The only person who can really answer this question is a doctor. Generally, when people have your issues, it is due to hypothyroidism. I would see a doctor, then a registered dietitian. Something is going on, and you need to find out what it is. Eating too little will not make you gain weight, ask any anorexic. Ask the people on Biggest Loser.

Check out the book "Wheat Belly" by William Davis, MD. Dr. Davis is a cardiologist and an expert on nutrition. What he has to say about eating grains is very eye opening. For most people the key to losing weight, combating insulin resistance and preventing arthritis and dementia.

Sabrina, you are to be commended! A good quick two mile walk and power house veggies like greens, sw potatoes, broc with fish or chick on the George Foreman. Eating out is so tough for us! You say you haven't lost weight, but aren't you thrilled you are on your way? Best of luck.

Two things. The first is that muscles are heavier then fat. So if you are doing too much weight training you build up more muscles then you lose fat. Second is the very best tip: Go for a run just after waking up and befor your breakfast. Your body will start burning calories directly from your first steps during the run. A reminder is to take it easy when you begin with running in the morning so you won't feel miserable afterwards.

Best regards, J.A. Anthony