Discouraged

Sk8rG

WARNING: I'm really just whining...I've read posts ad nauseum on the subject of how much to eat and I really don't think there is ONE answer that works - I just don't like the answer my body is giving me....

I have been working at improving my health and losing weight for quite a long time now. I started long ago with 55 lbs to lose. Today, I have 15 lbs to my goal. (which puts me at a BMI of 25 so no, it's not too low). When I am super diligent, I can lose 0.5 lb a week - that's all my body wants to give.

I started a weightlifting program and promptly put on 3 lbs...which is fine, I know, it's water, blah blah, it'll come off...except 16 weeks later, it never did come off, and then it's 5 lbs...which discourages me, but my clothes seem to fit the same despite the extra 5 lbs....I go on vacation and have one bad week (nothing totally over the top, but probably a three of 7 days at 2500 net cals) and now it's 7 lbs...which isn't supposed to be mathematically possible...no way I ate an extra 7000 calories this week.

It's so frustrating to have to work SO HARD to lose a half a pound but be able to basically breathe on 2 lbs.

I've read all the eat more line of thinking...but I've come to the conclusion that the ONLY way I lose is to eat 1200 calories a day and not eat back my exercise expenditures....which is totally against what the common opinion is here.

Anyone else find this?