What am I doing wrong?

Your sodium, sugar and carbs are very high. You are going over on most days. Sodium holds on to the water which isn't a major issue but try and keep it low as possible. The sugar and carbs are too high though. It's all about finding the right balance!

Really? So every deficit of 3500 calories equals 1 lb of weight loss in every person regardless of food choice and life style? No my friend, there is far more to reality than this.

Yes. There is more to health than weight, and body composition can really depend on the macro ratios, but 3500 calories = 1 pound.

Your body uses energy. Every liter of oxygen you consume equals 5 calories burned. That's a physiological fact. Unless you're going to argue that eating some foods makes your body consume less oxygen than other foods, you don't have a factual basis for your claim.

3500 calories worth of deficit means that your body has had to consume 3500 calories worth of its own tissue to make up for the deficit. That's simple reality, and you cannot escape it. You cannot escape the physics.

For the OP, more protein is a good idea. Less sugar is a good idea. But those changes won't lead to more weight loss. Consuming fewer calories will lead to weight loss.

3500 calories only equal 1lb if you are losing 100% fat.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-energy-balance-equation.html

Really? So every deficit of 3500 calories equals 1 lb of weight loss in every person regardless of food choice and life style? No my friend, there is far more to reality than this.

Yes. There is more to health than weight, and body composition can really depend on the macro ratios, but 3500 calories = 1 pound.

Your body uses energy. Every liter of oxygen you consume equals 5 calories burned. That's a physiological fact. Unless you're going to argue that eating some foods makes your body consume less oxygen than other foods, you don't have a factual basis for your claim.

3500 calories worth of deficit means that your body has had to consume 3500 calories worth of its own tissue to make up for the deficit. That's simple reality, and you cannot escape it. You cannot escape the physics.

For the OP, more protein is a good idea. Less sugar is a good idea. But those changes won't lead to more weight loss. Consuming fewer calories will lead to weight loss.

3500 calories only equal 1lb if you are losing 100% fat.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-energy-balance-equation.html

Wow, I had no idea the difference in energy density between body fat and body muscle was so large. So 3500 calories of deficit is between 1 and 5.8 pounds of body mass.

That's kinda mind blowing, and actually helps explain the huge first-month weight loss figures you often see in people who don't do strength training.

Really? So every deficit of 3500 calories equals 1 lb of weight loss in every person regardless of food choice and life style? No my friend, there is far more to reality than this.

Yes. There is more to health than weight, and body composition can really depend on the macro ratios, but 3500 calories = 1 pound.

Your body uses energy. Every liter of oxygen you consume equals 5 calories burned. That's a physiological fact. Unless you're going to argue that eating some foods makes your body consume less oxygen than other foods, you don't have a factual basis for your claim.

3500 calories worth of deficit means that your body has had to consume 3500 calories worth of its own tissue to make up for the deficit. That's simple reality, and you cannot escape it. You cannot escape the physics.

For the OP, more protein is a good idea. Less sugar is a good idea. But those changes won't lead to more weight loss. Consuming fewer calories will lead to weight loss.

3500 calories only equal 1lb if you are losing 100% fat.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-energy-balance-equation.html

Great info. This is exactly right. There are also things like hormones to take into account, which highly effect weight loss regardless of total deficit. The more weight you have to lose the calories in vs calories out holds fairly true. Once you shed some weight/mass things like hormones definitely become a factor, particularly for women. That is when the quality of calories, and macros count far more.

Processed foods, sugar, carbs, sodium. It may seem inconvenient, but truly it is very simple. Your carbs and refined sugar is really high. Stick to whole foods. Whole fresh fruit, fresh or frozen veggies with no sauces, and lean proteins should be the building blocks of all meals. Try to stick to clean grains-brown rice, quinoa, cous cous, whole wheat choices in small portions. Incorporate healthy fats-nuts, seeds, avocado, coconut oil, etc. For "dessert" try yogurt, cottage cheese with a little fruit, frozen grapes, and apple with peanut butter, etc. Those simple changes will give you the results you want. And obviously incorporating exercise, but diet is the larger factor.

This. I'm no expert, have a long way to go myself, and I agree that exercise is important, but with an injury I honestly wouldn't be pushing it. You want to be able to walk down the aisle. Weightloss is 80% diet, 20% exercise and just from looking at your diary I think your issue is your diet. You are consistently really high on carbs, sugars, and sodium. Not only does water help flush out your system, it keeps you feeling full. Have you tried oatmeal for breakfast? Oatmeal or eggs are my go tos because they keep me really full and satisfied. It looks like a majority of your food is also processed. I know it's hard when you're used to quick and easy, but eating fresh foods the majority of the time really does make a difference. A good tip for me has been to stick to the perimeter of the grocery store when shopping - produce, meats and dairy sections.

Carbs don't cause weight gain: Calories cause weight gain. You could definitely make better carbohydrate choices, but they might not actually make a dent in your weight (they would, however, be healthier overall). The advice about "protein keeps you full longer" is not universal: I can eat vegetables and protein all day long and still be gnawingly hungry if I don't eat some carbohydrate with my meals. Figure out what works for you.

1) See a doctor and make sure you don't have another issue. Most of us don't, but double-check.

2) Nuts and peanut products are calorie-dense so, while they are definitely good sources of protein, they may make it harder to stick to your calorie goals. Lean dairy comes to mind (go easy on sweetened yogurt, though). Beans and lentils. Soy if you can eat it. Fish? Do some research on alternate sources of protein.

Mostly, though, be patient. You can't do this right and do it fast. Sorry.

I just looked at a couple days of your diary, and this is what I immediately noticed

*note* My diary is crap, and I really appreciate you sharing yours. Seeing how others eat really helps me, and I will be taking my own advice

I suggest you cut out the Special K Bars, Rice, Pasta, Hamburger (this kills me to say since I'm in the beef industry!)

Cut out ALL processed foods. Eat only whole cuts of meat - Hamburger has added fat. Stick with whole cuts of meat. Meat, veggies, eggs, dairy (hard cheeses, not pasturized processed junk - that doesn't count). Try the "white" diet, skipping flour, sugar, and bread. It has really helped me!