Is it possible I'm putting on muscle?

I agree with the patience thing.

Secondly, I am gluten intolerant and I could never lose weight when I ate. It may be a food allergy. I dropped 10 pounds when I found out I had celiac disease.

Good luck and be patient.

Why is it bad to eat so much protein? I could eat less and decrease calories but I thought that with all the training I'm doing I needed more protein to help with fat loss?

I would be happy to decrease protein to 100g per day if I thought that was enough.

As for dairy, I'd also be happy to eat less but I can't seem to find protein rich foods which are as cheap. I have 1-2 protein shakes per day plus some meat/fish once or twice a day but other than dairy I don't really know what I could add that's high protein. I have nuts and eggs a lot too but can't think of any alternatives that are fairly low in carbs and are also low in calories.

By the way if you're looking at my food diary I log my exercise calories but I don't eat them back. I try and stick to around 1600 per day and around 2100 at weekends which works out to 1742 calories per day if I was to eat the same every day. That's due to being active and burning off at least 3000-3500 calories per week through working out 6-7 days.

You can actually do serious harm to your liver and kidneys with too much protein. Excess protein in a meal will get converted into what the body needs but that's overall that's too much protein for your nutritional needs.

Bodybuilders usually only have one re-feed day a week and they only give themselves maybe another 100-150 carbs which nets to only one day they add 400-600 calories. I think your energy expenditure is too high. I think your execution is fine, but you've been mislead in calculating your nutritional needs by the online calculators.

I've only ever had one day when I've managed to eat close to 140g protein anyway so most days it's 100-110g at the moment, is this really too high?

No, that's not too high.

You have adjusted your calories a few times, perhaps that is to blame for the fluctuations on the scale. I would give it a few more weeks and take progress pics and measurements. Focus on the progress instead of what is left to do

I sometimes fluctuate throughout the week/day, but I refuse to drive myself crazy over that lol. I've realised a few things can impact the scale for me. Time of day, bladder/stomach contents, that time of month (or a week before for me), if I`ve done weight training in the past 24 hours, and food that I ate the night before.

Also remember we can be our own biggest critics Try to focus on the improvements you have made so far! I keep a folder of my progress pics on my desktop and look through that on days I can`t see any changes. It helps to reassure myself that YES this is working! Best of luck!!

Also: I am eating at a deficit and I am gaining muscle/ becoming stronger. I do eat my calories back so maybe that has to do with it.

How much sleep do you get? The only helpful advice I can help you is this.

If you gained back 2 lbs in 3 weeks that means daily you'd have to be at 333.33 calories over daily. Let's say that we're not going to recalculate your calories on the weekend. The 2 days per week you go close to 2,000 calories let's generalizes puts you +500 more calories per day more than the 5 other days.

+1000 per week
This mathematically would mean for 3 weeks went over the other 5 days by 266.66, but I only divided not including the amount over the weekends would factoring that math in. It would actually mean you were eating 190.47 calories daily. I don't like the way this math works out because it would put your daily calories at closer to 1300.

I would talk to a personal trainer or a physician. 1300 in my opinion is too low for your activity level... granted water weight can fluctuate with outside influences such as stress. If you've had perhaps not the best sleep and been going through a stressful time perhaps even just changes in hormone levels can do that.

If you didn't want to go see someone I may suggest trying to eat the exact same amount of calories every single day regardless of exercise or not and in 2 weeks weigh in and see. The daily consistency will help you figure your maintenance.

Also just to add I think you are exercising too much. As far as I can gather Insanity is quite hardcore. This along with weight training and the other bits you mentioned seems OTT to me. I do heavy lifting 3 times a week with about 10-20 minutes after each lifting session and I feel this is enough for my body.

Maybe change your mindset? I've had to. Low fat/cal food makes me hungrier.Cutting my calories too much makes me weak. Excessive cardio makes me so hungry I over eat. High protein and fats make me full for longer. Weight training makes me lose very little scale weight, but shrinks my *kitten* and hips. I know I don't have to do cardio to change my body shape, just lift heavy *kitten* *kitten* 3 times a week. It's totally not what I expected to learn from joining MFP, but learn it I did and it's changed the way I eat, workout, everything really. Maybe you need to re-think the things you do if your unhappy with your progress?

Well for the last 4 weeks or so I've been very stressed as my dog was really sick and I was extremely worried about him plus not sleeping much as he was ill in the night and then we had to have him put down 2 weeks ago so don't know if that would have anything to do with it. Having said that I'm continuously stressed anyway really due to money worries so don't know if that's having any kind of effect. Plus I'm on the pill so maybe that makes my weight loss slower than most.

I can't see a doctor about this as I don't have medical cover except for in case of emergency unfortunately at the moment.

I will try cutting down by 100 calories per day and see what happens and maybe I'll try not to double up on the two days I do weight training or just go for a walk instead of doing Insanity so I don't run out of energy.

I generally sleep around 6-6.5 hours per night and I usually have a good night's sleep too.

JAT, stress has the highest effect! Read about cortisol and how it affects weight. That's how I gained all my weight. I was in a very stressful situation the last few years and only when I relaxed and took control of my life I was able to start losing weight.

I agree that you need to be more patient. I'm no expert, but don't see anything wrong with your protein intake. An inch is a big deal. Quit being hard on yourself.

I'd love faster results too, but unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. Least not for me :grumble:

You can actually do serious harm to your liver and kidneys with too much protein. Excess protein in a meal will get converted into what the body needs but that's overall that's too much protein for your nutritional needs.

At 100 grams to 150 grams, this is not even close to being true. At 400 grams maybe. This level is protein is more than safe and has no risk of damaging kidneys and liver. OP, I think you are overexercising and have too much cortisol. The recommedation of 3 days weight training, 2 days cardio would be accurate with at least 2 rest days. You are keeping your body in a constant state of stress. Also, you have changed and bounced between too many options. Figure an accurate TDEE, eat 25% below that. Set activity leve to active and don't eat back exercise calories would be one approach. Then stay with that for 4 weeks. Measure and adjust. More data below from studies on protein intake.

Protein and amino acids for athletes. J Sports Sci. 2004 Jan;22(1):65-79.
www.uni.edu/dolgener/Advanced_Sport.../protein_intake.pdf


QUOTE:

Since there is evidence that protein intakes above the RDA may be beneficial to athletes, a risk–benefit analysis may be useful. An important consideration is the potential harm that may arise from elevated protein intakes. There is little research into the maximum tolerable protein intake in healthy individuals. It has been suggested that excessive protein intakes may increase calcium loss, thus affecting bone health. However, since a major portion of bone is protein, excessive protein does not appear to influence bone health. High protein intakes have been suggested to pose a risk for the kidneys but, in healthy individuals with no underlying kidney disease (presumably most elite athletes), there is no evidence for harm to kidneys with higher intakes. Certainly, it would be detrimental for an athlete to consume excess protein at the expense of other nutrients required to support the necessary level of training and competition. There is a suggestion that intakes greater than 40% of total energy intake might be the upper limit. Protein intakes greater than 40% may limit intake of fat and/or carbohydrates, thus compromising the benefits of these nutrients. However, given the high energy intakes of most elite athletes, protein intakes higher than 40% are unlikely in most. Even a small female restricting energy intake and consuming only 1500 kcal would need to consume 150 g of protein to reach 40%.



High-Protein Weight Loss Diets and Purported Adverse Effects: Where is the Evidence? Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2004, 1:45-51 doi:10.1186/1550-2783-1-1-45
http://www.jissn.com/content/1/1/45#B4


QUOTE:

Indeed, the recent study Dawson-Hughes et al. did not confirm the perception that increased dietary protein results in urinary calcium loss.[36] According to Dawson-Hughes et al., "Theconstellation of findings that meat supplements containing 55 g/d protein, when exchanged for carbohydrate did not significantlyincrease urinary calcium excretion and were associated withhigher levels of serum IGF-I and lower levels of the bone resorption marker, N-telopeptide, together with a lack of significant correlationof urinary N-telopeptide with urinary calcium excretion in thehigh protein group (in contrast to the low protein) point tothe possibility that higher meat intake may potentially improvebone mass in many older men and women."

Finally, the cross-cultural and population studies that showed a positive association between animal-protein intake and hip fracture risk did not consider other lifestyle or dietary factors that may protect or increase the risk of fracture.[35] It is of some interest that the author of the most cited paper favoring the earlier hypothesis that high-protein intake promotes osteoporosis no longer believes that protein is harmful to bone.[34] In fact, he concluded that the balance of the evidence seems to indicate the opposite.



QUOTE:

Despite its role in nitrogen excretion, there are presently no data in the scientific literature demonstrating the healthy kidney will be damaged by the increased demands of protein consumed in quantities above the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). Furthermore, real world examples support this contention since kidney problems are nonexistent in the bodybuilding community in which high-protein intake has been the norm for over half a century.[3] Recently, Walser published comprehensive review on protein intake and renal function, which states: "it is clear that protein restriction does not prevent decline in renal function with age, and, in fact, is the major cause of that decline. A better way to prevent the decline would be to increase protein intake. there is no reason to restrict protein intake in healthy individuals in order to protect the kidney."[4]



Dietary protein intake and renal function. Nutrition & Metabolism 2005, 2:25 doi:10.1186/1743-7075-2-25
http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/2/1/25


QUOTE:

Conclusion

Although excessive protein intake remains a health concern in individuals with pre-existing renal disease, the literature lacks significant research demonstrating a link between protein intake and the initiation or progression of renal disease in healthy individuals. More importantly, evidence suggests that protein-induced changes in renal function are likely a normal adaptative mechanism well within the functional limits of a healthy kidney. Without question, long-term studies are needed to clarify the scant evidence currently available regarding this relationship. At present, there is not sufficient proof to warrant public health directives aimed at restricting dietary protein intake in healthy adults for the purpose of preserving renal function.[

I would stop taking protein to be honest. Taking protein will help to build muscle but it won't help in losing fat. It is quite the opposite. I only take protein during the winter months when I'm not too worried about gaining a couple of pounds. I am currently trying to get cut for the summer so I am going to stop taking protein. I may not see awesome muscle gain but I don't want to gain fat as well. Make sure that your sodium intake is low. Sodium will make you retain water. Make sure that your carbs are low as well. This should help.

No. Just no.

Just a few things:

Went through your diary to last weekend, both Sat and sun you've eaten over 2,000 cals. There's not much veg in there.

You've started weights, your muscles will be retaining water (hence weight).

Try working out 4-5 days, giving yourself more rest days and allowing your muscles to recover.

Drink LOTS of water.

Be patient, it's only been a couple of months.