While I know you two know me and my history from when we talked about upping my cals in January to reset my metabolism, here's a quick rundown:

Was eating 1560, gradually went to 2000 (between Jan/Feb), cut to 1750 (March), now eating 1650 (May).
I log everything and weigh with a digital scale. Protein is over 150g a day. Fat around 50g. Carbs went up when my calories went up, but are usually around the same as protein (I stay within 40/30/30). Lift 3 days a week, cardio 3 days a week, it overlaps so I workout 5 days a week). I lost 65 pounds. I have gained 6 pounds back since my "reset".

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Repost from another group post:

I feel like a whiney friggin b*tch lately, but I'm seriously getting to the point where I think starting StrongLifts in January was the worst thing I could have done for me at this stage in the game (in addition to upping my cals).

Prior to January, I hit my goal "weight". I lost 65 pounds. I hit my goal "size". Size 8, some 6's. I was doing mainly Jillian Michael's circuit training DVD's three days a week (albeit with much heavier DBs than she called for), which meant I was donig compound lifts, isolation work, cardio and ab work. I did zumba sometimes just for the hell of it. I went hiking often. And I did my pole class once a week. Case in point, I was doing less heavy lifting and more cardio. My upper arms and back were totally leaned out and my size 8 slacks/jeans were loose on me and I was on the verge of wearing a solid size 6.

In January, I was maintaing my weight on 1560 calories a day on average. "Not enough calories" most people said. And I was jealous of all of my friends who could eat 1800-2200 and still lose or maintain, so I agreed. I calculated my TDEE (2100+). I gradually upped my calories 100 a day every two weeks. I never made it to 2100 calories, but I did make it to 2000 for a week. I also bought my first bar and plates and started StrongLifts in January while I upped my cals.

I'm now 4.5 months into heavy lifting (3 days a week SL, plus additional lifts added after the 12 weeks), cardio was minimal for the first 12 weeks (walking for warm-up/cool down on lift days, 1 day of incline/speed intervals and one day pole dancing). During the first two months of my reset, I gained 6 pounds (Jan & Feb). I cut my calories to 1750 on March 1st. I upped my cardio, but continued my lifting routine. The 6 pounds are still there. I'm now at 1650 calories, lifting three days a week, doing C25K three days a week (2 days overlap with lifting) and I still have my pole class, so I continue to workout 5 days a week (but my workouts are now longer than they were before January). My size 8 slacks/jeans are TIGHT. There is one pair I refuse to wear because they've gotten so tight. If I pull out my 10's, I'm sure they'd fit again. My waist is bigger. My hips are bigger. My thighs are bigger. I no longer see as much definition in my back or arms. I'm thick now ... that's the best way to describe it. I know I'm not "bulky", but I'm THICK now.

It feels like I have a layer of insulation all over my body.

I look and feel worse than I have in a very long time.

I feel like I'm going backwards.

I feel like I'm canceling all of the hard work I did.

I'm starting to hate my bar and plates.

I'm starting to hate the way I look .... again.

Is it possible that my "maintenance" really IS the 1560 I was at in January (I had maintained my weight at this number for six months). Is it possible that I really AM a special snowflake and lifting is not having the positive effect it seems to have on most people? I honestly don't know how long I can keep lifting while seeing these negative results. If I was losing size, I wouldn't care about the damn number on the scale, but I'm not losing size ... I'm gaining in size ... everywhere.

Oh, and if it helps at all, I just had a physical last month and my blood tests were friggin spectacular, no thyroid issues and everything else was amazingly low.

Help me ... please.