Need Construtive Feedback

Your diary isn't open. But if this has only been going on since the 4th, I'd try drinking a bit more water and watch the sodium. If the scale keeps going up, trim back on the calories a bit.

What were you doing prior to the 4th? How was it working?

You're a woman. It's absolutely normal for us to retain more water depending on our cycle. I gain 2-3 lbs every month 10 days before my period, for example.

All great replies so thank you for taking the time to respond.

My diary is now open. The only liquid I drink is water so I am getting plenty of water. I try and watch my sodium and I track it. I don't have cycles - ovarian cancer took care of that a long time ago. According to my doctor I should be in the 120-130 pound range so I have around 30 pounds to lose.

from a quick glance at your diary - you are eating carbs at all meals and snacks. I know this isn't the *popular* view here on MFP, but this is something that i know works for some women - and that is to cut back on the meals in which you have carbs. I've tried this when i get stuck and it works FOR ME. ESPECIALLY concerning bread - when i cut down /out on bread, the lbs disappear faster. I'm not saying this has to be long term, and I am really not an ANTI CARB person, and i happen to love bread. but it may be worth it to try this for a few weeks and see if it makes a difference.

My guess is that you are eating closer to maintenance, if you haven't been losing. If these gains are just from the 4th, I'd stay the course for awhile. Are you using MFP's calculations or your own? When people aren't losing, I suggest using MFP's model for awhile, just with being very careful with the exercise calories (easy to overestimate.) If you want to do the TDEE calculations method, I like this calculator because of how much you can customize it rather than rely on generalizations: http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/CalRequire.html

Thanks for the feedback. I have tried to use MFP's model for several months but I can't live on 1200 calories, not my thing and not as much as I exercise. I don't eat back my exercise calories and I follow the simple road map to figure out using various calculators how much I should be eating, burning, BMR etc...I will check out your new calculator and see how it compares to the calculators I used. Thanks again!

No problem--just keep in mind that MFP model does include eating exercise calories back, so you would not be living on 1200. (You could also change your activity setting to a higher activity and then not eat them back.) Good luck, let us know what ends up happening.

Remember your body is adjusting.. it will pull resources (water retention for one) and anything else while it adjusts and realises that the food you have eaten it can't hang onto. The only true way of looking at weight loss is 8 weeks, 16 weeks and so on because during that time, those few weeks inbetween - your body is at war with itself fighting the change going on. What you are doing IS working!!! Don't be discouraged at all! I promise you, you will see and feel the changes - just keep going - mind over matter you can do this! :-)