what am i doing wrong? please advise

So just to clarify, all that diet and exercise has been consistent for the past 2months?

Also are you taking measurements of your body to make sure your loosing inches and gain muscle? As muscle is heavier then fat perhaps your loosing fat and gaining muscle?

My calorie goal is similar to yours and I'm also set up to lose two pounds a week which has been working out great. I've lost a lot of weight before and even lost 43 pounds on MFP last year only to gain them back. The reason for this is that I never really changed my eating habits....I just ate less of the same typess of food so when I went back to 'normal' eating...I was still eating unhealthy foods and put on weight again.

What has changed for me now is that I eat a mostly clean diet with lots of fruit and veggies and limited processed sugars, processed foods, red meat, or bread/pasta. It's not restrictive at all because I eat what I want (even of the things I choose to limit) but I've learned not to make these things a staple of my diet. In my diary you will still find random meatballs, cookies, birthday cake, beer from a night out or summer party which I'm happy with because I've finally learned to enjoy these things in moderation. You will also find fruit and veggie smoothies, greek yogurt, lots of chicken and tuna, and tons of egg whites prepared however I want them (today they will be turned into quiche). I think if you add more natural foods into your diet it could help jumpstart a change and you'll feel better overall.

I've lost weight before eating things like pre-packed frozen diet foods, meal replacement bars, diet shake powders, lots of hotdogs (my favorite thing to eat) etc. but it never stays off and I felt hungry a lot. I don't feel hungry anymore and this way of eating is something I can (and do) easily stick with. I have a long way to go in my journey but I know I'm eating the things that will lead to more weight loss but more importantly...better overall health which is my ultimate goal. I think adding more natural elements into your diet and cutting out the over processed food could help a lot. It sounds like you have the right frame of mind and have been working very hard toward your goal. Keep going....you'll figure out what works best for you

I exercise 4 times a week. Sometimes more. I always go to zumba 2x a week. For my goals I said I work out 2x a week for 50 min. N then I go the gym for about an hour 2x a week. I do a mile on the elliptical and then I do different weight machines for about 40 minutes. I'm going to increase weights to a full hour

Not sedentary.

Do you meet your 1340 cal goal, and do you eat your exercise cals back?

I looked through your diary - I think you could stand to eat a little more, and to get some fruit & veg into your diet. And more protein and healthy fats.

Ditch the breakfast cereal and have eggs and whole wheat toast for breakfast. Spice it up with some salsa and avocado. Switch it up with homemade oatmeal (microwave it, it's nearly as fast as the instant stuff and a lot better for ya!) mixed with some plain Greek yogurt for protein, and top it with fresh blueberries, a handful of walnuts and drizzle with honey.

Snack on raw almonds, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas - dipped in hummus, or sliced apples dipped in peanut or almond butter.

Grill up some chicken or other lean meats for dinner, and grill some veggies alongside - zucchini, red bell pepper, mushrooms tossed with a little olive oil and balsamic & grilled in one of those nifty grill baskets is super tasty! Grill some extra meat and use the leftovers for lunches - make a burrito bowl with black beans, avocado, Greek yogurt in place of sour cream, salsa, lettuce and a little shredded cheese. Or make a salad and top it with the leftover chicken - good stuff and gets you some good protein for lunch.

Food is fuel - eat those calories! You can have treats too, just fit them into your goals. Eat well, exercise, drink water, get good sleep, take rest day(s), and have patience.

Good luck!

Log exercise. Eat the exercise calories back. This is how MFP is set up to work. It figures out your calorie needs WITHOUT exercise. Then when you do exercise, you need more fuel for that.

Make sure you measure/weigh your food.

Eat to you calorie GOAL. Don't intentionally stay under it.

I exercise 4 times a week. Sometimes more. I always go to zumba 2x a week. For my goals I said I work out 2x a week for 50 min. N then I go the gym for about an hour 2x a week. I do a mile on the elliptical and then I do different weight machines for about 40 minutes. I'm going to increase weights to a full hour

Not sedentary.

Do you meet your 1340 cal goal, and do you eat your exercise cals back?

***so should I Change it to lightly active? If I do should I not log my exercise or should I not eat my exercise calories back? As of right now I try not to eat them all back. I like to have at least 200 calories leftover everyday even on non exercise days. Is that ok?

You should probably change your activity setting to "lightly active" AND eat your exercise calories back. If you're confident that your calorie burns are fairly accurate, there's no reason not to eat them. Besides, 1340 seems low for your stats. My info is a lot like yours: I'm 5'6", 27 years old, and I started at 235 pounds. I've consistently eaten 1500 - 1900 calories every day (depending on exercise) since January, and it's worked like a charm! Don't be afraid of calories. Food is fuel.

And listen to AmyRhubarb. She definitely knows what she's talking about.

I have about the same stats so I will give you my personal experience. My weight loss goes better when I am eating at or above my BMR and 15%-20% under my TDEE. This means I eat about 1650-1700 calories a day to lose. When I tried to eat much less (under 1500), my weight loss stalled. Take it for what it is worth.

Log exercise. Eat the exercise calories back. This is how MFP is set up to work. It figures out your calorie needs WITHOUT exercise. Then when you do exercise, you need more fuel for that.

Make sure you measure/weigh your food.

Eat to you calorie GOAL. Don't intentionally stay under it.

THIS! Goal means GOAL - too many see it as mark to fall well short of. MFP sets your daily calories with a deficit already built in, so by coming in way under or not eating back exercise cals, you're ending up with way too large a deficit, which can backfire on ya.