Am I just a whiny *B*?

The same thing happened to me. Lost quick and easy at first, then it was at least 2 weeks of the ' up and down but not below my lowest' But the 3rd week the scale moved again. I acutally was eating far less than my calorie goal during those couple of weeks trying to get the scale to move,, When I started eating close to the goal, it came off. I know there is controversy about the 'starvation' mode.. but it sure looked like that is what happened. My goal is set to lose 2 pounds a week. I surpassed it those first couple of weeks, and with were I am now, it averages out to be about 2 pounds a week. I still see a lot of up and down.
So hang in there. It will happen. :-)
(I try NOT to eat back all the calories I earn through exercise)

I agree that MFP calorie burns can be greatly overestimated. I do 45-60 minutes on the elliptical at the gym - the elliptical tells me I burn 400-700 calories as does MFP but my HRM is telling me closer to 200-350. I log the lowest number which is from the HRM then I still don't eat back ALL my calories.
Also if you are going to eat back any calories you want to mark your diary as sedentary - if you set it at active because you workout then MFP is already calculating in your burns and you end up double counting them. At 5'6" With my diary set to sedentary MFP tells me I only need 1700 calories to maintain my weight so cutting down 100 calories a day (1600) would only be 700 calories a week - it would then take 5 weeks to lose 1lb.

And Yes Log EVERYTHING - EVERYDAY. Small calories add up in a big way, omitting just 50 calories per day would lead to an extra 350 calories per week. Think about this if you are overestimating burn and necessary calories to leave a deficit of only 700 calories a week then underestimating intake by 350 calories a week - your deficit is now only 350 calories a week in which case it would take 10 weeks to lose 1lb.

If your unsure you should always overestimate intake and underestimate burn.

Remember before switching up too much give your body a couple of weeks to adjust. Just because you aren't seeing immediate or even weekly results doesn't mean your body isn't changing. I also go a week or so with no apparent loss then suddenly the scale is down 2-4 lbs. So the loss isn't an exact science.

Started all this on 8-5. Literally dropped 12 lbs in the first 2 weeks - I'm sure a lot of water. Here it is 9-5 and the scale has not moved in over 2 solid weeks. In fact, I go up 1 and down 1 over and over and over. I'm exercising like a lunatic, drinking more than my fair share of water, and making super food choices and staying within the 1260-1600 calorie range. I'm 5'3", 39 and started at 259 lbs. Isn't it supposed to come off easier in the beginning? It used to. I'm not quitting - just ticked. Maybe I need an attitude adjustment. Go ahead, give it to me, I can take it...

First, I want to say thank you for posting this. I don't think youre a whiny B at all. I feel the same way sometimes. I watch some people, lose so quickly. Like nearly a pound a day for the last month, and I lost like 7 pounds almost immediately and then water weight, wait a few days for that to drift away, then a little loss, little loss, water weight again >_< And more days waiting for that to go away. Little losses and then TOM, bloated ~again~. But, the whole time, staying with the calories goals, (lightly active) TDEE - 20%, logging everything, pre-planning meals, and exercising even when I don't really feel like it.

I think some of us just lose slower. Even when we have a lot to lose, it doesn't just melt off like it does for some.

*hugs* Just hang in there and don't give up.

I'm gong to second several things others have said:
-make sure you're logging your food every day, even weekends. If you're out and about on weekends, eating things you didn't prepare, look through the database and make the best possible guess. Mom & Pop restaurants usually don't have nutritional information but you could pull something from a chain that's similar. Yeah, not as accurate, but it'll be better than making something up or not logging.

-I think you need to up your calories. I started with similar stats: 5'4", 249, 34 yo and found that netting 1200-1300 was too low,and this was before I started exercising heavily. I upped my calories by netting 1600 per day. I do a combo of -20% and eating back exercise calories. I used the BMR calculator at fat2fitradio.com and found my TDEE for sedentary. I took 20% from that and add back my exercise calories based on my HRM. For me this is the best because my exercise burn ranges from 250-450 depnding on the workout and there are weeks where I dont get my normal 5 days in.

-Make sure you're weighing yourself consistantly. Our weight can fluctuate a lot during the day so if you weigh in the AM one week and in the PM the next, any weight loss could be masked by the normal daily fluctuation. For me I weigh Saturday AM after I've woken up, used the toilet and stripped down.

-The scale can be the devil and sould only be one tool used to judge progress. Also incorporate tape measuring, and overall observations of how you're feeling and how you're clothes are fitting, and changes in pictures. There was one week where I gained over a pound but the jeans that were a touch tight the week before fit perfectly the day I logged my gain. Also, high sodium meals/water rention, your menstrual cycle, when you last ate in relation to when you weigh, will all mask fat loss.

For any changes you make, give yourself 2-3 weeks to see progress before making other changes. Good luck!

took a look at your diary, on the days that you log, your sodium is always very very high. Sodium makes human body contain water, so it might be water weight you are holding? Just a personal input.

^This.

lolwut?

Which part would you like clarification on?

It's too much of a broscience ****storm to even begin!

You know what else I love about the TDEE method...I don't have to worry about how many calories burned. I log it on here so I can track my exercise but I log it as 1 calorie.

I saw that another person posted a comment about your sodium intake. My body hates sodium and sugar and I have to exclude both to see any weight loss. I also ride my bicycle for fitness. If I allow myself a treat of a couple of cookies at any one time during a week, my weight loss for that week will be either the same or I will gain weight. My body is fighting me to stay fat!! Seriously. I also had to stop taking a prescription contraceptive.

I hope this helps.