3 months, ZERO PROGRESS

Are you measuring yourself? Taking pictures? The results might be showing somewhere other than the scales. I find it difficult to believe that after 3 months of lifting you are not seeing any results. Even if you are eating more than you should be.

For the meantime you need to measure, weigh and log everything. Guesswork will not help you.

And try eating back your exercise calories. MFP already creates a deficit so you aren't 'eating back that deficit'. It's extra, additional, 'earned' calories. Many people on here passed their plateau when they started eating back their exercise calories. It's worth a shot.

And quit with the 'cheat' meals - if you want french fries, eat french fries, just count for them in your calories.

The calories that MFP gives as a daily target ALREADY HAD A DEFICIT BUILT IN. Somewhere in this thread I read that you are 200 and some lbs. 1500 calories for someone of that height seems to be what MFP would say - but I bet your BMR (basal metabolic rate: the amount of calories that you would need if you just did absolutely nothing but laid in bed all day) is that amount or higher. If you are working out you definitely need to eat the calories back.

For what I started at, I was given a 1200 calorie a day goal and thought I wasn't supposed to eat my calories back either - I too had a heart rate monitor and was burning 300-600+ calories 5-6 days a week. For awhile I did lose weight, but I also was light headed, and starving all the time.

Then for months, while eating 1200 calories and burning that much I didn't lose anything. So I upped my calories and began to lose again!

And OP...opening your diary would really help us pin point some weaknesses. Losing weight is 80% diet, 20% exercise and what I like to say 100% mental.

I do believe that at 1500 (give or take 50-100), you should be losing. I'd take 3 weeks and start eating back some of your exercise calories. If you plan to burn 300 calories one day, plan a 1650 day the day before with food you have and could get easily. Planning, I've learned, really helps in this. Under eating and over eating are equally as detrimental to your body as your mental state.

For those eating at TDEE -20%, do you eat that amount of calories even on the days that you are not exercising? For example, I am starting TDEE -20% tomorrow 10/16. Scooby states I should be eating 1571 cal per day. On my non-workout days should I eat at 1200 calories?

No, eat as close to 1571 as you can EVERYDAY, regardless of exercise. What I have found that works is to eat within 50-100 calorie of that, either way, EVERYDAY. Consistancy really pays off.

This! I even eat at my TDEE on days I don't work out, still losing.

I would really appreciate some help, guys. Please read the whole thing first, if you have the time.

I have been on my healthy journey for three months now. I work out at least 5 days a week (sometimes more), lifting weights and doing cardio. I have a calorie tracker similar to the Polar watches that lets me know I am burning at least 300 calories in a half hour.

I eat healthy. I started off clean, but that is ridiculously expensive and time-consuming, so now I do allow some processed food in my diet that is low calorie, low sodium, high protein. I intake 1500 calories currently, over 100 ounces of water a day. Very little sugar, one cheat meal a week. Really, I am doing all the right things here, and I have researched this daily since I began to make sure I was doing what I needed to.

I HAVE ZERO CHANGE. My clothes fit the same, the scale flucuates in a 4-5 pound range and is never, ever consistent.

To say I am disappointed would be an understatement. I don't know what else to do here.

Determine your BMR.
Eat under 500< of your BMR
get a food scale
Make sure your COUNTING colories/carbs accurately

your eating more than you think

It is confusing look up starvation mode. If you are undereating, your body thinks you are starving. Your net calories on MFP should be your goal. Example: this morning I started off with 1410 calories. OK I walked and burned 262, I had breakfast and water. My NET intake is 78 calories. I have 1332 remaining for the day. My breakfast was 320 calories but after walking, my net is only 78. If I eat my 1410 and stop, I will be under that by 262 calories. You need at least a net of 1200 per day net and when I am closer to 1300 net, it falls off. Good luck.

Have you lost weight successfully in the past? What were you doing then? (I agree that if you have only stopped weighing in the last two weeks, that isn't your issue.)

It's not starvation mode. Your metabolism doesn't slow down enough to account for the deficit you have at 1500 calories w/ exercise.

If you are logging without fail, no days off, then the doctor sounds like a good plan. Do you take medications or have any medical issues that you know of?

I don't weigh anymore, I've gotten pretty good at knowing by looking since I was weighing at the beginning. I thought that might be my problem, that I was underestimating portion sizes, but I really don't. I tend to be generous with protein since it keeps me happier and full, but I don't eat a whole steak or anything.

Your diary is closed, you don't weigh food. You are not burning 300 calories in HALF an hour lifting weights. Likely you are over estimating your burn, over estimating your portions and blowing the rest of your deficit on your cheat day.

BAM!!!! Exactly. While reading all the posts, I was going to post the same thing.

Without accurate measurements there is no way for anyone to tell you want is going on. Track everything for at least 2 weeks, then come back with the results and figures and we can all go from there. At this point it is useless even talking about it.

I DO have a chest strap. Really, do you have to talk to me like that? I am here for help, not to be belittled. If you don't want to offer me actual help, that's fine - just don't.

She was helping you. She told you the exact problem. You seem to take it as belittling because it is not the advice you want to hear. If you are truly at a calorie deficit than you will lose weight. If you are not than you will not. If somehow your body has figured out a way around simple physics than congrats because you have just solved all of the worlds energy problems. You are going to be a zillionaire! Remember us small folks once you get your fist payday.

I would really appreciate some help, guys. Please read the whole thing first, if you have the time.

I have been on my healthy journey for three months now. I work out at least 5 days a week (sometimes more), lifting weights and doing cardio. I have a calorie tracker similar to the Polar watches that lets me know I am burning at least 300 calories in a half hour.

I eat healthy. I started off clean, but that is ridiculously expensive and time-consuming, so now I do allow some processed food in my diet that is low calorie, low sodium, high protein. I intake 1500 calories currently, over 100 ounces of water a day. Very little sugar, one cheat meal a week. Really, I am doing all the right things here, and I have researched this daily since I began to make sure I was doing what I needed to.

I HAVE ZERO CHANGE. My clothes fit the same, the scale flucuates in a 4-5 pound range and is never, ever consistent.

To say I am disappointed would be an understatement. I don't know what else to do here.

If you are not making the gains/losses you want to you need to check into your routine! If your bmr is 2000kcal/day and with activity your actual caloric burn daily is say 3200kcal, then 1500 cals is starvation mode to your body! You will not be happy with results because you are not eating enough to tell your body it is ok to burn fat from stores because it will be given more later.

Now if you are not burning 3200kcal a day and are burning say 2k then fine 1500cals in is ok. Given that statement, and this scenario you cannot eat in a deficit like that and stay the same so you would be cheating yourself by taking too many cals in and not doing enough to burn them.

As far as clean/dirty.......ummm, the body has not even one clue whether or not you are eating white bread or white rice or if you are eating 5000 grain whole wheat spinach and quinoa bread. It will either burn it fast or slow but in the end they both end up as glucose/energy! (period)

You need to be measuring every calorie burned as well as every single calorie placed in your mouth! All of them, buy a $20 digital food scale at wally world and know for sure what you are doing. It isn't possible to stay in one place without doing something wrong unless of course you are in maintenance mode. Nothing anyone can tell you will help until you have 100% of the necessary information.