5 weeks in and no weight loss

with a closed diary it's hard to tell...

but starvation mode is a myth but it leads me to believe you are eating about 1200 calories or less.

Probably not weighing food so under estimating intake and over estimating calories out from the gym.

If you're gaining weight, then you're not eating at a deficit. You're underestimating your food &/or overestimating your burns. Log everything you eat accurately & honestly. Weigh your food. Eat back half your exercise calories.

Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

with a closed diary it's hard to tell...

but starvation mode is a myth but it leads me to believe you are eating about 1200 calories or less.

Probably not weighing food so under estimating intake and over estimating calories out from the gym.

I don't think starvation mode is a myth, I haven't personally seen it, but I have read enough articles from reputable people in the industry to at least think it exists. That being said, Unless you're in an extreme caloric deficit and exercising everyday for hours on end, I think starvation mode takes longer than 5 weeks to happen.

Generally the way people use the term on this site is inaccurate. It would take very long periods of eating at an extreme deficit to starve, but it wouldn't make you gain weight.

A couple of observations based on the past few days of your diary and a random sample from March.. You aren't getting a lot of protein and you are eating way under your calories. Why are you eating so far under and what kind of exercise do you do?

There is very interesting research by Dr. James Levine about Non-exercise Activity Thermogenesis or NEAT which may explain why you aren't losing weight. His research had shown that often when people reduce their intake they also reduce their NEAT value which is all the calories you use doing the small continuous activities of daily living. It is an unconscious reduction. For instance you may be working out at the gym but then sitting more for the rest of the day because you are more fatigued with the reduction of food energy. I may not be explaining it well but look him up on Youtube or there was a New York Times article called "Is too much sitting lethal?" After reading about his scientific research I could see how when I've been dieting for awhile I have had days when I just don't have much energy and really cut back on moving around. So I am trying to make a conscious effort to make myself move more like walking up stairs instead of taking the elevator, finding reasons to just move more during the course of the day. Another thing I read was something called "diet creep" which I have been guilty of. It's when you get a little bored on your diet and do alot of almost unconscious snacking that you don't really think is doing harm but is actually adding significant calories that you aren't counting i.e. one spoonful of fruit flavored Greek yoghurt, one little bit of cheese, one small cookie. After awhile it gets to be a naughty little habit. I'm not sure if any of this resonates with you but when I read these things I was amazed at how much it applied to me and my lack of results. Hope this helps and sorry it is so long! Good luck.

What is your weight now and how much do you want to lose?

You might have gained some muscle since you've been going to the gym. Do you notice any physical differences in your body?

You might have gained some muscle since you've been going to the gym. Do you notice any physical differences in your body?

Take a look at OP's diary. She is not gaining muscle with that little protein and calories. I'd lay odds most of her calories burned are from cardio.

I am curious:
1) what is OP's height & staring weight
2) what was OP's diet like before logging on MPF
3) what kind of exercise is OP doing and how is she tracking the burn
4) Why is she eating so little
5) what is her goal - (weight? size? strength? health? looks?)

Something doesn't add up here

You are doing a lot of cardio and not eating enough protein. Cardio is Catabolic, it consumes muscle (every seen a bulky distance runner?). Eat more protein, change your goals to at least 30% protein, 45% carb 25% fat. Don't exercise for more than 2 hours continuously. get a digital scale, up your daily calorie goal to 1400 ish

If you're not losing weight then the issue isn't that you're way under your calorie goal, the problem is that you're eating at maintainence (if you aren't gaining weight). You aren't measuring your food if you think you are eating way under your goal but you aren't losing weight.