Gaining inches while doing all the right things!

Hi everyone,

Maybe I want sympathy more than advice. I'm 31, 5'3", small stature. If I'm conscious about my weight, I come in at 126. At my lowest as an adult, I came in at 120.

I started working with a personal trainer in September. I work out with her once a week and go to the gym two or three times on my own, depending on the week. I also run and am training for a 10k in May, but due to the terrible winter in Ontario, I have mostly been running on treadmills; usually 3k or less because I was so bored. I also walk around an hour a day, four days a week.

I have been a vegetarian for two years and lead a very healthy lifestyle. I have had all of my vitamin and cholesterol levels checked lately and they were all great. I never eat fast food and rarely eat processed food. I eat until I am not hungry anymore. I don't drink juice. I don't drink pop. I don't eat sweets. I eat mostly whole foods. I drink skim milk. I don't eat bread. I have two glasses of wine a week. I recently started drinking an organic protein supplement after my workouts.

Lately my jeans and shirts haven't been fitting right. My pants will not stay up, and my shirts ride up. Tonight I tried on a dress from last June, from before I started personal training, and that I bought when I wasn't running very much. This dress will no longer zip up. I now know this weight gain is not in my head, and it is not my shirts and pants shrinking in the dryer.

I don't know what to do. I am not concerned with the number on the scale, as I know that number will go up as I continue weight training. But these extra inches can't be ignored. I'm considering going on the slow carb diet for a bit, but that sounds like the worst thing ever. I enjoy food and I enjoy what I eat, and I don't want to become obsessive or completely restrictive over it.

Any advice or sympathetic words?