Hey

TL;DR; Don't worry about it, carry on, but you might need some food scales.

You probably are making progress, but progress can be hidden sometimes due to factors I'll explain below. You could also be making progress in the sense that you are learning how to track your calories and you are introducing the habit of exercise and good eating. Once those habits are established they will become easier and easier to you, and all you need to do to turn those habits into noticeable weight loss is a few minor tweaks here and there. Also yes; it is very tough, but it is so worth it when you look in the mirror and like what you see.

Here's a few general pointers:

Regarding the 5 week weight estimator:

1. The MFP exercise calorie burn calculator is way off. So if you are logging exercise MFP will think your deficit is way higher than it actually is, the 5 week estimator uses this info so it will be inaccurate.

2. The 5 week estimator is working on the premise that you weigh and log food perfectly, eat exactly the same thing, do exactly the same exercise, in exactly the same conditions, at the same time, in the same way, at the same rate etc etc... every single day for 5 weeks solid. That's pretty much impossible.

Because of the above the 5 week estimator is rubbish, and should be taken with a very large pinch of salt, or just ignored completely. Also, don't eat back all the calories MFP tells you you have burnt off, because it tends to overestimate a lot. Maybe 50% would be ok if you are hungry, but otherwise take the deficit!

Make sure you are accurately and honestly weighing and logging EVERYTHING you eat or drink. Calorie values are inaccurate enough on their own; they don't need any help to be inaccurate. A few mouthfuls and drinks here and there can make the difference between a good day and a bad day, but when you look at your history they will all look like good days and it won't make any sense.

There are lots of factors involved in weight loss; water retention, glycogen levels, insulin levels, hormone changes, metabolism changes, your body is constantly breaking down tissue and building it up at different rates etc. etc. so weight loss is never going to be in a straight line at a constant rate, some days you will go up, some days you will go down, some days you will stay the same. It won't make any sense day to day, so you need to take an average weight movement over 2-3 weeks or longer to see what direction you are going.

If you are doing all the above and still not losing weight over a few weeks. Then you are still eating more calories than you are burning off... reduce your calories a little (like 100cal) and watch what happens over the next few weeks, if still no change reduce again and repeat until you start to lose weight. You can also step up your exercise if possible to help this along. Whatever you do don't rush it or make extreme changes that you can't maintain; it's a lifestyle change, not a race, if it takes a month or two just to get your macros right and lose that first 1lb then so be it; in the long run it doesn't matter how long it takes to get it right.

Looking at your diary, there are only 2 weeks worth of logging in there, which isn't enough to get a good impression of your diet. On they days that aren't logged you could have eaten 5 calories or 5000 calories... you can make a guess, but really you just don't know.

Looking at the info that is logged, overall your macros are pretty good, and you are eating well - lots of nice nutritious food there. It's a little inconsistent day to day, calorie wise, which can make it harder to find specific problems, but that's to be expected and shouldn't really make any noticeable difference in the long run.

I think the problem is likely more to do with inaccurate logging, and not doing it long enough; I see quite a few cup measurements in your diary, which are not as accurate as using scales, and there's only 2 weeks worth of info to look at. It might be that you are eating more calories than you think, but you can't know that for certain unless everything is perfectly logged. Also make sure you choose the right entry in the database, as there can be huge differences between entries; look at a few different ones and pick one that is average.

My advice:
Get yourself some cheap digital scales on ebay and make sure you weigh and log everything accurately. Watch the scale for another 3 weeks and see if that makes a difference, then reassess.

Ha ha, maybe not a full pack... you could probably fit one or two in without going over your limit, but if you're like me and having one means you have to have them all, then none at all is probably the easier option. Chocolate is probably my biggest weakness right now; I have a mean sweet tooth when I get going.

It can be very discouraging to fluctuate or hit a plateau - usually when that happens for me I need to tweak my diet or take more walks. I can get in a rut of eating the same foods because a) it seems safe and b) it's easy. I didn't look at too many of your diary days but the first thing I noticed is foods that have sugar in them - sugar can compromise our healthy eating. Instead of Jif peanut butter, buy an organic or natural peanut butter with no added sugar. Also yogurt is surprisingly riddled with sugar. You have to be a super sleuth because sugar plus other junk is added into our foods - read every label!!!

I wish you the very best on your journey!!! Don't lose faith, it will happen.

Peace and well being!!!

Amy

Good for you for being proactive and willing to follow the advice of your trainer.

Again, good luck!!!