Alright I'm getting extremely discouraged

Three months ago I completely cut soda pop out of my diet.  I was drinking at least 40 oz of Mountain Dew each day.  Now I am drinking nothing but water, flavored water, and ice tea.  I have been watching what I ate as well as working out at least 3 days each week.  I started a log on this site last Thursday.  I have been keeping on an extremely strict 1200 - 1300 calorie diet each and every day.  I have been getting some type of work out each and every day.  Whether it be walking for an hour, roller skating, or cardio aerobics.  I have gained another pound.  I am going out of my mind here!!!  Am I eating too few calories?  My clothes aren't fitting any looser so I don't believe I'm losing fat and gaining muscle.  I am just getting so discouraged.  I need some tips on how to keep at it in spite of feeling I'm getting no where.  I know, I'm impatient.  I don't expect results immediately but sheesh.  I didn't expect to gain a pound.  WAAAAAAAAAAAA  OK, I'm done whining now LOL

You probably aren't eating enough, yes. 1200-1300 is far too low unless you are incredibly small.

Read my journal for today... I think that we are a lot alike and maybe you will see why you gained.  I know that when I don't consume enough I do.... 

I think you're being far to strict! I have never been so strict with it and have managed to lose weight without even working out. And I started at 1500 calories.

I think you should definitely eat more on the days you are working out. I'd guess about 1500, at least. Because if you burned an extra 300 calories, that'd put you back at 1200 for the day.

I think it's better to start with something that makes you feel full and happy and then slowly restrict your calories back to the 1200-1300 range. (Personally, I will never go below 1300, simply because I feel like then it gets too risky over how much I'm really burning or not and whether I'm in starvation mode or not.)

But it's great that you cut out all sodas!! I think that's really important! Those things are junk.

OK, if you have been eating 1300 calories a day + doing an hour of exercise most days for 3 months, you SHOULD be losing weight.

Even in starvation mode - for that long a time you will eventually lose weight because the body needs to burn something to function.

I am wondering what exactly you are eating each day. Are you SURE it's only 1300 calories? Do you count all drinks, every spoonful of sugar, do you keep an eye on portion sizes? Maybe you are eating/drinking more than you think.

Do you drink alcohol? This can prevent the calories from being burned.

If you eat a lot of dairy and meat, try subsituting it for fish, pulses and vegetables. What you are doing now obviously is not working - try something new!

Best of luck! :)

Do you make your own iced tea? Iced tea can have just as much sugar in it as pop does.  If you're using mixes or buying it already made it's not actually that healthy of a choice. Maybe you're drinking more calories and sugar than you think you are.

Yes I know how to count calories.  Yes I know how to measure portion sizes.  I drink the bottled ice tea.  I enter in every little measurement of every little thing on the labels.  I do not add any additional sugar.  No, I do not drink alcohol.  What I'm eating mainly consists of turkey, chicken, and salads.  I can't do fish.  I eat plenty of veggies.  Far as the working out goes, I don't exercise for an hour at a time.  When I do the aerobics I do 1 video which is 30 minutes.   When I walk it's usually for an hour. 

Well I am puzzled!

What I would suggest is increasing your exercise. Maybe if you join a class doing some intense cardio, this might help give things a kick start. Try walking at a faster pace, and fit in a workout first thing in the morning if possible - a quick jog round the block, or some situps/trampoline/jumprope/jumping jacks, to encourage the fat-burning.

If you have been eating 1300 calories every day for months on end, and do exercise too, and are losing NO weight, you must not have enough of a deficit. Hope that helps!

sounds like you have hit ......the dreaded plateau!! your bod has probably gotten used to what you are intaking, so you might need to adjust it. Because you are at the lower end of the spectrum, up your intake about 150-200 cals a day. That way, your body has more energy to burn, so you'll burn more calories.

Sounds weird, but think of it like a candle. If you don't have enough wax, the candle won't burn as bright. So, if you get stuck in a certian range of calories, then your body won't have enough energy to burn calories.

You should seek information from professionals.  You can also search the Internet to find "reputable" sites for information about what is going wrong with your approach.  Did you mention your age?  If you are not an adult I think all bets are off since you body is still trying to grow.  If you are an adult you will have to accept the fact that you have more to lean, even if that knowledge turns out to be not something you are doing wrong but rather something that is going wrong within your body.  I use this website to know what my daily calories should be. Calorie Calculator - Daily Caloric Needs I hope it helps you.  Good luck.