To start off, I'm a 26 year old female, 5' 4.5" and 156 pounds. I've been working out regularly (about 5 times a week) for four years and had maintained my weight during this time pretty easily. In January/February of this year, I went through a really busy period at work (I'm an accountant) and was unable to go to the gym, so I gained about 6 pounds. For almost two months now, I've been logging my food and exercise very regularly to try to get rid of that extra weight. (I take off one day a week generally, just to stay sane, but I don't binge) and I have had a deficit literally every single day I've logged. Sometimes my deficit is almost 1,000 calories. Per Calorie Count, I should consume 1,450 calories a day, and on average, I do. (Some days I'm down to 1,300, some days I'm up to 1,550 or so.) Last year my doctor told me I should consume 1,200 calories when I don't work out and 1,700 when I do, so I'm reasonably in line with that, too.
I have cut my wheat consumption by about 90%, so very little bread, no pasta, cookies, cake, etc. I've cut my dairy down to milk in my coffee and oatmeal and nonfat Greek yogurt, so very little cheese, butter, etc. I eat almost no red meat - mainly tuna, salmon, and chicken. I have drastically reduced my drinking and sugar intake. I pretty much only drink coffee and water otherwise. No soda or juice. I eat a lot of fruit, veggies, oatmeal, Greek yogurt, veggie burgers, beans, etc. But I'm still GAINING weight. I don't know what to do. I'm literally in tears over this.
Thoughts or ideas?
How much sleep are you getting?
If you are being fully honest with yourself, which I have no reason to believe you aren't, you need to go to the doctor and get tested for PCOS and hypothyroidism. That's not a medically normal relationship. Also maybe not ye old, "er yeah eat 1200 calories" doctor, cause that's really a very over simplified idea of nutrition.
Between 7 and 8 hours during the week, a little more on the weekends.
Everyone is a bit different but I was following a diet like yours last year and I found it harder to lose than my current meal plan which is mostly paleo/primal....
So if it was me I'd ditch the oatmeal and beans and eat some read meat, some avocado or nuts for healthy fat and keep up the veggies/fruit and if you like some dairy...
Also I don't know what type of work out you do but mixing it up might help...Although at MDA they say weight loss is 80% diet...
I would read some on Marks Daily Apple and Whole 9 blogs or any others to get an idea of what you might change to mix up or tweak your eating plan...
I know a bunch of people will say oatmeal and beans are good for you but if you are trying to lose weight in my personal experience they might hinder that process...
Figuring out what works for you is a process and you may have to try a few things to find the right fit!
Try breaking / changing any patterns you have. Do weights if you are doing cardio, cardio if you are doing weights. Increase / decrease protiens carbs fats in your diet. Get your body out of any patterns it has got used to.
I'm certainly no doctor, but I firmly believe that doing too much too soon can really hinder your weight loss. Yes, first definitely check that all your estimates are right on. Are you sure there's no secret calories? Cookies you don't think about?
Then if you're sure you're accurate, you might want to take your foot off the accelerator a little bit. Make sure you eat nutritious food and aim for a small calorie deficit every day, not a huge one. If you're constantly stressed about what you're eating, your body may respond by producing cortisol which will make you keep weight on.
So try to relaaaax..... If you eat healthy food in moderate amounts (which it sounds like you are doing) you will lose weight.
