help what's goin on?

i didnt know what category to put this under so i put it here because, well, i'm frustrated. i dont understand why this goes on, but

i used to maintain at 1800 calories when i didnt pay attention to where my nutrients came from, and did mostly easy cardio like dance videos for only 30 min a day, 5-6 days a week.

now i pay alot of attention to where my nutrients come from-i get about 20-25% from fat, 30ish% from protein, and 45 usually from carbs. i do 20 min strength training a day and 20-25 min cardio, 6-7 days a week- and basically i get WAY more protein in now than before, but i maintain on as little a 950 cal a day, which doesnt make sense and cant be good. what's going on, and what do i need to change so i can feel comfortable raising my calorie intake to a normal level and not feel like i always have to exercise, just to maintain?

i'm striving for a normal life not ruled by this kind of a rut or feeling like im in one

when it comes to the nutrition side of dieting that is not my expertise but i would think that you are feeling like that because you are burning way more than you take in...you are going to gain weight because with strength training comes more muscle. you have to fuel your body and when you dont you will get the feeling of a car running out of gas (bogging down) cause thats what you are doing...hope this helps out at least a little 

I agree with skillz.  Taking in that much protein and doing that much resistance training is going to result in weight gain because you're building muscle.  This is a good thing!  The facts are that muscle weighs more than fat and the more muscle you have the faster your metabolism is. 

I would REALLY like to encourage you to start taking in no less than 1200 calories a day since you are most likely depriving your body of vital micronutrients at your current intake.

Another possibility is that your macronutrient ratios are incorrect for your individual metabolism.  The Metabolic Typing Diet by William Linz Wolcott and Trish Fahey talks extensively about metabolic individuality and how some people naturally need more fat and protein while others thrive on more carbohydrates.  It's not exactly an easy read but it's very enlightening and my fiance and I have had great success with it.

thanks for the advice! this helps alot. this really broadens my views on how i feel about taking in food =)

What does your doctor/nutritionist/parents/recovery support team tell you?

1800 sounds like the minimum for a somewhat inactive teenage woman.  For those recovering from eating disorders, typically 2500 or 3500 calories isn't all that unusual.

The 950 calories per day is not healthy and you know it.  You need at least double that.  You also don't need to pay too much attention to the macronutrients until you get your calories up to where they need to be and even then given your prior history of disordered eating consulting your doctor or a nutritionist is advisable.

You will not be gaining muscle with that kind of diet although you may be feeling that your muscles are stronger or that you're managing to maintain your muscle mass because of the high amounts of protein in your diet and the workout.  Muscles do retain water when you use them so that is probably the reason for any weight gains.

thanks for the advice, i think you're right...maybe it's that my body's clinging onto the calories, and once i break out of this restriction it'll go into overdrive and a normal routine, but it's hard trusting it'll do that, it's a scary risk. but i'll try and be brave =) i'm really struggling with hunger cues and whatnot, do you have any advice for that?