Should I have my metabolism checked?

I have tried many many diets in the past and have never been able to lose more than a couple of pounds even though I gain weight ridiculously quickly. (I am 5'5" and was up to 148 but would like to get down to 120). I went on a new diet and was very excited when I got down to 136 after just a few weeks. But, the last couple of weeks I have been out of town off-and-on traveling for business.  The thing is, I have still been eating sensibly-- no more than 1200 calories a day, lots of salads and veggies, no fast food-- even though I haven't been sticking to the ordered "diet" that I was following. Last week when I weighed myself I found that I was back to 141.  How did I gain 5 pounds in 10 days when I stuck to my calorie goals? I haven't had any really salty foods, have kept my liquid intake up, have limited my sugars, and the only alcohol I consumed was one small martini. I thought that I might just be retaining water so I went back to the diet and have been faithful to take vitamins, drink lots of water, etc., but I'm still back at 140 at the end of a week of doing this.  Can anyone give me any tips as to why this is happening and how I can re-jumpstart my diet?  I have been tempted to have my metabolism tested in the past because I have to eat like I am on a diet just to maintain my weight and gain weight quickly if I let myself splurge (no, I don't binge) for just a few days around a holiday or special occasion.  I have some hormonal issues (mild PCOS) and am wondering if this is contributing to anything?
Other facts:
 1.  I weigh myself at the same time each day-- once at night right before bed and once in the morning as soon as I get up.  It is always in the same type of pajamas.
 2.  I don't exercise much at all.  I am working on my PhD and have a job and simply don't have the time to do anything more than a few sets of squats, lunges, and pushups at home in the evening.
 3.  I am 22.
 4. I am on the pill to help regulate my hormones.

You should probably talk to your doctor.  The last sentence of your post about regulating hormones may be at the root of the problem.  People with pre-diabetic/insulin resistant conditions such as PCOS find it much easier to gain than to lose weight.  There are ways to control your weight with those conditions and if you follow the type of diet aimed at diabetics, i.e. one that controls blood-sugar levels as well as calories, you can be more successful.

The book 'The Low GI Guide to Managing PCOS' by Jennie Brand-Miller is a very good read and gives lots of tips on how to manage weight effectively with the condition.

I have questions about the new diet you went on.  Please elaborate.

Also, you may not be eating enough.  What does your burn meter say? 

And last of all, you may need to find time to exercise.  A 20 minute brisk walk will do wonders for stress relief and improving fitness.  Start out small.  Eventually, you will increase your exercise and get to the point that most days you can't do without it.

Just some thoughts...

The new diet that I was on was an older version of the metabolic deit.  You change what you eat every four days with the idea that eating foods in specific combinations makes it easier and faster for your metabolism to do its work. You usually eat right around 1,000 calories a day, which I know is too few, but as you get furhter into it you slowly add back calories until you are back to a normal "diet" mode intake of about 1200 calories.  According to my burn meter and all of the tools on here, I should be eating right around 1200 calories.

I do take time to walk everyday in the warmer weather.  We live in the midwest and from November until February it is unbearable cold to be outside (we have had negative or single digit degrees for the last two weeks). I try to be consciensous about taking the stairs instead of the elevator and parking in a further distance parking garage than necessary in order to have a longer walk to my building each morning.  I will try to make more of a priority to bundle up and go walking even in the chillier weather-- I had no idea that a moderate walk could really do that much for you.

 Thanks!

If you eat "no more than 1200 cals/day" you may be seriously overrestricting. Find out what you should be eating to maintain  your weight (height/weight/age/gender/activity level), subtract 500 and eat that much. 1200 is a pretty useless number and is NOT what most people should aim for; it's ususally too low.

My meter told me to eat 1200, too, but that's because it gave a target date that was (IMHO) ridiculously ambitious AND I set the burn meter to sedentary so I could log exercise separately. I starve and don't lose at 1200; I tried it. Adjusting up by 500 was key for me.

Best of luck!

I agree with mkculs.  My burn meter also tells me to eat around 1200 cals.  I just can't do it.  It is too little and I am starving all the time which makes me want to eat like a pig.  I also want to make a lifestyle change not diet my way down to some magic number.  That being said, I don't care how long it takes, I just want to eat healthy, exercise and be happy.

i would

1.  eat more calories- 1200 doesnt seem like enough.  people on this site are repeatedly talking about how when they increased their cals, they lost weight. 

2. try and get some more cardio in there along with your nightly exercises (time for a 15 minute power walk? how about some jump rope? that burns tons of cals in very little time!)

3.  talk to your doctor about your pcos/birth control pills.  maybe you are on a high dose and need a lower dose.  i have read that higher dose oral contraceptives are more linked to weight gain (be it water retention, increased appetite, etc)

The fact is even with thyroid conditions and all other maladies the most the BMR can vary in people of the same gender, age and weight is 35 calories per day. If you disagree prove me wrong.

The most weight a woman can maintain on 2000 calories per day is 140 pounds.

The most weight a man can mantain on 2500 calories per day is 160 pounds.

Prove me wrong.

I have heard every excuse in the book and NONE of them hold water. There is a pesky little reality called the laws physics and there is NOTHING that can defy those laws.

definately check for insulin resistance.   i have started taking metformin and it has helped me a lot.

i know how you feel, i eat sensibly as well and after getting down to my lowest weight last year, i have quickly gained weight and now am up about 25 lbs... i am going to see a nutritionist to see what else i can do to rev up my metabolism, maybe you can check one out in your area.. i think some insurances will cover the cost (unfortunately mine wont unless i have diabetes or something like that). Good luck!!

Aux armes, citoyens!  I missed out on your last thread (deleted?) obesityhelps, and I like your grit.  But if you come into the parish bingo game like Carrie Nation with a hatchet, you should expect to get bashed on the head with a purse.....For the record I can, and have, maintained a weight well above 160 pounds on 2500 calories per day.  My calculated BMR is 1610 (and I believe I'm within 35 calories of actual), and I only maintain 165 pounds on 2200 cal/day with considerable exercise. Insofar as proving this beyond personal experience, my NovoNordisk diet guidebook uses 10x body weight as a general rule for sedentary men.  By this rule 2500 calories/day will sustain 250 pounds body weight.

Should you get your BMR checked jessrene? I doubt that it will help you much to know.  If you carefully log your activities and eating for several weeks, you can infer your BMR by back-calculating it.  I did this, and found that BMR was almost exactly what Harris Benedict said it would be.  A visit to a dietician would help.

Travel plays havoc with my weight, too.  I'm not sure why exactly.  Whether it's from being more sedentary, or from eating fatty/salty restaurant foods (calories counted of course, but possibly not as accurately as at home), I'll gain 5 lbs on a 3 day trip.  Over the past two years I've always been able to drop it back off in 2-3 days when I get home.