why oh why have i not lost a lb - 4 weeks of diet and exersize?

I have posted this several different ways and every is very motivating telling me to just keep it up and it will happen. O.k. this is the deal I am on 1200 - 1400 calories a day, work out 5 days a week for 1 hour with 40 minutes cardio and 20 weights and abs. I do cheat on Friday and Saturday cause I'm jewish and we have 3 big meals for shabbat, but I'm still watching it and only have between 1800 - 2000 calories on these days.  I lost 5 lbs the first week but for the past 3 weeks nothing - in fact is fluctuates around 146 - 147. I have a very thin frame am 5'9 and started off at 151. I would like to get down to 130. I was 125 and very comfortable 2 yrs ago and then boom ( maybe turning 34 was the trigger), but I want to be a size 6 again, i'm in 10 and not happy.  What am I doing wrong? I am sure the first 5 lbs was water so I am really not loosing any fat at all? I read everyone else's posts and they all seem to at least loose 1 - 2 lbs a week and this week I actually gain a lb back????  Please suggestions, should I hire a trainer at the gym?  should I be eating less? are my cheat days killing all the work i'm doing? I was eating terrible before this - cakes, pasta, pizza, bread (all the time) and kept a steady weight of 151 - now i'm am eating super healthy, drinking tons of water, working out (and it's quite vigorous now - need a shower as soon as I get back) -  Please help

Being 5'9 and 146-147 lbs puts you at a very healthy BMI (21.6). Maybe your non weight loss is telling you that you're already AT your healthy weight, even if its not the weight you want to see yourself at. Also, you might want to try to vary your workout routine--incorporate some toning in addition to just cardio and strength. Try yoga or kickboxing or something one or two days a week for different effects. Personally I think the best body shape changer is rock climbing-- it tones and burns tons of calories. But to each his (or her =D) own.

I'm this way as well. :( I was terrible before - never exercised really, drank lots of soda (not even diet!), pasta, desserts, boxed foods, fast food, etc etc etc... completely did a 180 with both diet and activity, and really expected and hoped for as drastic changes on the scale as I'd made in my life.

But, just like you.. I'm 5'9, started at 148, got down to 142 in the first few weeks, and have now been stuck, no matter what I do. I'm still playing with my calories hoping one week I'll have magically found the right combo, but I'm starting to accept the fact that although I wish I could lose those 5 vanity pounds, my body just doesn't want to.

So, instead I've refocused my efforts into being healthy, active, and happy. I felt like lard before.. I wasn't, but I was eating crap and being a bum. I feel a lot better now! My "victories" are fitness-based.. needing more resistance during cardio, playing harder without feeling totally spent during sports, increasing the weight during my strength training sessions, etc etc. Instead of focusing on the scale, I'm focused on getting stronger and more toned. Maybe you should try to refocus as well?

You burn atleast 1700 a day at rest?   Plus your burning around 500-600 during your exercises.  You are not eating enough.  If you do not fuel the tank- its not going to run!

You are already at a healty weight, why not just do strength training, slack down on the cardio and tone up.

I honestly don't feel i'm not eating enough, I was trying to cut it too much and increased to 1400.  I know i am burning about 400 - 500 working out and eating not just less but healthier, so what's up?  It's not that i'm at a healthy weight believe me I have tons of body fat right around the mid section in my stomach and at the top of my hips in the back (the tire) - and at the top of thighs. I am just wondering if i'm eating the right stuff? or working out in the right way? After I had my daughter the weight stayed on for about 4 months but then fell off, I got sick after that and ended up a size 3-4 (i was very thin) - but now i'm just looking to be a size 6 not a 10???  Every one on here has progress and I really don't get why i'm not.  I do feel better in my clothes but i'm still the same size nothing is "falling off" -  does it really take 3 -4 months to drop one size when you are working this hard at it?

you need to see a nutritionist

you might get a post or two on here that will give you good advice

but if you don't seek professional help on this to evaluate what is best for YOUR body

you're just going to continue to fail, while killing yourself eating the wrong foods and doing the wrong exercises

if you can get a doctor to refer it'll probably be covered by your insurance

if not

think of it as a life changing investment

I think thin_girl is right, seek professional advice.

Something else comes to mind, why focus on losing weight? I think your goal should be toning. Redifining your body. B'cause it is hard to lose weigth when you have 100 pounds to lose, but is even harder as you get closer to your healthy weight. In your case, you are at your healthy weight so toning and eating clean (within your calories intake) should really help you reach the results you are seeking.

Wish you the best!

I don't know about a nutritionist, but I agree with CLMCCLELLAND.  First, we all know and agree (for sake of conversation) that NO ONE should fall below 1200 calories per day, just to meet normal bodily functions/needs, right?  Okay so hypothetically you:

Take in 1400 calories today

Exercise 500 calories off

EQUALS=900 calories total for the day (not to mention normal calories burned so this number is generous)

I think your body is in starvation mode and it is holding onto every bit of fat for stored energy, incase you starve it altogether.  You need to keep in mind that 1200 calories should be what you took in AFTER you got up brushed your teeth, went to the grocery store/work/whatever, AND worked out.

All my friends used to tease me about how little food I ate.  I noticed that I weighed more than all of them despite the fact that they ate more in volume.  When I started CC on 9/22/09, I had to force in 1200 calories in meal form, not one great snack like an enormous danish, bag of cheetos, and a white mocha from starbucks (sometimes all I ate the entire day although I was never hungry).  I felt sick in the beginning with the amount of food, and it became evident to me that my body was in starvation mode.  Also, that while I ate very little, my foods were high in fats and calories before, which explained my weight despite eating so little food.  So, I keep forcing myself to eat all this food, try never going over 1350 and always eating at minimum 1200.  As of today 11/10/09 (exactly 7 weeks to the day from 9/22), I've lost 12.6 pounds, or about 1.8 pounds per week.  I have started to work out very little-only 25 minutes of cardio every other day, 3 days a week (over the last 2 weeks).  This is absolutley nothing compared to the amount that you work out.  I am 39 years old, therefore likely have a slower metabolism.  If I continue with 1.8 pounds off per week, I'll be thrilled. 

My suggestion is try to increase your calories to compensate a little for the aggressive working out.  Within 2 weeks you will surely know what is happening.  If you stay the same weight, clearly your body can use the calories, increase a little more, maybe 100-150 cals.  If you lose, great!!  If you gain, it will likely only be a pound or two (c'mon it's not 10 ) but a least you'll know if you were under eating or not.