What am I doing wrong?

[Silverback]

In weighing everyday, like i said, i do it for other reasons, but as for tracking weight.

I pick the same day of the week, same time, etc.

Like Friday Mornings as soon as I wake up - then I log that weight for comparison. I like Fridays because if I have a cheat day or I'm not spot on, on diet, it's usually on the weekend. This means I weigh in after four solid days of diet and hopefully exercise.

[mstng86]

In weighing everyday, like i said, i do it for other reasons, but as for tracking weight.

I pick the same day of the week, same time, etc.

Like Friday Mornings as soon as I wake up - then I log that weight for comparison. I like Fridays because if I have a cheat day or I'm not spot on, on diet, it's usually on the weekend. This means I weigh in after four solid days of diet and hopefully exercise.

I like to weigh in right after I poop in the morning... No shit, I am serious.

[AnthonyS]

Starting at the new year, I decided I was going to drop some weight. Basically what I did was go to several websites and see what my body naturally burns calorie wise. The average calories I found was around 3000 a day without doing anything and just living.

SO i figured if I cut down my calories to around 1200 a day, I would burn about 1800 a day so average a pound or so lost every other day. I was eating smart ones and lean cuisine stuff, grilled chicken, and putting everything I ate in my iphone app so I kept track of everything. I tried doing high protein, and will have a high protein shake in the afternoon sometimes, only getting 120 calories or so from it.

I would walk 3-4 times a week and usually burn only 200-400 calories each time, but if im under what Im naturally burning then that should just be gravy on top.

The only problem is I haven't really lost anything. I was down maybe 4 pounds or so but slacked off a LITTLE for week or so and am back to where I started. WTF is going on?? Its frustrating as hell and so damn discouraging.

Honestly, I think you might be cutting too many calories. I've read strange things about cutting so many your body thinks it is starving and does everything it can to hold everything it has.

I just finished reading a pretty good book about eating, and how people eat more than they think and don't eat as good as they think they do either. A 200 calorie a day deficit will let you lose 20 pounds in one year without even thinking about it much.

If I ever had an 1800 calorie daily deficit, I'd be ready to eat shoe leather.

I do weigh myself on everyday I'm at the gym using the same scale. Morning versus evening weight makes a big difference. A 3 pound fluctuation from one day to the next and at different times of the day seems pretty normal to me. I write the number I get in my exercise log every day. It's become a habit. It's probably not a good one, but I do it anyway.

I would try drinking more water like you are thinking, avoid the prepared foods like others are recommending and try adding back some calories.

Slow and steady is fast..... in a lot of things and losing weight is one of them.