Well, this certainly isn't the first time I've tried to lose weight, but hopefully it'll be the one that sticks. I'm 246lbs, 5'6", in college, and I think I'd like to get down to about 160-150lbs. The only weight I've actually kept off is about 14lbs from two years ago, but back then I ate way too much and never exercised. Basically, since 'shaping up' in terms of the way I handle my body, I've been on a two year plateau.
I almost wish I had a bunch of bad habits now, so I could change them. But honestly, I think I eat pretty well, and I'm exercising four days a week for thirty minutes, and doing strength training on my three off days. I take in about 1200-1400 calories a day, keep my protein pretty high, and moderate my carbs and fat. I don't consume anything really carby after 5pm (that is, no bread or pasta, but I'll have veggies), and my fats come from things like low-fat cottage cheese, olive oil, and nuts (I try to stick to about 20g of fat daily, but some days I'll only get 6g or so). I eat five meals a day, spaced out with 2.5-3hrs between them. I don't eat after 7pm.
The various places that I've calculated my BMR have given me an average number of about 2000. I burn at least 500 daily through exercising and lifestyle. So if I'm taking in 1300 and putting out 2500, I should have a 1200 daily deficit. I should be losing a pound a week, at least. Maybe I'm not eating enough? I feel like I am; I usually feel satisfied after meals.
I feel like I'm doing everything right, and nothing's changing. When I say it's been a two year plateau, I should clarify that by saying that I haven't been as strict for those two years as I have this past month, so I could maybe understand not losing weight then. But for the past four weeks, the science of input vs. output tells me that I should've been losing! And I'm not.
Secondly, congratulations on releasing 14 pounds and keeping it off for 2 years! That's great!
As to your current frustration, I can certainly understand. It seems like you're really doing everything right, yet it's not "working". From what you've described, it seems like you're doing calorie counting as your plan of choice.
I'm not good at analyzing other people's intake (I'm still struggling to figure out my own! ), but many people here are. Do you keep a journal, like perhaps a Fitday or Nutridiary or Myfooddiary, that you can link up? Or just post a typical daily intake? There are a number of folks here who might be able to help you tweak it!
In any event, I'm so glad you found 3FC. It's a great place to be!
How long have you had that exercise routine? It may be that your body is use to it and it needs to be tweeked now. Do more or try something new etc.
And 1200 calories is the lowest you want to go ever. I think you started way to low. you should be around more like 1700-1900 or more at first and than when you hit a platue you can move down. there is a counter on this site that can tell you how many calories you should have. Go to diets up on the tabs. Figure out how many you need to matain your currant weight and than You just drop that number by 500 and in a few weeks you can drop it by more and more. I am not an expert this is just my thoughts from things that I have learned sense starting my own weight loss from the gals here and other sites on the internet. there are calories counters, fitday is one I like nutridiary is the other. Good luck.
like others have said, i'm not expert, but that fat intake seems really low to me. I've also noticed that i have better results when I have a fairly even set of results from day to day, instead of too few cals/carbs/fat/protein one day, too much the next, etc.
Kashi--welcome to the group! Some of the people here are really knowledgable and helpful. And then there's me--I just fake it.
But on that note! For your weight and your activity level, I'd say you're waaaaaay low with calories. The 1200 calorie number gets thrown around a lot, and it's really a bad idea for almost everyone. 1200 calories is the minimum you can go and *nutritionally* cover all your bases, and that's if you're following a very very strict, very carefully set up whole-foods plan. If you're exercising, you just need more.
(As an aside: your fat intake is really, really, dangerously low. Your body NEEDS fat. Fat is important! Your body needs it to help with cell membrane repair. Mono- and poly-unsaturated fats are important! You need things like peanut butter and olive oil and fish oils. Be careful with saturates--have those be no more than 10% of your calories--but you NEED more fat in your diet.)
I know the math says you should be losing about 2+ pounds a week, but if it's not working, you need to start tweeking your plan. The numbers the calculators give you are for maintaining your weight, then you subtract from there to figure out weight loss numbers. so let's say your maintenance number is 3000 (for ease of figuring). So you'd subtract some and exercise some, right, to come up with a deficit of 1,000 calories a day. 1,000 calories a day is 7,000 calories in a week, or 2 pounds. 2 pounds is about what it's safe to lose in a week (because losing weight is a chemical process, and the body just can't do it much faster than that). If you're 1,200 calories low every day, you're trying to force your body to perform that process faster than it is able to, and it's going to fight you.
That 3,000 calorie number (or any maintenance number, I just made the number up) is based on good food choices. You can't eat 3,000 calories a day of Krispy Kremes and Frappuccinos and expect to have an awesome body, it just doesn't work that way. But if you're eating healthy, whole foods and giving your body the building blocks it needs to do its work, you'll be amazed by the results you get.
From here, what I would recommend (and you can take this with the Great Salt Lake if you want ) is that you up your calorie intake slowly. Try to eat about 200 calories more a day this week, and see what happens. Then try for 200 more than that, next week. See what happens. Your body may hold onto a pound for a week, then it will come off next week. At least, that's what happened to me! Once your metabolism is repaired and burning hot, then you can drop down by 250-500 and keep exercising, and watch a strong, sexy, fantastic body emerge.
Finding a plan that's right for you involves a fair bit of trial and error, so you probably need to play around with things for a while. Mousie's right, you need a reasonable amount of fat in your diet. It's also necessary for utilising fat-soluble vitamins.
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But honestly, I think I eat pretty well, and I'm exercising four days a week for thirty minutes, and doing strength training on my three off days. I take in about 1200-1400 calories a day, keep my protein pretty high, and moderate my carbs and fat. I don't consume anything really carby after 5pm (that is, no bread or pasta, but I'll have veggies), and my fats come from things like low-fat cottage cheese, olive oil, and nuts (I try to stick to about 20g of fat daily, but some days I'll only get 6g or so). I eat five meals a day, spaced out with 2.5-3hrs between them. I don't eat after 7pm.
Kashi! Love your cereals, by the way 
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) is that you up your calorie intake slowly. Try to eat about 200 calories more a day this week, and see what happens. Then try for 200 more than that, next week. See what happens. Your body may hold onto a pound for a week, then it will come off next week. At least, that's what happened to me! 
Kashi.
to you, 