Thanks everyone for your comments.
I have been watching my dairy intake for the past 3 months thinking that I might have an allergy. I never really feel the effects of dairy unless I consume a ridiculous amount all at once, nevertheless, I have cut back. Whereas, I use to have skim milk with my coffee and cereal in the morning, I now have almond "milk." Now, my total dairy intake for the day basically includes either a 1/2 of cottage cheese or a greek yogurt as a snack. Depsite these adjustments, I still haven't seen any changes.
As for questions regarding my weight...I weigh approx. 168. I've basically gradually gained 10lbs each year for the last 3 years. As much as I fought the weight gain with exercise and a sensible diet, it just kept creeping on. No matter how much I worked out or how little I ate, the weight would never come off.

Ok, your doctor doesn't know what is going on. Maybe this isn't his area of expertise.
Have you considered going to an endocrinologist, or a bariatric specialist?
This just doesn't sound right to me, since you are being so careful.

I've been to several doctors...I went to my ob/gyn, my primary care physician, another general md, and weight loss specialist. They all shrugged their shoulders and told me that nothing was wrong with me.

I agree with KristasMom ... perhaps a different specialist would be helpful. Don't give up though! Just think where you'd be if you weren't being as careful as you ... the weight may not be coming off but just don't get discouraged. I'm confident you'll get to the bottom of this.

Try Switching Diet Plan
 

It sounds like you have really checked all physical aspects of your weight loss plan...I would suggest that you consider trying another diet for a month or two.

Have you tried Atkins? If not, give it a shot, but stay away from all those Atkins snack bar things and the fake baking mixes...just good protein, lots of green veggies and with this diet you can and if fact should have more fats than you have been eating.

IMHO Atkins is not a way of eating for a lifetime, but it can be a good way to lose weight. Right now I am switching from Atkins to low-cal.

I have found for me that changing diet plans works to break a stall.

Good luck!

Patricia

are you stressed out? stress will make you not lose weight :( thats my problem right now. im trying to learn to relax and have fun cause i think that helps you lose weight. idk! ive got alot to learn right now about trying to eat how you eat!!

In the same vein, are you getting enough sleep? Sleep regulates hormones that can affect your weight.

Also, have you recently been increasing the intensity of your workouts or lifting really heavy? Sore muscles can retain a lot of water to repair themselves. Have you been keeping measurements? If not, it might be time to take your starting measurements (arms, thighs, chest, hips, waist, etc.) and see if you're making any progress in that area. The scale sometimes is just not the best measure of progress.

Starvation mode is a real thing. Years ago, a trainer changed my diet, and my workout. Had me eat more, and actually cut my workout back. It worked. You CAN go too low calorie wise. Finding what is right for you takes some tweaking. Have you been using a food journal, like Fitday or any of the others?

Hi Everyone!
Thanks for your advice! I have been increasing the intensity of my workouts, but I haven't lost any inches as all my clothes are still fitting the same. As for my sleep patterns, they aren't the greatest but they've always been this way so it shouldn't be a factor. Over the last couple months, I have been playing around with my carb/protein/fat intake, but it hasn't seemed to help either. I do have more energy with the increased intake of protein, but the scale hasn't budged.

I did post this question on another thread and someone suggested that I might be overtraining so I've been looking at my diet and exercise routine trying to figure out the best way to tweak it without putting on weight. Last time I tried to increase my calories (to 1500) I ended up gaining 5 pounds so I'm a little apprehensive about making the tiniest of changes. I know how to increase the intensity of my workouts, but I don’t know how to do the reverse. If anyone has any suggestions about how to best "tweak" my routine, I'd be very appreciative!!

The first question I have is are you on birth control (pills, patches, shots)??? It took me three months to figure out that the Pill was the reason I was only maintaining my weight while eating only 1200-1300 calories a day and taking muay thai (kickboxing) classes 5 times a week...Just a thought

I know this thread is OLD, but I stumbled across it when looking up 'too few calories and weight gain' for a friend who is eating 800 calories a day. I have 30 years of bodybuilding and training experience. I thought I could leave some suggestions for others that might find this thread.

What people think or the advertisers promote as "healthy foods" like whole grains bread or pasta, granola and protein bars are not good for weight loss. When I read your first meal, I thought, "good". Until I hit your breakfast and the rest.

Nutritionists and Trainers may argue with me, here are my thoughts. Fruit raises blood sugar which can increase fat storage. Orange juice is a big NO on any diet I put together for anyone. Whole grain waffles (or pasta) are typically high in carbs and the glycemic index. Not good for weight loss. I recommend that you find a good GI list on the internet and keep to foods that are under a 60 GI. You'd be surprised what is on that list. You might also want to look at an Atkin's list of good carbs and foods you can eat.

Lean Cuisine? Stay away from any of these processed foods. Granola bars, while touted as "healthy" typically are high GI, sugar and carbs. Protein bars are typically high in sugar. I only eat a protein bar if I'm out working, forgot to bring food, am starving and instead of going to fast food. YOGURT?? Another food touted as healthy. Typically high in sugar and GI and dairy, which is typically not good for weight loss.

Where are your post workout or other protein shakes? You should find a quality whey protein powder that is low in sugar. There is one at Costco, CytoSport Whey, that is currently $49.00 for a 6lb bag.

I would recommend you eat more chicken, fish and veggies. Drop the fruit (I know I'll get heck for this comment, but it jacks your blood sugar so I'm not big on it). If you want vitamins, take them from a pill. It's better for weight loss. Eggs are good for protein. Soy burger or ground turkey is good too. Where are your good fats? Like fish oil, avocado, olive oil and so on.

Watch your carbs. To make it simple, keep them under 80 a day. You can also carb rotate, but that's a whole other subject. Keep your protein at about 125 grams a day. I'm less concerned about fat intake, especially good fats. Also, you should keep your calorie count at about 1400 and adjust from there. Your menu looks low on calories. Stay away from sugars, cookies, cakes, snacks, chips, regular sodas and so on. You know what I mean, especially if you have kids!

One more point: you should prep many meals in advance (like chicken stir fry) and put them in tupperware, especially if you work. I often spend a few hours on Sundays cooking chicken and so on and dividing them up into correct portion sizes. Then you have most of your meals for the week whether you're on the go or not.

Oh geez. One final point. You can have ONE small piece of cheese cake, pie, ice cream ONCE a week as a reward. It won't mess up your weight loss; your body won't even know what to do with it.

Also keep in mind if you can't handle a relatively strict diet, rather than fail or yo-you in 3 months, make REASONABLE adjustments so you can continue and don't go crazy. Don't use this as an excuse to cheat on your nutrition, but the turtle does win the race (as long as he/she eats well). Good luck ladies!!