I'm feeling really miserable, I've put on 2lbs this week even though I have been absolutely religious about sticking to 1200kcal a day and doing 1500kcal of exercise a week (high cardio workouts). I really, really don't get it, how can I have gained weight doing that? Equally what am I doing wrong?

I have cut all refined carbs including bread, the only dairy I have is small amounts of cottage cheese and I pretty much living on veggies and soup otherwise. Any ideas?

Well, (and I hate to say it) its probably your diet.
It could be a million different reasons, but diet is usually the first culprit. it could be (and i'm only speculating here):
too much sodium causing water weight gain
not enough cals to compensate for the amount of exercise youre doing causing a gain
not enough water (hydration) causing water retention
or it could be because the sky is blue and the air is clean. sometimes your week may show a small gain and the next week shows a great loss (it has happened to me a million times)
Dont lose your mind over one week, keep at it and see what your results are for next week. If you have another gain, it would be time to reevaluate your plan and find the culprit. sometimes its a trial and error thing. dont get discouraged, keep at it!

but to give an example:
One week I showed a 2lb gain and I was totally bummed, but I kept at it then my next weigh in, i dropped 6. I kept getting on the scale and getting off, thinking it was playing with me lol
I also had a protein issue, I was taking in a lot of protein because I started working out and my regular diet wasnt protein-rich and i stalled. I was at 295 for about 4 weeks and i was ready to quit. A trainer pointed out that if I wasnt working out 2 hrs a day, my protein level was way too high. I lowered my protein and I dropped 8lbs in about 3 weeks.
Sometimes it gets tricky. And that sucks. But dont give up. Giving up only guarantees youll stay there or get higher. (hope this sounds encouraging, cuz thats what i was aiming for)

Weighed yourself at a different time of day? Different scales? Due for your period? Haven't been drinking enough water? Not enough fibre in your diet? Stress?
You can see that just about anything can cause a fluctuation in weight but it will sort it self out as long as you are eating healthily and drinking lots of water along with a bit of healthy exercise.
Keep the faith and keep on going. You can do it!

Thanks. I have to admit I was pretty much about to cry and throw the towel in. I just seem to really struggle to lose weight, really good at putting it on though!

I'm thinking if it can be anything that makes you "seem" to put on weight then maybe it is the new anti-depressants my doctor gave me? Could they mean I am retaining water?

The scales are the same ones and I don't get TOTM because of my contraception.

I am drinking 3 pints of water a day, not sure what that is in ounces or litres, and I don't think I am having too much protein - if anything it probably would be that it is not enough. It might be a lack of fibre though, I don't eat much in the way of fibre except vegetables. I guess it could even be this cold I have picked up.

It could be so many things -- people have already given you excellent answers. Don't let the scale jerk your emotions around!

I have seen my weight vary as much as 6 lbs in a single day, and it fluctuates wildly day-to-day.

If you have a smart phone, maybe you could get an app that will chart your "trend weight" -- that corrects for all those fluid fluctuations, and shows you a smooth, downward line while you're losing. I weigh myself every day, and knowing that the trend line is still going down really helps on those days when I see a couple pounds gain. (I use the Libra app on my Android. Maybe there is even a computer app for people who don't have smartphones? I have seen "trend weight" referred to elsewhere. It's a good number to make friends with!)

Don't give up.

It's really hard to figure out how to stop your weight gain without figuring out what the cause is. The best advice I can offer is to post another question explaining your problem and listing what you eat and drink on a normal day. Perhaps your problem lies there. If you still can't find a reason for your weight gain, you may want to go to the doctor and check for hormone issues or problems with your thyroid.

Your feeling is one reason I didn't weigh myself at all while I was trying to lose. After all, if you eat less/healthier and move more, you will lose weight eventually. And in that this is a lifestyle change, what does it matter how long it takes to you to lose? I know this is not a popular view, but it's important to view this in the longterm, and in the longterm, if you keep up with your healthy behaviors, you will lose. If you let the scale dictate your mood, discourage you, and make you give up, what good does that do?

Best wishes!

Two days ago I ate 500 calories more than my maintenance level and the next morning I weighed less. The thing is, if you're eating less than your body changes it's metabolism and it's hormonal balance. Exactly what is going on is debatable but check out my thread on a help...refeed/cheat day to see some womens experiences of changing calorie intake up to lose weight.

Towards the end I wrote a lot about ideas that I read on how body builders manipulate calorie intake. I think that it may help you.

Sodium in your soup

Like others have said, it could be a million different reasons, or no reason at all. The scale is cruel like that, and we can't be obsessed with it too much. I know, waaaaaay easier said than done. I'm right there with you.

Try upping your water intake this week and see if that helps?

Also, sidenote, FatLea: Another Doctor Who fan! I love the Adipose episode.

If you're eating canned soups then maybe it's a question of too much sodium.

Honestly, the sky is the limit with reasons for gaining. TOM, too much sodium, not eating enough, retaining water and the list goes on, weighing at a different time of day..

For me, I find it really useful to drink tons of water. It seems that even if i'm 100% on plan and I don't hydrate myself properly I wont lose.

Also, I'm really making an effort not to eat anything packed regardless of whether it's low fat, low calorie and what not. I've noticed a huge increase in my energy levels when I stick to real foods.

Don't give up! I bet you'll see a bigger loss next week!