This is sooo frustrating!

I've tried upping my calories, lowering my calories, changing my protein/fat/carb balance, and drinking massive amounts of water and green tea. I've started the 30 day shred and GAINED 2 lbs in the last week. WTH. I should know how to do this by now but NOTHING is working!!!

Aw, poor thing.
I gained weight doing the 30DS too. Your body is probably retaining water like you wouldn't believe right now because of sore muscles, AND you're building muscle. But your body WILL be changing if you keep at it. Maybe you need to step away from the scale for a little bit while you're working out so intensely?

When you say you upped your calories... how much did you up them by? I know this sounds like a counter-productive solution, but when I stall for more than a few weeks, I have a planned binge day where I eat 2000-2500 calories in one day, sometimes garbage food too. It really helps shock my body and metabolism, and I go back to being perfect, and once the sodium weight has worn off a day or two later, my weight starts dropping steadily again. It's always worth a shot... long as you don't let a single day throw you too far off balance plan-wise.

Good luck honey!!! I'm sure other ladies here will have more suggestions, too.

I had a couple 1800-1900 calorie days and that was a huge struggle for me. It DOES feel counterproductive. I used to have a planned binge day too but for some reason I can't bring myself to go all out like I used to. I don't really have an appetite lately so I'm forcing myself to eat as it is. It's been an incredible stressful few weeks...

I'm hoping you're right about the muscles retaining water. I HAVE noticed a positive change in my body. I haven't measured but pants seem to fit looser and my thighs seem smaller and more firm. I've done level 1 five times and I can feel that I'm stronger and have a lot more endurance. I want to do it 5 more before moving on to level 2. I do it every other day and spend my off days walking with my oldest... well mostly running LOL he's learning to ride his bike without training wheels. It's a workout to hold the back of his seat, give him a running start, and then run after him!

DH wants chicken fried steak for dinner. I can make it relatively low cal but it's still not something I'd eat every day. I usually only eat red meat when we're eating out. As much as it'll pain me maybe I'll have a small piece with a tinnnny bit of gravy lol.

*sigh* I just need to get through this and not let it throw me off track completely. It has to end, right??? My body can't maintain 186 on 1400 calories forever, right? At some point it'll have to burn it off.

There's NO way your body can maintain 186 on 1,400 calories with you burning god knows how many calories on the 30DS as well. Especially with you gaining muscle, which will in turn burn MORE calories.

Since you seem pretty averse to having a McDonalds-for-lunch, Kraft-mac-and-cheese-for-dinner day to coerce the numbers to move, (not a bad call, I'm just too impatient! ) then my best suggestion would be to put the scale away for a week or two (if you can!) and start measuring every few days instead... it's a fantastic indicator, and will probably make you feel great to see the inches coming off instead of seeing no change in the number.

Do NOT let it throw you off track. Look how far you've come.....! Just keep working at it, honey. We're all here for ya.

Thank you so much for the encouragement... I needed that!

But of course!
You get to return the favour when I'm willing to trade my left leg to see the scale move from 137 to 135 and it's been 4 and a half months.