So... here's what I've noticed..
Regardless of whether or not I stay within my calories, I don't lose weight (and in fact have gained) if I have over 250 carbs in a day. (Or around that number). I am not a HUGE meat eater, so I need some more ideas of how to eat less carbs!!! I currently eat almonds, beans, and quinoa on a regular basis. I do eat meat at lunch and dinner, but usually not for breakfast- and definitely not at snacks (although I do eat almonds for a snack).
I eat A LOT of fruit... so I think that fruit and yogurt (which I don't eat every day, but a couple times a week) can be my only REAL carbs...
I guess I have to give up bread, pasta, and oatmeal COMPLETELY (I hardly even eat bread anyways, and pasta a couple times a week now, but I am just really frustrated!)
Any ideas of whats going on here!!! I was down to 354.9, and now back up to 356.7, although I have been within plan!

There are a lot of diet plans that focus on just one thing, but I've found that I have to count BOTH calories and carbs. If you're gaining when carbs are over 250, you're actually lucky. I have to limit my carb intake to between 50-75 and calories to no more than 1200/day to lose. I've found that there are several applications for both smart phones and the computer (they link up) that help with counting the calories and carbs. I know my brother-in-law was diagnosed with Type II diabetes, and he's limited in the number of carbs he can have at each meal. Every person is different, but my suggestion would be to cut back on your carb intake and you'll see positive results.

I would also say don't be afraid of healthy fat. Avocados are a great addition to meals. Try to eat more vegetables as your carb source too. If you pick some that you like and season them up with your favorite spices and saute them in olive oil, you may just be in vegetable heaven lol. Throw in a bit of meat (it doesn't have to be much since you're not a big meat eater) for some protein. Also try doing a search on low carb meals. There's a lot out there. I'm actually starting a low carb meal plan for the first time on Wednesday so this is a new venture for me as well. I LOVE meat though so I'll be eating plenty of it.

beans is great source of protein and has good carbs! Also, i am not sure how you feel about fish but that is very good too. Being right on the edge of diabetes I would have too say if you have carbs, they need to be spread out through the day. The worse time for me is in the morning. I was unable to have more than one slice of bread(15carb.) in the morning or my sugar would fly. Fruit is very good for you however it also makes your sugars higher, which in return will not help you loose but gain. If you don't keep track of calories already you should. You should not go under 1,800 or you will not loose right and end up plateauing more often because the body stores fat if it is starving. Also, keep in mind that you have done an EXCELLENT job at loosing weight so far and your body might be saying slow down man! Great job and keep up the good work!!

Thanks for the encouragement...... sometimes I just need to hear someone else agree with what I already know; that it's not always as simple as "just eat less calories"...

I stop losing when I eat too little... I started out eating mostly just meat, fruit, and veggies and was hitting around 1500 calories and the weight loss sped up when I added 300-450 calories to that.
AS far as the carbs go- I actually think a 33% split (protein/carbs/fat) ratio is my ideal spot... where I would lose the MOST... (and whats recommended for my body type, etc)< BUT I find it very hard to find that place... I usually end up with not enough protein/fat... Although I realized today that adding cheese to my lunch helped that ratio A LOT! )

One thing though to remember is that on any plan, a couple pounds this way or that way (and especially for those of us over 300 lbs) really shouldn't be considered gains and losses. They're normal fluctuations.

Another thing to consider is that the body requires more water to process carbs than protein and fat - so when you switch to a low-carb diet you will see a significant water weight loss, and if you switch from low-carb to high-carb you will also see a water weight gain. This is normal and to be expected.

As a result, you shouldn't really consider those first two to three weeks when comparing or judging one type of plan over another.

Once I learned that, I found that (when I was much younger) I lost weight about as well on low-carb as on high-carb.

However, now things have changed. Even when I discount the first three weeks of low-carb versus high-carb, my results are still much better, more consistently, and on more calories when I eat low-carb. I don't remember the difference being nearly this dramatic when I was younger (although to be fair, I didn't experiment with low-carb nearly as much when I was younger. I found that very low-carb made me quite ill, and I never thought to eat moderately low-carb).

I'm also far less hungry on low-carb than on high-carb (I think this has always been true, and if I'd learned it as a kid, might not even have ever exceeded 225 lbs).

In my own case, some carbs seem to affect me much more than others. Oatmeal for example doesn't seem to trigger the same kind of metabolic and hunger reactions (assuming it's unsweetened oatmeal). Even instant oatmeal (as long as it's unsweetened) fills me up and doesn't seem to slow weight loss, but I'm not an oatmeal-everyday kind of girl. In the winter, I might have a bowl two or three times a week.

Wild rice also doesn't seem to be a problem (but again, not something I eat tons of).

Quinoa and fruit I can eat regularly, but have to be careful with. No more all-you-can-eat-because-it's-healthy thinking.

I use a low-carb exchange plan most of the time, and it has worked well for the most part. I am at a point where I have to reduce calories and carbs further to lose weight, as I've been "maintaining"for about a year now. I'm finding it harder and harder to get more weight off.

I've decided to try something a bit drastic and follow a meal replacement plan (the Simple Diet, from the book The Simple diet), that is based on the HMR diet used in hospitals. 3 meal replacement shakes, 2 prepared dinners (such as frozen entrees), and 5 or more servings of fruit and vegetables.

The plan doesn't limit fruit and starchy vegetables outright (but does warn to be careful with the higher calorie ones, and to choose lower-calorie options if weight loss stalls). So for the New Year, I'm going to be much more careful with the plan, and see where it takes me.

It is frustrating to have to experiment so much to find something that works and keeps working, but I've found it a lot less frustrating simply by choosing to believe that weight loss is very difficult and very unpredictable. Most of frustration is believing that things SHOULD be easier, and that it's easier for everyone else. Simply by believing it's hard and unpredictable for most people, and that my experience is perfectly normal (whether it is or not) helps me keep frustration at bay, mostly.

Being researcher and lab rat is a terrible idea in science, but it's unavoidable in weight loss, at least until the science is more advanced. It's especially difficult though to be sure that coincidence and hidden variables aren't responsible for some of the patterns we see. The best you can do is keep experimenting.

Remember too that no experiment has to last forever, and that finding out what doesn't work is every bit as much a success as finding out what does.

Ah, didn't mean to give quite that impression- I just know from past weight loss experiences (successful and unsuccessful attempts) what has worked for me.
And i actually do consider every pound to count, up or down... when I have successfully lost weight in the past, I saw a continuous decrease in my weight loss-- sometimes very very small, sometimes bigger numbers, but never gains... Therefore, I know for my body, that gaining weight means I'm eating the wrong way...

Hubby is a diabetic and he loses great when i keep his carbs under 50 per meal and allow him him one snack of 15 carbs per day. I am going to attempt this starting today.

Fruit, unfortunately, has a lot of sugar/carbs, and I have to stay away from it as well. Since you like yogurt, have you tried switching over to Greek yogurt? They have much less carbs and more protein.

Not sure if this is relevant, but there was a study that came out earlier this year that showed that people who got up and walked at least 2 minutes out of every 20 had improved glucose levels. I experimented with this myself--didn't change how many carbs I was eating daily but made myself get up and walk at least 2 minutes 3 times an hour during my work day--and my morning blood sugar levels improved noticeably (and became more consistent).

The message of the study wasn't that sustained periods of intense cardio aren't good, but that they're not enough: sitting for long periods apparently increases insulin resistance, even for people who get in their 30-minutes of daily cardio.

I'm also finding that when I'm conscientious about not sitting for long periods, I'm losing weight somewhat more easily, again without reducing carbs more than I was before.

I have the same problem. I can reduce calories and still not lose weight if the carbs are too high. I've recently switched to paleo and it not only seems to offer an explanation for why I can't lose weight when I eat too many carbs, but also provides a satisfying way of eating that I think I can maintain indefinitely.

First- the reason some people have trouble losing weight despite caloric reduction when their carb count is too high is that carbs cause insulin to be released into the bloodstream. Insulin does two things. One, it's the transport mechanism for calories to go into fat cells. If you reduce the insulin in your bloodstream, you take away the transit system your body uses to feed your fat cells. Second, insulin spikes/crashes your blood sugar, wreaking havoc on your natural hunger controls. You think you're hungry when in fact you are simply low on blood sugar because a large shot of insulin just took all the sugar out of your bloodstream and packed it off to your fat cells. Eating a much higher percentage of protein/fat and cutting entirely processed foods, grains (except Quinoa, which is actually a seed), all forms of sugar except fructose when IN the fruit (no juice!), and getting your carbs from vegetables and not from beans, tubers, etc. will all help to regulate your insulin.

Since switching to paleo, I find instead of eating 3 large meals + 2 snacks a day I eat twice a day. Not because I'm starving myself but because I just don't get hungry. And I lost 11 lbs in the 1 month since I started the diet. Due to the more than adequate protein in my diet, odds are that was 11 lbs of fat and water weight (the initial 3-5 lbs is usually water from your body dumping or using it's excess stored glycogen) and not from muscle. I am now losing 1-2 lbs a week virtually effortlessly, without calorie counting or portion control. I eat when I want.

Not liking meat is a definite issue for compliance with virtually any low carb diet. Do you feel the same way about fish? About half my protein intake is from seafood as opposed to meat, since I prefer seafood. I live in Alaska, so we have a freezer full of Salmon from my DH's summer catch. I also like eggs. I'll boil several and store them - 3 eggs make a great meal. If worse came to worse, you could focus more on eating vegetables and get your protein from a protein (whey based) shake.

Thanks for all the info!
Vex- Unfortunately, Greek Yogurt totally gags me!!! LOL. I have tried it a few times to try to convince myself its tasty, but it. is. not.
Vortex- that's interesting ... maybe I will try that...
EagleRiver- I thought about paleo actually, but I like cheese too much LOL.

Not all versions of paleo forbid dairy. I do "Primal Blueprint", dairy is permitted. Personally I think most people need to customize anyway, because our bodies are all quite unique in how they do on different dietary plans. I say if you like cheese, eat cheese. Just go for the high quality, great tasting stuff.

Im exactly the same way. I feel like my body is extremely carb sensitive, and I cant lose weight if I eat carbs. I eat fish, chicken, veggies, not too many fruits, limit dairy as well.. You have to kind of find a balance or try carb cycling.. hi carb days and low carb days