Frustrated Beyond Belief - Advice Please

I'm not a happy camper this Sunday morning.
It's been about a month since I've started cracking down and getting back on track.  I want to lose the 35lbs that I regained over the last three years.

In the last month, I've lost exactly 2 pounds.  I lost four, then put 2 back on (I believe due to muscle being built through excercise). 

I eat 1200 calories or less per day (I used to average more than 2000) and get a minimum of 90g of protein.  I limit net carbs to roughly 125g or less.  I do at least 30-45 minutes of cardio 5 days per week in addition to some conditioning (crunches, pushups, dips, and squats).

Has anyone had more success with eliminating dairy items?  I eat cottage cheese and yogurt almost daily and have noticed that I feel bloated most days for at least part of the day. 
What am I doing wrong?

My numbers seem on track, but the scale (and my clothing) are not showing any results.

Help!

(Edited to fix a typo. Original post read 1400 calories. Its supposed to read 1200)

You aren't doing anything wrong..It doesn't happen quickly cuz your body knows the routine..you quit eating and the body fights weight loss cuz it thinks you're in a famine..it's waiting for the famine to be over..

I know it's frustrating but stalls happen and they just dont' break quickly..You may also be losing inches instead of pounds..check the way your clothes fit..are they looser?

Are you drinking enough water? 

Dawn is exactly right. I have been on track for 5 weeks now and the scale is just starting to move down slowly. It seems our bodies really fight when trying to lose. As hard as it is it seems what you need to do is have patience and faith that you are doing it right.

Thanks ladies!
I want my 'instant' fix and there's no such thing, of course.  As for my water intake...it varies, but I'm not getting in 64oz yet.  I probably average closer to 48 ounces per day but I am actively working on getting more in.

Thanks for the encouragement.  One way or another, the battle wages on....

ok - i was going to say that it could be a couple of things.... a couple of things that NTSDawn already said! :)
Honestly - i believe she is right. you were at 2000 cals/day & now your at 1200cals/day + your working out (which makes your net cals even less). Your system is probably like WHAT THE HELIUM?!?!??! & is holding on to everything thinking that its in starvation mode.
JMartin says his "sweet spot" is 800cals/day. A while back, when i first saw that, i didnt really understand it, but ive seen a few times over the years & its stuck w/ me for some reason. Now, i get it. You have to find what your sweet spot is. The balance of the # where your system is still ok w/ functioning & not in starvation mode & you're losing weight.
Dont worry & stick with it - I think youre doign fabulous & one day soon youre going to wake up & see that huge loss :)

Thanks!   I'm definitely not the most patient person in the world with regard to my body, lol.  Its good to know that I'm not far off the mark and that its just my body's natural response to being 'deprived'. 

After 10 years of living with an RNY body, you'd think I'd know the ins and outs by now.  But after letting things 'slide' for so long, I feel like a newbie and am relearning my limits all over again.

I am going to do some tweaking to find my personal sweet spot.  I read up on calorie cycling and I've calculated my total weekly caloric intake and I'm going to bounce the calories around so that my body isnt used to X amount per day.  I want to see if that makes any difference.

I am also going to start dropping my carbs down to less than 90g per day (especially once my Quest bars order comes in and I grab some different groceries later this week).
I DEFINITELY need to increase the water intake. 

I found away to re-claim a smaller pouch and help with the problem you are having. Just go to www.5daypouchtest.com. There you will find a 5 day eating guide that follows the way you ate after your surgery. Liquid proteins then soft proteins then hard proteins. Not only is there a step by step guide there are also wonderful reciepes that my wide an I still use.

It help me and you can use it any time you feel bad habits begining to creep back into you life.

Terry
 
Surgery Gastric Bypass
Date  11/29/10
Lost 167 lbs

Thanks Terry!