Why Am I Not Losing?

Question
Hello! My name is Cate and I am 22 years old. Two years ago, I started running and doing light strength training, and went from 153 lbs to 140, which I maintained until about five months ago. In February of this year, I randomly gained about 8 pounds, and 148 became my new "normal." As soon as school let out, I decided to get serious about my fitness again, and shed those extra pounds. I've always bounced back to 140-ish fairly quickly. Because of some severe PMS issues, I have just started birth control (this is my 3rd week). Because of the PMS and birth control side effects (nausea, dizziness. They are just starting to subside), I haven't been running much, but I have continued my strength training (3 times a week), and have been walking my dog 4-5 times a week for about 40 minutes. I also do elliptical or stationary bike for 30  minutes 3 times a week. I'm keeping my calories around 1500, but I am still maintaining around 148, and some days I even jump up to 150. It's very upsetting to me that this is 10 lbs above my "normal," and is so close to where I started before I lost weight a few years ago.
I can't figure out why I'm not losing weight. I just want to shed these 8-10 pounds and get back to, or around, 140. Several pairs of my pants aren't fitting me anymore, and that is my main annoyance. Am I doing something wrong, or should I just accept 150 as my new "normal?"

Thanks,
Cate

Answer
Cate have you had your RMR taken? RMR is your resting metabolic rate, this will tell you how many calories your body is burning at rest. Another thing is when was your last physical with a full blood test? If you have not had one for a while this would be a good time to get one to eliminate any abnormalities that might be affecting you. Another thing you might ask yourself is have you been eating properly. Eating properly is not eliminating carbs or fats like so many people have tried to do to shed those extra pounds. As for the new use of medication, some meds can tend to make you gain weight. I would ask the doctor if this is one of the side effects. Back to eating right, stay away from highly processed foods and fried fatty foods if they are in your current diet. Do not eat fast food and eat plenty of veggies and fruits. One of the most important thing that people leave out of their diets is Fiber and plenty of water.

Exercise as you described is fine, but I would suggest harder cardio such as running LDR (long distance) 4 times a week if you are physically cleared by a doctor to do so. You may notice that I will tend to add your doctor into the equation for many of the recommendations I make for you and that is because I am not familiar with you or your specific needs except for what you have shared with me on the computer. As I said before the exercise you are doing currently is good but in my opinion nothing is better at eliminating belly fat and excess calories like running.

Good luck and feel free to write back if you need any more advice.

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