Eating well & exercising but NO results

Question
Hi there,
Wondering if you could please help me, thanks in advance for your time.
I'm 25, 5'6'' 142lbs and eat PERFECTLY except one day a week I allow myself a junk day to keep from feeling deprived. By perfectly, I mean an example of a day includes- latte w/low fat milk and raw sugar, a fruit and/or string cheese, sushi w/light rice or whole grain sandwich, handful nuts or fruit, soup or salad w/protein, and ~30 gm fiber powder (10gm at each meal).
I have been following this for almost a year w/at the VERY most 1-2 lbs weight loss.
On top of this, I started exercising 3 hours a week (including resistance work) for the last month. If anything, I look fatter...no tone, flabby arms, huge belly, and flabby inner thighs. I am only 25 and I look horrific naked and can not fathom getting in a bikini on the beach.
My career is very demanding so I can not exercise much more than these 3 hrs and my diet also has little room for improvement (I can't imagine getting rid of my junk day, it keeps me sane and motivated- my sweet tooth is large).
I am at a loss. I've been doing things right, getting ~7 hrs sleep a night, taking deep breaths, drinking enough water, taking a multivitamin and essential fatty acid pill daily, etc etc.
What gives?
Any clue to this mystery and how to tackle it?
Thanks so much and take care,
Anna

Answer
Hi Anna

While this may be difficult for you to believe, it sounds to me like you might have a case of body dysmorphia (a distorted body image). While it may well be true that you aren't as toned as you'd like to be (and exercise will slowly improve that), at your height and weight, I'd guess that if you asked an objective stranger how you look in a bikini, they'd probably say you look just fine.  

However, having suffered myself with body dysmorphia for many years - I also know that no-one telling me I looked good in a bikini -when I believed I was awful in one - would have made any difference.  It sounds to me that what you need more than anything is a mental diet: http://www.ditch-diets-live-light.com/mental-diet.html  It sounds more like you need to try and grow your self-esteem than shrink your body. Maybe some of the esteem-building exercises will help you....  http://www.ditch-diets-live-light.com/activities-to-build-self-esteem.html

While I'm not a big fan of height and weight tables, (I think a percentage body fat calculator is a much better indication of health - here's a link to a free one http://www.ditch-diets-live-light.com/body-fat-calculation-and-health.html), your height and weight - just like your eating - is perfect exactly as it is.  No wonder your body isn't losing weight, it doesn't need to.  

P.S.  I hope you don't mind my using my website as a resource.  But over the years of answering questions like yours I've developed exercises and pages so that I don't have to keep repeating information.

Hope this helps.
Kind regards
Cari

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