Hi there Laura...

The first thing I want to say to you is "DON'T GIVE UP!" I had a somewhat rocky beginning to my low carb journey, but was fortunate enough to have a few people here in the forum help me stay the course. It's all there, at the beginning of my journal.

The second thing I'd like to share with you is that starting a journal will help you. It gives you a place to ask questions and collect answers. Recording your daily food intake there in great detail will also give "eagle eyes" around the forum the opportunity to check it out and give you guidance.

I had a look at your fitday and a couple of things jump out at me. One is that you are eating what appears to be very similiar things every day. It would be best if you had a bit more variety. Another thing is that you appear to be eating some salty and/or processed things that may be holding you back. Some folks can manage to lose, eating those things. Others of us need to eat really "clean" in order to lose. I'm one of those. You may be too. It takes time to really get in the groove when LCing. What I mean by that is tweaking until it fits you perfectly.

If you could record your daily meals in a journal, with as much detail as possible, it would help us to help you sort it out. You may be able to eat more than 20 carbs a day, if they are spread out through the day and come primarily from the "good carb" sources. Try not to lump all of your carbs in one meal. This will make your insulin level spike. I also think you may be eating too little too. A general rule of thumb is 10X your weight in calories, keeping your fat at about 60-75% and protein around 25-35%. I know I struggled with the concept of eating around 2500 calories a day too. I was however, able to lose weight while eating a lot more than I had ever before. And now I maintain at a much higher level than before as well.

One more thing I noticed is that you are using a diet mayonnaise. It's not necessary. When a low fat product is used, it means that you are getting more carbs and lower quality fat. Don't be afraid to use the "good fats" which actually have a lot of health benefits.

Hope this helps.
Marlaine