No wonder you're having problems. It's not how much you eat, it's what you eat. here's my advice. Eat more. I know this sounds crazy, butit's the truth. But it's in what you eat. Work alot of fresh veggies into your diet. Since veggies typically have very low amounts of fats and calories, they will speed up your metabolism. note exception:avacadoes. be afraid. be very afraid. of avacadoes. But back to speeding up your metabolism. What you've been doing up til now has been counter productive. Since your body has been getting less input (food) it has decided to put itself into starvation mode and conserving it's body fat as much as it can. Which is not what you want. So eat more. BUT make sure it is of the right foods. Also, make sure you are drinking alot of water all day, especially if you have been excersizing. It will help get toxins out of your bloodstream, making you feel more refreshed.