Struggling to be optimistic.

I've been doing increased calories/replacing calories for a week now. I'm staying off the scale till at least Monday to give it a fair shake. I feel like I've got my exercise tweaked to the right place, which is great. I plan on a level up on JMBR when we get home from Nebraska in 3 weeks. I miss my yoga, and hopefully I'll work it back in eventually, but right now I feel like it would be overtraining. 

I gotta say though, I'm pretty discouraged. I just don't see anything changing based on this. I was getting some inch loss results for awhile in the spring,  but I just feel I've been stuck for soooo long it's hard to see a way past what feels like a tremendous failure. 

On the positive side, I'm definitely getting stronger and more fit! My performance in Cycle class has continued to amaze me, and I have much better endurance in my JMBR workouts. I'm doing more reps on the exercises I struggled with that on, and have started doing some of the less bothersome cardio intervals. I did most of the plank rows today in full plank instead of on my knees! I'm excited to see what I can accomplish the next 3 weeks before I level up! 

I have about an inch thick layer of fat around my midsection-a little thicker over my belly, and that's really what I'd like to see change. I'm fine with my thighs touching-I don't like it, but it's not a huge deal-but I really hate looking like a barrel in the midsection. I feel like overall I have a body that looks very strong and I love that.  Sure, I'd like more separation between my thighs, and no arm flap, but those things would be easier to deal with if I could lose some belly fat. I guess we all have that one area that plagues us.