Why am I not losing weight?
Many people start a new diet plan and wonder ‘why am I not losing weight?’
Weight loss really comes down to energy intake and expenditure. If you take in fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight.
However, sometimes you don’t lose as much weight as you expect, or your weight loss does not progress as quickly as you like.
Below, we discuss reasons your weight loss might have slowed down or stalled.
You underestimate your food intake
Most people actually underestimate their food intake.
If you do not use a food scale and food journals, you will have a difficult time accurately assessing your calorie intake. You could try to make healthier choices at home and at restaurants, but could still wildly underestimate your calorie intake.
Try weighing your food to get a better understanding of how much you actually consume. This change can really help you lose weight more successfully. Or, consider working with a nutrition coach to help you monitor your food intake and calorie needs.
You drink too much alcohol
If you drink too much alcohol over the weekends, you could undo your weight loss progress by taking in too many calories.
Alcohol lowers inhibition and does not make you feel full, so you could easily waste your entire day’s calorie budget on beer, mixed drinks and wine.
If you struggle with weight loss, I recommend cutting down on alcohol or even eliminating it from your daily life. If you must drink, limit drinks to once a week or even just holidays and special events.
You overestimate your calorie burn during workouts
Most people overestimate the calories they burn with workouts and exercise routines. Depending on your size, sex and training intensity, strength training routines only burn 150-500 calories per hour. Also depending on your size, sex and training intensity, most cardio routines only burn 250-500 calories per hour.
To burn more calories per hour, you would have to exercise at a high rate. To burn 600 calories or more in an hour, you would have to be fit enough to run at an 8-10 minute per mile pace for an entire hour.
Truthfully, most people overestimate how many calories they burn in a typical workout. Then, they reward themselves with more food than they really need after the workout.
If you want to lose weight, you need to remain realistic about how many calories you burn in a typical workout. Keep in mind that cardio machines and even fit trackers and watches can overestimate the calories you burn during workouts.
You have a sedentary lifestyle
Even if you include daily workouts in your routine, weight loss can feel tougher when you sit on your butt all day.
If you have a sedentary job and lifestyle, you don’t burn as many calories as someone with a more active lifestyle.
Try to aim for 8,000-10,000 steps per day and get up from your desk more often to help burn more calories throughout the day.
You have lost inches instead
Muscle tissue is denser than fat. If you started a serious strength exercise routine, your weight may have stayed the same while your body fat has actually dropped.
If you gain muscle while losing fat, you end up leaner and denser.
Even though you did not lose weight, you still transformed your body.
You’re dehydrated
Dehydration won’t change your true weight, but it can make a difference in your short-term scale reading.
To help move food through your system more quickly and beat the bloat, make sure you stay hydrated throughout the day.
Drinking more water can also help you cut cravings and reduce overeating.
It’s that time of the month
Your weight might increase a few days before your period. This increase in weight could be due to changes in water retention.
In a few days, your weight should be back to normal.
However, don’t consider this hormonal shift as an excuse to eat way more than your body needs. A few days before your period, your metabolic rate allows you to eat 50-100 extra calories per day without weight gain.
But if you go on a food binge fest every month, you will gain weight over time.
Your medications affect your weight
Some medications like insulin, anti-psychotics, antidepressants and even some birth control methods may cause weight gain or make weight loss harder.
These drugs might affect fluid retention, hunger and appetite or metabolic rate.
If you feel concerned that your medication might affect your weight, talk to your doctor. They may suggest other options or ways to mitigate the weight gain from your medications.
You have a medical condition
Some medical conditions may actually make weight loss more difficult.
For instance, a thyroid condition could alter your metabolic rate. Make sure to talk to your doctor and get blood work done before assuming your thyroid or other medical issue is the cause of your weight gain.
You don’t get enough sleep
Not sleeping enough can certainly make it harder to say no to an extra serving of Ben and Jerry’s.
Additionally, sleep allows your body to recover from tough workouts, burn fat and build muscle. If you do not sleep enough, weight loss can feel more difficult.
You don’t strength train
If you do not strength train, you could lose muscle mass during your dieting phase. This means your metabolic rate will decline and you will burn fewer calories at workouts and at rest
Make sure to strength train even during your dieting phase. This way, you can hang on to as much muscle tissue as possible and keep your metabolism humming along.
Strength training will also improve your body composition and make you look leaner and denser at any weight.
Takeaway Points
Weight loss is simple. To lose weight, you need to take in fewer calories than you burn.
However, some other factors can complicate your weight loss. If you ask yourself ‘why am I not losing weight?’, consult this list to determine if another issue could affect your weight loss progress.
