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You’re not actually experiencing a calorie deficit
Estimating calorie intake and expenditure can be difficult. You may not be losing weight while experiencing a calorie deficit because the app, or fitness tracker, or journal you're using may not be providing an accurate picture of how many calories you're burning and taking in.
You've estimated how many calories you burn in a day, downloaded a calorie-counting app to track all your food choices, and tracked all your meals, but the number on the scale just won't budge. Sound familiar? We've all heard "calories in, calories out" as the cardinal rule of weight loss, so why aren't you losing weight when you know you're in a calorie deficit?
It's frustrating to feel like you're putting in the work while the arrow refuses to budge — or worse, goes up. Weight loss is hard for everyone, and sometimes, the answers aren't obvious. Read on to learn more about why you might not be losing weight.
Estimating calorie intake and expenditure can be difficult. If you're relying on an app, food journal, or fitness tracker, you may not have an accurate picture of how many calories you're burning and how much you're taking in. The accuracy of tracking technology like fitness trackers, smartwatches, and calorie counting apps varies from product to product.
Underestimating your caloric intake is the norm, but while some studies show that normal-weight people tend to underestimate their intake by around 20%, overweight people underestimate their intake by about 40%. The bigger your meal, the more likely that you'll significantly underestimate how much you ate.
As far as the calories burned are concerned, if you're calculating your resting metabolic rate (RMR) or total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) using an app or an online calculator, those estimates can be wildly inaccurate. These services rely on equations based on your age, height, weight, and self-reported activity level. According to one study, these equations were only 36% accurate. Measuring metabolic rate with accuracy is problematic because it's influenced by so many factors: age, sex, height, and weight, but also muscle mass, hormonal shifts, etc.
There are, however, steps you can take to more accurately measure your calorie intake and expenditure, including:
- Weigh your food instead of eyeballing it or measuring with measuring cups.
- Consider having your RMR measured professionally using an indirect calorimeter. This device measures how much oxygen you consume over 8–10 minutes and can more accurately predict how many calories you're burning without exercise or strenuous work.
- Use a heart rate monitor while exercising to more accurately estimate calories burned.
You’re not getting enough sleep
Sleep quality is often overlooked in conversations about weight loss, but poor sleep can negatively affect your metabolism, making it difficult to lose weight. Sleep affects ghrelin and leptin, the hormones that regulate hunger and satiety. Sleep-deprived people are less likely to make good food choices, will find it harder to focus on precision tasks like accurately tracking calories, and may consume more calories than people getting adequate sleep.
Adults ages 18 to 60 should get at least seven hours of sleep a night. A habit of getting less than seven hours of sleep is associated with obesity as well as other health problems like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and mental distress.
If you frequently have trouble falling or staying asleep, you may be struggling with insomnia or another sleep disorder. Talk to your doctor to determine if a sleep study might be appropriate for you.
Your medication causes weight gain
Weight gain is a common side effect of many medications. This is no big deal for many people, but if you're already overweight or obese and trying to lose weight, weight gain from medication can be a more serious issue. Medications that frequently cause weight gain include:
- Medications for diabetes, such as insulin
- Anti-depressants and anti-psychotics
- Steroids
- Birth control pills
- Beta-blockers
- Epilepsy medicines
- Migraine medications
If you're struggling to lose weight and think that a medication that you take might be the cause, talk to your doctor about your options. Your doctor may ask you questions about how the medicine might affect your weight, such as if your appetite has increased or if the medication is making it difficult to exercise. It may be possible for you to switch prescriptions, or your doctor may recommend strategies to help you lose weight despite the medication.
You have a metabolic disorder
Many diseases and health conditions cause weight gain or make it more challenging to lose weight. This includes conditions such as:
- Hypothyroidism
- Cushing's disease
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
- Congestive heart failure
- Narcolepsy
- Kidney or liver disease
- Menopause
If you gain a significant amount of weight suddenly or find it difficult to lose weight despite eating less and exercising more, talk to your doctor about ruling out conditions that may impact weight loss.