Why Are You Not Losing Weight Despite Following A Calorie-Deficit Diet? Expert Explains

Despite trying everything under the sun—fasting, calorie counting, and even deprivation—are you not losing weight?

According to experts, most people looking to lose weight follow the basic theory—calorie deficit—where you burn more calories than you consume, and your body will dip into its fat reserves for energy, leading to weight loss. The concept, known as CICO, or “calories in, calories out,” many times does not yield results.

The dietary guidelines say women typically need to eat between 1,800 and 2,400 calories every day to maintain their weight, while men require around 2,000 to 3,000 of them. Weight loss does happen when there is a calorie deficit. But determining how many calories you consume and what equals a deficit is slippery math.

According to a landmark study, people often miscalculate how many calories they take in by as much as 1,000 calories a day. Experts say if you are not losing weight, it means you are simply not in a calorie deficit. Scientists explained that the disconnect between counting calories and losing weight is that most folks don’t know their exact resting metabolic rate, or RMR.

Nutritionists advise getting a DEXA scan that measures your body composition is the best option, as it may give you an estimate of your RMR, or how many calories your body burns a day doing nothing. DEXA machine estimates are based on body weight, muscle mass, bone mass, and fat mass, providing a more accurate picture of your caloric expenditure.

According to experts, some drugs can also mess with your hunger, alter your gut biome, and even slow your metabolism, making it extremely hard to create a calorie deficit.

For those looking to nail a calorie deficit without getting into machines, a few ways to do that include:

Logging in all your meals—everything you eat in a day for one full week—and weighing in daily. If the scale is still the same at the end of the week, you are burning as many calories as you are taking in.

Experts say once that baseline gets established, it becomes easy to find ways to reach a deficit. Eating less—including smaller food portions, not eating snacks or sugary treats, and exercising regularly with a good eight hours of sleep—can help you create a calorie deficit.

A few tips to lower calorie intake without having to count calories include:

Alcoholic and sugary beverages like soda and packaged fruit juices are loaded with calories. While these calories do not provide you with fullness, they can lead to weight gain.

The sugar and salt in highly processed foods make these foods highly palatable and encourage excess consumption.

Many healthy alternatives to everyday foods and drinks help you reduce your calorie intake.

Eating homecooked meals is associated with better diet quality, an increased intake of fruits and vegetables, lower body fat levels, and reduced risks of heart disease and diabetes.

Experts recommend that adults do 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise weekly. Moderate-intensity exercise includes brisk walking, cycling, and yoga, while vigorous-intensity exercise includes jogging and fast cycling.

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