25 Reasons Why You’re Not Losing Weight

Written by Rebecca Cairney on the Friday June 25, 2021

Have you been struggling with weight loss? Make sure you’re not making any of these 25 mistakes, or you could unknowingly hold back you progress. Here is a whole host of things that could be standing between you and losing weight.

1. You’re not exercising enough

When women think about weight loss, a lot of us only envision dieting. But exercise is also important for seeing results.

To lose weight, you should be aiming for 60 to 90 minutes of exercise every day. That doesn’t have to be full gym workouts – a jog, walk, or even dancing still counts. Just make sure you’re moving your body regularly, especially if you have a desk job.

However, you might only need to do 30-minutes if you’re using high-intensity exercise. Make sure to take a rest day or two every week if you’re doing these. Plus, if you’re already exercising and not seeing results, think about your program. Are pushing yourself hard enough, and are you using the right methods? One thing you can always do is hire a personal trainer to help. Alternatively, ask a friend who understands fitness for their advice.

2. You’re eating too much

Okay, so this one probably seems obvious. Yet, many women who’re struggling to lose weight are still eating too much.

If you eat the same or more calories than you burn every day, you won’t drop any extra body fat. As a result, you won’t lose weight.

Even if you’re eating healthy foods, you could still be going over your daily limit. As the saying goes, you can have too much of a good thing.

3. You’re not keeping a food diary

The fix for point number two is to use a food diary to write down how much you’re eating. You can either add up the calories yourself or look to cut down portions slightly. Then, check back in with the scales to see your results over a week.

We like to use food diary apps to track our food and macros. They help us to input and see our daily calories really easily.

4. You’re not getting enough sleep

Losing sleep can actually make you hungrier the next day. Plus, if you’re exhausted, you’re more likely to drop a workout or decide not to walk the long way home from work.

In 2006, there was a study that showed women who only slept five hours per night were much more inclined to put on weight than those who slept seven hours (1). What can you do? Try to set up a regular evening routine that helps you go to sleep at the same time. Turn off screens an hour before bed and avoid caffeine in the evening.

5. You’re not drinking enough water

We all know we need to drink more water, right? But how many of us know how hydration affects weight loss?

According to one 12-week weight loss study, subjects who drank half a liter of water 30-minutes before they ate lost 44% more weight than the test group (2).

Plus, there’s other studies that say drinking water can raise the amount of calories burned by 24-30% over an hour (3)(4).

6. You’re following a trendy diet

Almost all trendy diets aren’t based on evidence. While they might work at the beginning, they’re hardly ever sustainable and can even harm your health.

One thing a lot of trendy diets is restrict food groups. Unfortunately, doing so can be a fast track to deficiencies and internal imbalances. Not good.

Plus, many of these diets aren’t sustainable, which can be bad for your mental health too. Because they’re so hard to stick to, women who follow these diets often put the weight they lost back on and then some more. Naturally, this isn’t healthy for the body or mind.

7. You’re not counting sugary drinks

It’s easy to get sucked into counting all your food calories and forgetting about liquids. The truth is though, that many dieters trip up on the sugar hidden inside their drinks.

There’s research out there saying that the amount of sugar you consume can directly impact weight gain(5). Considering a lot of sugary drinks are super-high in calories, they could be a bit contributing factor to either making you add weight, or struggle losing it.

Other studies also link these sugary beverages to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease (6). As a result, we suggest you’re careful with your choices and enjoy them sensibly.

8. You’re being impatient about results

Whether or not we like to admit it, safe weight loss is a long and dedicated process. The sort of things we see overnight are only ever usually changes in water intake or the food we’ve eaten.

If you’re frustrated because you’re not losing weight over a few days, don’t stress. Healthy weight loss is around one percent per week, which isn’t that much of a dramatic shift.

Try to measure your progress over the long run or say weeks and months, while also staying dedicated. Your results will happen with hard work.

9. You’re being impatient about results

Like we mentioned earlier exercise is a really important part of your weight loss journey. It helps to burn through calories, keep you healthy, and is there to look after those curves by maintaining muscle.

But, what about when women focus on exercise alone? Well, it’s hardly ever enough. If you’re not paying attention to your diet, you’re probably not going to achieve your goal weight. Because exercise alone only makes up a small portion of the calories you burn throughout the day.

10. You’re not seeing the bigger picture

Did you know that studies say people who diet actually gain more weight in the long run (7)? Scary facts, but it’s true.

Some women tend to focus so hard on their diet they forget to live a holistic, healthy lifestyle. Instead of making positive changes to their attitude toward food, exercise, and sleep, they only care about the diet they’re on right now.

Then, because most fashionable diets aren’t sustainable, they eventually return to old habits. But, because they’ve often neglected their body, it puts the weight back on. This is especially hard for women who have a bad relationship with food. What can you do? Learn to look at weight loss as a healthy lifestyle choice, not a trendy diet.

11. You have a medical issue

Weight loss itself might seem simple, but safe and effective fat loss is complicated. There are so many moving parts happening inside your body that a medical issue could be stopping your progress.

If your nutrition is good and you’re exercising but not losing weight, maybe see your doctor. They’ll be able to help diagnose you if you’re suffering from a condition that could limit weight loss.

Thyroid issues, diabetes medications, various antidepressants, beta-blockers, and steroid medications may all impact your ability to lose weight (8). Check with your doctor if you have any concerns.

12. You don’t count the weekend

Weekends are made for fun, right? We all agree on that!

But you still have to accept some responsibility, even if you’re having a duvet day. It’s totally okay to have a treat or even plan a cheat meal. Taking the whole weekend off, though? It’s one of the quickest ways to reverse your hard work.

So, what’re you meant to do? A good tip is to plan a tasty treat meal in advance. Then, once you’re finished your last mouthful, get back on track. Don’t feel guilty because it’s all part of the plan and you deserve it.

What’s even better is if you can reward yourself with something else that isn’t food. This could be going to the cinema, to see a show, or even visiting a theme park with your family.

If for some reason you find yourself going total off plan, stop and put it behind you. Get back on track at the next opportunity and don’t try to overcompensate. We’re all human and these things happen – don’t just think screw it and make things worse. A little slip won’t totally stop your progress.

13. You don’t count the weekend

Believe it or not, you might actually be losing body fat, but the scale isn’t moving. This is what’s known as body recomposition, where you build muscle while still losing body fat. Yes, you might not weigh less, but you’ll be leaner and look more toned. This can happen especially if you’re working out regularly.

Plus, if you’re checking your weight every day, you might just be holding onto water. Try to measure your weight loss across weeks, not days.

14. You’re too stressed

Just like a lack of sleep can impact weight loss, too much stress can put the brakes on, or even cause weight gain.

Stress itself triggers the release of cortisol, which is a hormone that can not only make you hungrier, but make you store extra belly fat too.

Plus, when we get wound up and frustrated, many of us turn to food for comfort. Of course, this isn’t a healthy reaction, and can make our calorie intake skyrocket. Stress can also make you feel tired. You’re much more likely to skip a workout if you’re feeling too wiped out from something stressful.

What can you do? First, you can look to limit stress from the start by removing any triggers. Next, if you do get stressed, try meditating. One study has shown meditation can help to reduce binge eating and using food for comfort (9).

15. You’ve hit a plateau

Were you losing weight but all of a sudden, you’ve stopped or slowed down? Maybe you’ve hit a plateau.

Don’t stress (remember reason 14) because plateaus can be common. Your body has probably adapted to either your diet, your workouts, or both.

Have you changed up your workout in the last six to eight weeks? If you haven’t, consider switching your routine to see if that shakes your body back into action. Using the same reps, weights, and exercise eventually teaches your body to adapt, so once you’ve become accustomed, there’s no reason for you to keep improving.

Next, ask yourself if you’re eating enough. Constantly cutting calories can leave your body in starvation mode. So, rather than burn body fat, it’ll hold onto it for as long as possible. Maybe you need to eat a little more to reassure your body.

Finally, are you training too much? If you’re always feeling drained and exercising every day you might be doing too much. Slow down, rest, eat a little more, and reassess your plan. If in doubt, hire a personal trainer – preferably one who has experience working with women.

16. You don’t need to lose any weight

Sometimes halted weight loss could be your body giving you a signal. You might not even need to lose any weight.

Women who have a bodyfat percentage between 20-30% are generally considered healthy. Going below 15% can easily cause health complications, which is why your body might be trying to stop you getting there.

If you’re worried about your health or weight speak to a trained medical professional. Your happiness should not depend on a number on the scales.

17. You’re not lifting weights

As women we often think of pounding the pavement or clocking hours on the treadmill for weight loss. In actual fact though, lifting weights is just as important for your fat loss journey.

Lifting weights can help you keep your curves when dieting by using and protecting your muscles. Women who only do cardio often find they lose some of their feminine shape because muscle can be burnt along with fat if you neglect it.

Training weights can also help to stop metabolic slowdown, which is when you stop burning energy because your body thinks you’re starving on a low calorie diet. As a result, you should stay more toned and muscular while still losing body fat.

18. You’re not eating mindfully

It might sound a little bit new age, but mindful eating seems to be a great technique for losing weight.

Mindful eating is a really focused way of eating. You are supposed to slow right down, take in every scent and flavor, savor every bite, and remove all distractions. You should also be constantly mindful of how your body is feeling. Once you begin to sense you’re getting full or you’re satisfied, you stop eating.

So, turn off the TV, put away your phone, and really take in every essence of your food. From the smell to the taste and texture, enjoy it all.

19. You’re eating too frequently

So many fad diets say crazy things like – you need to be eating four to six meals a day. Sometimes it’s even more!

Truth is, though, how often you eat doesn’t have that much of an impact on weight loss, or fat burning for that matter – it all comes back to how many calories you eat. By making yourself eat more often, you might even be tucking into extra calories you otherwise wouldn’t.

So, if you’re not losing weight, ask yourself if you need to eat so frequently? Not only can it be inconvenient, but it might also be causing you to eat extra kcals.

20. Your metabolism has slowed down

Making sure your metabolism stays speedy is essential for weight loss. Yet, it’s not uncommon for dieters to slow theirs down from just a few mistakes.

Eating too little calories is one of the main causes of slower metabolism. When you suddenly cut kcals from your diet your body begins to panic (10). Your body starts to think you’re starving and tries to hold on to as much energy as it can to keep you alive. To do this, it slows your metabolism considerably.

Another reason your metabolism might have slowed down is a sedentary lifestyle. Studies have shown sitting down all day in an office can not only slow your metabolic rate but decrease overall health (11).

21. You’re not eating enough protein

Protein should be part of every meal if you’re looking to lose weight. Yes, the macro usually associated with muscle men is actually the queen of weight loss.

Nutritional scientists say that making protein 25-30% of your daily calorie intake can boost your metabolism by 80-100 kcal that day. This is down to a thing called the thermic effect of food, which is how many calories are needed to break down and process foods.

Plus, if that wasn’t enough, by opting for lean proteins on your plate you could also reduce your daily calorie intake by hundreds of calories by making you feel fuller.

22. You’re only doing weights and not cardio

Life’s all about balance – the same goes for weight loss.

Cardio is probably the most popular exercise women do to lose weight. It’s free, you can do it anywhere, and it doesn’t take much equipment to go for a run or bicycle ride.

Doing regular cardio exercise is a fun and easy way to stay healthy. It’s also an effective way of burning calories and targeting harmful belly fat.

If you’re not familiar with cardio exercise, start with light jogging, cycling, or swimming a few times a week. But, if you’re a pro, try out HIIT cardio to take your fitness and fat burning to the next level compared to regular moderate-intensity exercise.

23. You’re still eating too much carbs

Carbs are an important part of a healthy, nutritious diet. But eating too much compared to other macros can derail your weight loss efforts.

Studies say that a low-carb diet can cause two to three times as much weight loss when compared to a low-fat diet that many people opt for (12). However, it’s important to remember these are short term studies, as low-carb diets aren’t always sustainable for a long time.

You might want to consider low-carb if you have a lot of extra body fat. Similarly, it could be a better option for you if you suffer from type 2 diabetes. Leaner women might not like low-carb as you don’t have extra body fat to fall back on.

24. You’re relying on too many “healthy” snacks

Ditching nutritious wholefoods for “healthy” snacks isn’t a good move for dieters. A lot of the time these foods aren’t very nutrient dense and aren’t very satisfying either. Wholefoods on the other hand definitely are.

Maybe it’s time to drop the snack bars, detox shakes, and guilt-free desserts. Focus your diet on natural, unrefined foods that haven’t been processed.

Your body will thank you for it.

25. You’re relying on too many “healthy” snacks

We all know that a treat every now and then is good for morale. Researchers even say this too, which is why we’re firm believers of a Saturday cheat meal. One meal a week will not stop your weight loss progress and can help to reset your hormones. It won’t undo your hard work either, so don’t feel guilty for enjoying yours. You deserve it!

Problems do start to occur however, when we sit back and have a whole treat day. An entire morning and afternoon of being off plan can totally wipe out the calorie deficit we created through the week, not considering the evening.

So, if you’re currently having a full day of eating what you like, maybe try a single meal instead. See if this alters your weight loss and then you can adjust it to suit. Many women prefer their treat on a Saturday because they can spend it socializing with friends and family. It’s also fun to plan ahead of time, especially when eating out.

The bottom line

Has your weight loss halted, or can you just not move the needle? Most women who diet and try to lose weight experience this on their journey – don’t worry.

Simply make some little adjustments based on the reasons above. Then, you should be back on track and continuing your journey toward that goal weight.

We’re always happy to see women achieve their weight loss goals.