Calorie Deficit But Not Losing Weight: Explained
Calorie Deficit But Not Losing Weight: Intro
So, you're in a calorie deficit but not losing weight?
Frustrating, right? Especially when you're putting in a tonne of hard work day in, day out, and feel like nothing is happening.
There will be several sections throughout this article - and I guarantee that at least one will apply to you and explain why you're in a calorie deficit but no weight loss.
Even if the first two or three sections don't relate, you should still keep reading.
So sit tight, and let's get stuck in.
What is a Calorie Deficit?
Aside from a calorie deficit being the only way to lose weight, let's define it.
A calorie deficit is when you eat fewer calories relative to the number of calories required for maintaining your current body weight. A deficit can be created by reducing the calories you eat/drink or increasing expenditure, e.g. walking and workouts.
Meaning you can be in a calorie deficit without exercise.
Here's additional context:
Low carb, keto/Atkins, low fat, paleo, clean eating, raw food, carnivore, vegetarian and vegan all help limit food choices.
Intermittent fasting helps limit the time available to eat.
Intuitive eating helps limit the desire to overeat.
Weight Watchers, flexible dieting/IIFYM and meal plans all help limit total food amount.
Although some of these approaches are much better than others - none are magic for weight loss. They all lead back to an increased likelihood of being in a calorie deficit.
Let's move on to why you're in a calorie deficit but not losing weight.
You're not Actually in a Calorie Deficit
A tough one to digest and one to easily get defensive about.
But if you claim you're in a calorie deficit but no weight loss, then ask yourself:
Have you actually been in a calorie deficit, or do you just think you're in a calorie deficit? There's a huge difference.
Before you throw your phone across the room and impulse buy some guru's unsustainable 30-day fat loss program online, understand that:
I'm only playing devil's advocate.
I'm not saying you're lying about being in a calorie deficit or not working super hard.
So, why do I ask you this? Because as an online coach who has helped many members worldwide, it's apparent that people who struggle to lose weight underestimate how many calories they eat. That's even when you think you're tracking accurately.
And how can I confidently say this? Because aside from my experience coupled with decades of scientific research, regardless of whether you aim to do a calorie deficit without exercise or a calorie deficit and weight training, a calorie deficit is weight loss.
Here are some points to bear in mind:
Accurately measure all your food and drink with calorie counting scales and a measuring cup, and don't just guess.
Track bites, licks and nibbles in your calorie-counting diary. These add up.
Avoid eating back 'calories burnt' because these figures are up to 50% inaccurate. Nor should you need to worry about calories burnt when you're accurately tracking intake and training consistently.
Meaning you're doing this calorie deficit 'thing' every day, not just on days where it's convenient. This is especially applicable if you eat out often or are prone to a weekend binge.
Ensure you track the oils in which you cook your meat and veggies (200 calories). The handful of nuts you snacked on during poker (250 calories). The butter on the sandwich you take to work (100 calories). The fries you took from your partner's meal (100 calories). The beer you got offered at your friend's place (200 calories). The fruit juice you're drinking whilst reading this (150 calories).
Because it's not a lack of effort causing your weight loss to stall, it's a lack of awareness.
This brings me to the next section.
You're Potentially Guessing Too Much
Because chances are, you don't have enough experience to be guessing.
That's not a bad thing, either. Many people need more experience to guess the portion sizes and the number of calories in everything they're eating.
Regardless of whether you feel like this section applies to you, aim to accurately track everything you consume for at least 30 days using calorie counting scales and a calorie counting diary.
That, and track everything in the moment. Not at the end of each day or, even worse, the next day. Because memory does play up.
"But that's long, Leo!"
If you think correctly approaching a calorie counting diary is long, chances are - you need to do it more than anyone.
Worst case scenario? You'll gain a tonne of knowledge, having lost nothing aside from the 2 to 3 minutes total it takes each day.
Best case scenario? You realise how inaccurate your guesses were and finally start making progress.
Win/win.
You're Mentally in a Calorie Deficit, but You're Not Actually in a Calorie Deficit
You're probably confused about this statement, but let me explain.
Because this is a big one as to why there's supposedly a calorie deficit but no weight loss.
'Mentally' dieting and actually dieting are two very different things, and solely doing the prior is highly exhausting.
So, what does mental dieting even mean? It means you always carry around the thoughts of:
Intending to lose weight.
Intending to eat more healthily.
Intending to eat more fruit and veg.
Intending to eat less processed food.
But then feel super guilty because you never follow up.
Can you imagine how exhausting it is to tell yourself 24/7 you will do the above but rarely follow it up with actions? The more often you do this, the less you'll respect your boundaries and promises.
Couple this with skewed expectations, such as 'losing 2 pounds a week', and then you wonder why you're supposedly in a calorie deficit with no weight loss.
Tough love? Maybe, but it's the truth.
You're Trying to Use Exercise to Put You in a Calorie Deficit
Can you achieve a calorie deficit without exercise? Yes.
Would you be better off being in a calorie deficit and weight training? Of course, that goes without saying.
Everybody and their dog should be weight training.
Although exercising solely with the intent of weight loss? Now, that's a mistake.
Because worrying about things such as how many calories does sprinting burn isn't a healthy relationship to have with exercise.
Are you surprised by reading that? Well, let me explain.
Exercising with the sole purpose of losing weight is a mistake due to a few reasons:
It's an easy way to build a poor relationship with exercise, as you'll be focusing on numbers that don't matter, such as 'calories burnt', rather than the numbers that do matter, such as how much weight you lifted, how many reps you did it for, what zone your heart rate was in when doing cardio etc.
Burning calories isn't hard. If you just want to burn calories, you can jump up and down whilst running around in circles.
Burning more calories isn't better; better is better.
Your focus when it comes to being in a calorie deficit and weight training should be getting stronger, fitter, and faster.
Although it can help, exercise isn't the main driver for weight loss - nutrition is. Train smartly and let your nutrition handle any weight loss goal you may have.
Remember, you can't out-train your diet, and you can achieve a calorie deficit without exercise if that's what you'd rather start with.
Overall, you should no longer worry about questions such as 'How many calories do squats burn?' or 'How many calories does sprinting burn?'
You're Too Aggressive With Your Calorie Deficit and Can't Stick to It
By this, I mean you're probably aiming for something like 800-1,200 calories daily.
"But what's wrong with that, Leo?"
It's way too low.
Your issue is that you think a reasonable calorie intake of 1,700 to 2,300 is a lot because you're so used to restricting yourself to something like 800-1,200. Not realising that the 800-1,200 is why you eat the 2,900-4,100 calories on the weekend binge.
This is what often ends up happening:
Monday: 1,000
Tuesday: 1,000
Wednesday: 1,000
Thursday: 1,800
Friday: 2,800
Saturday: 4,200
Sunday: 3,900
Couple this aggressive attempt at a calorie deficit and weight training together, and you have the perfect recipe for exhaustion and inconsistency. Less restriction = better results.
This also brings up two other points.
Not only is it common to aim for lower calorie amounts due to the normalisation of these low figures, but it's often due to you wanting 'quicker results' and aiming for something arbitrary, like wanting to lose 4 pounds a week.
Although this is ironic because eating a super low-calorie amount for 'quicker results' slows down the process - as shown above, it's a perfect recipe for yo-yo dieting.
So what to do instead? Aim to eat slightly under your maintenance calories. Be 85% consistent and have patience.
As you can see, going way overboard on Friday to Sunday can easily undo whatever you may have done between Monday and Thursday.
Friday to Sunday are 43% of your month, and you must be more than 57% consistent to see results.
You're Less Consistent Than You Think
This brings me nicely to my next section, consistency levels, and although this has already been briefly mentioned, it's worth expanding on.
Because there's nothing more frustrating than someone upset at their 'lack of progress' when they've been inconsistent.
Ring a bell? Regardless of whether or not you've been consistent, you'd do super well to start a 'Consistency Calendar' for at least 30 consecutive days.
If you want inspiration on how to approach it, check out the video from my weight loss vlog series below.
After doing this consistently for 30 days, there'll be two scenarios.
Scenario A:
You do, in fact, realise you have been consistent with your steps, calorie deficit and weight training. This is a good thing because you know there's something else you're missing.
Scenario B:
You were overestimating your consistency levels, with the concrete evidence of a filled-out consistency calendar looking back at you. Now you know the culprit for your lack of progress—time for you to step it up.
I'd go all in on a poker game that scenario B is the most likely outcome.
Overall, there's nothing to lose and potentially life-changing results to gain.
On a side note, you'd also do well to take other progress indicators, such as body measurements for weight loss and progress pictures, rather than just looking at scale weight.
You Are Losing Weight; You Just Lack Patience
Perhaps one of the best points on the list, you're already making progress - you just lack patience.
The fitness industry is rife with quick fixes and promises.
"LOSE 15 POUNDS IN TWO WEEKS"
"BE A DIFFERENT PERSON IN 30 DAYS"
"LOSE 4 POUNDS A WEEK"
And continuously hearing this has undoubtedly skewed your expectations regarding a reasonable timeline for change.
Because if you've consistently been in a calorie deficit for under 2.5 weeks, you must stop complaining and keep going.
It's also worth mentioning that you've probably heard statements such as, "An average of a pound a week is a good amount of progress", but then get frustrated when you're not losing a pound a week, even when you're in a calorie deficit and weight training.
Almost making you want to quit entirely, but almost like you overlooked the word 'average' in the sentence too.
It's all normal and part of the process.
Regardless of whether you lose 4 pounds a week (an unsustainable amount long-term), 0.5 pounds per week or 1.5 pounds on average - it doesn't matter.
The only things that matter are:
You're turning up daily, weekly and monthly, doing what you know you need to do.
You are improving your relationship with food and exercise, e.g. reducing the consistency of a weekend binge and combining a calorie deficit with weight training.
You're consistent with the calorie counting diary.
You're taking progress pictures and body measurements for weight loss, not just scale weight.
Plus, once you've achieved the desired results, you won't care how long it took or what your average rate of weight loss was - you'll just care that you managed to pull it off.
How to Properly Track Weight Loss
It's a good idea to finish with some great tips for tracking weight loss - such as numbers that do and don't matter.
Because you may feel like you're not making progress due to focusing on the wrong things.
Numbers That Don't Matter:
Calories burnt, as mentioned various times throughout.
Daily weight because daily weigh-ins mean nothing in isolation.
Take your average throughout the week, and compare it each month, e.g. week 1 of July to week 1 of August, and week 2 of July to week 2 of August.
Numbers That Do Matter:
Sets, reps and the weight you're lifting because this is the most accurate way to know if you're progressing.
Total calories you're eating via a calorie counting diary app. Do not add it up in your head.
Your protein, fruit and veg goal.
Weekly weight average due to reasons mentioned above.
Bi-weekly measurements, although ideally, you'd compare body measurements for weight loss month to month because comparing back-to-back readings is always a slippery slope.
Calorie Deficit But Not Losing Weight: Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this 'Calorie deficit but not losing weight: explained' article.
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Speak soon,
Leo
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