Why Are You Eating Less But Not Losing Weight?

Q: Hey, why are motherfuckers like you always pointing to research that says that slimming down is about eating less food? If that’s true, then why am I doing that but not losing weight?!?! Grrrrrrrrr…I’m this close — THIS CLOSE!!! — to chalking this up as another thing we’ve been lied to about by scientists like climate change and humans being responsible for it!

A: You’re eating less but not losing weight?

Okay, while it’s true that you have to eat less food to lose weight, that’s not the entirety. What actually has to happen is that the calories from the amount of food that you remove from your diet have to be enough to place you in a calorie deficit, which is the difference between the amount of calories that your body burns and those that it takes in. When a large enough deficit is in place, then weight loss occurs. So it being the case that nothing is happening despite you eating less, then you’re more than likely still eating too many calories.

As to why you’re eating too many calories, there are many reasons. One is that maybe you haven’t calculated the exact amount of calories that you should eat per day. Or maybe the figure you calculated is too high because of an error in the equation or one of the variables you entered. Or maybe you’re not measuring your portions at all. Or maybe you’re not accurately measuring the portions that you serve yourself. Or maybe you’re not accounting for calories in beverages, condiments, dressings, sauces, gravies, cooking oil, and other items. Or maybe you’re not keeping track of what you consume in a log to tally up the calorie totals. Or maybe you’re eating back the calories that you burn via exercise because your activity tracker is overestimating energy expenditure. Or maybe you’re eating back the calories that you burn via exercise when you don’t have to because your daily calorie allotment already accounts for activity. Or maybe you’re not consistent enough, as you have frequent cheat days or times of indulgence that result in your total calorie intake for the week being higher than it’s supposed to be.

Basically, when you’re eating less but not losing weight, what you’re more than likely doing is underestimating how much food you’re actually eating. Sure, stress, inadequate sleep, certain medical conditions, and hormonal issues can also be at fault but the common culprit often has to do with calorie counting, whether that’s by not doing it at all or doing it poorly in some way. Regarding climate change, yeah, placing blame on humans is part of a diabolical scheme by wind and solar companies to demonize fossil fuels and guilt-trip us into converting to renewable energy sources so they can take over the energy market share that’s dominated by oil and coal. DUH!!!

Now, does anyone else have a fitness or nutrition question of their own that they want to ask?

Glossary: caloric deficit, calories, cheat, diet, exercise, fitness, hormones, nutrition

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Monster Longe

Monster Longe is a personal trainer in San Diego. He has been lifting weights for +25 years and training clients in the gym and online for about half of that time. When not working with clients or making content that's easy to read, understand, and apply to everyday life, he enjoys long walks and leaving buildings crushed and entire city blocks decimated in his wake.

Why Are You Eating Less But Not Losing Weight?

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