Why am I not losing weight in a calorie deficit? If you are not losing weight in a caloric deficit, then that means you are probably not in a caloric deficit and your daily calorie consumption is off. There is no human that the law of thermodynamics doesn’t apply to especially when it comes to calorie consumption, energy and a calorie deficit. If you are in a caloric deficit, you will lose weight it is that simple. But if you have extreme hormonal imbalances, it will affect your ability to lose weight and drop bodyfat even while being in a deficit.
Here are some of the things that can affect your ability to lose weight even if you are in a caloric deficit.
Why am I not losing weight in a calorie deficit? Photo credit: iStock-designer49
- Stress– If you have high cortisol levels due to stress this will inhibit body fat and weight loss.
- Hormonal imbalances. If you have a thyroid gland that isn’t regulating well this can affect you losing weight while in a caloric deficit.
- Irregular sleep patterns. If you are having insomnia issues that can potentially affect your ability to lose weight.
If you are not losing bodyfat then you may need to check your hormone levels, adjust your stress, and sleep levels. A calorie deficit is burning more calories than you consume. If your goal is to lose 1 pound per week you need to be in a daily calorie deficit of 500 calories per day. If your goal is to lose 2 pounds per week, then you need to be in a daily calorie deficit of 1000 calories per day.
Some of the best foods to eat while you lose weight.
High protein foods like chicken, turkey, fish, lean meats. And eating high fiber foods that are high in nutrients in low calories is important diet wise when trying to lose weight while in a calorie deficit. Those high fiber foods are fruits and vegetables like broccoli, spinach, asparagus, green beans. And fruits like apples, bananas, peaches, oranges, etc.
Other foods like beans and lentils, whole grains, whole wheat pasta are also exceptional foods to help with weight loss.
Drinking Water
Drinking water regularly helps with making you fuller and suppressing your appetite and the result is eating less food. And drinking up to 8 glasses of water per day will assist with that tremendously. It is important to understand that 20% of your water intake comes from eating fruit and vegetables.
Weight-Training
Another thing to help with losing weight while being in calorie deficit is weight-training. And that helps with building lean muscle while helping you burn calories after the workout. Building lean muscle helps to stimulate the rate of your metabolism because the more lean muscle mass you have the faster your metabolism will be.
What you eat affects your ability to lose weight in caloric deficit. You want to make sure you avoid eating salty foods and processed foods which can cause unreasonable amount of water retention. And there are also some medications that can cause water retention too so be aware of all that.
The Bottom Line is if you are not losing weight in calorie deficit your calories that you are consuming might be higher than you think. Or you may have hormonal issues, high stress, or irregular sleep that could be affecting you. So, you must check all of that and if that is the case then make the proper adjustments. Without being in calorie deficit it is virtually impossible to lose weight.
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About Author- Obi Obadike
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References
- Redman LM, Ravussin E. Caloric restriction in humans: impact on physiological, psychological, and behavioral outcomes. Antioxid Redox Signal. 2011 Jan 15;14(2):275-87. doi: 10.1089/ars.2010.3253. Epub 2010 Aug 28. PMID: 20518700; PMCID: PMC3014770.
- Heymsfield SB, Harp JB, Reitman ML, Beetsch JW, Schoeller DA, Erondu N, Pietrobelli A. Why do obese patients not lose more weight when treated with low-calorie diets? A mechanistic perspective. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Feb;85(2):346-54. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/85.2.346. PMID: 17284728.
