I’m on a diet but not losing weight. Why can’t I lose weight despite dieting and exercising?

If you want to lose excess weight, you need to make changes in your diet and activity levels. But sometimes, even with healthy eating and regular workouts, the scale doesn’t budge.

You’re doing everything right – counting calories precisely, moving more – but the number on the scale won’t go down. This can be frustrating and sometimes leads to abandoning your diet altogether.

But perhaps you’re making a few small mistakes that are slowing your progress. The good news is, correcting them doesn’t require a huge effort. Start by checking if you:

• have miscalculated your calorie needs,

• are snacking too often without realizing it,

• are getting enough physical activity,

• are tracking your progress accurately,

• are sleeping enough,

• are accounting for weight fluctuations related to your menstrual cycle.

You’re miscalculating your calorie needs

To lose body fat, you must consume fewer calories than your body burns in a day. Your energy requirements—and thus the calorie content of your diet—depend on many factors, such as:

• body weight,

• height,

• age,

• level of physical activity.

You can’t control some of these, but physical activity is one you can change. It’s also the hardest to assess accurately and contributes significantly to your daily calorie needs.

If you want to lose weight, calculating your energy needs correctly is crucial. Doing this on your own can be challenging, so consider consulting a professional dietitian.

Alternatively, you can use tools like Peater, which calculates your daily calorie requirements and tracks your physical activity. This way, you won’t be guessing how much to eat each day.

You’re unconsciously snacking

Even small deviations from your meal plan can keep you from reaching your goal.

When following a restrictive diet, hunger can build up and cravings for sweets can grow stronger. You might end up snacking on whatever is within reach—without even realizing it.

Food often serves as a reward and is central to many social events. Weekly get-togethers, family dinners, and other celebrations can derail your progress.

Letting loose on weekends or allowing a “cheat meal” may feel justified by extra workouts. But often, the calories consumed far exceed those burned—and people tend to overestimate the calorie burn from exercise.

Always keep your total energy requirements in mind, including snacks and additional foods.

You’re not moving enough

Diet alone isn’t enough—physical activity plays a major role in increasing your calorie burn. Yet during dieting, it’s often underestimated or pushed aside.

Exercising once or twice a week doesn’t mean you can skip daily movement. Everyday activities like walking, shopping, or cleaning count too.

Even walking or biking can significantly help with weight control. Choose forms of movement that you enjoy.

You’re tracking progress the wrong way

Many people rely solely on a bathroom scale to track their progress—but it’s not always reliable. If the number doesn’t go down—or worse, goes up—you may feel discouraged.

But many factors influence body weight, such as how much food is in your digestive system or how much water your body is retaining.

That’s why you should assess your weight loss progress using a weekly average, not daily fluctuations. Weigh yourself at the same time each day—ideally in the morning, on an empty stomach, after using the bathroom. This will give you a more accurate picture. Also measure your body circumferences.

The most precise method is body composition analysis, done with specialized equipment. It provides details not only about weight but also fat mass, muscle mass, and water content. You can have this done at a dietitian’s office.

You can also track your progress using Peater, which allows you to record weight changes and use motivational features to help you stay on track.

You’re not sleeping enough

Sleep plays a vital role in successful weight loss because it helps you stick to your plan.

Adults need about 7–8 hours of sleep a night. When you don’t get enough sleep, your ghrelin levels rise (increasing hunger), while leptin levels drop (reducing satiety).

This imbalance may leave you feeling hungrier throughout the day, increasing your risk of overeating and taking in too many calories.

Sleep deprivation also disrupts carbohydrate metabolism, which can make it harder to lose weight.

You’re not accounting for menstrual cycle–related weight fluctuations

Weight fluctuations during dieting are more common in women due to hormonal changes across the menstrual cycle.

During the luteal phase, the Graafian follicle transforms into the corpus luteum, which produces progesterone. This hormone causes water retention and bloating.

To get more accurate results, weigh yourself during the follicular phase, ideally between days 4 and 7 of your cycle.

Weight stuck despite diet and workouts? Don’t give up!

Answering the question “Why can’t I lose weight?” isn’t always easy. As you can see, many factors influence your success on a weight-loss journey. Pay attention to them when creating your eating plan and tracking progress.

Before quitting your diet and assuming it’s ineffective, consider what might be causing a temporary weight plateau or gain. When trying again, be patient.
Remember—don’t give up at the first setback!