If you’re trying to lose weight but you’re not seeing it on the scale, you may wonder, “Why am I not losing weight?” Weight loss often results from eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly. Not experiencing weight loss could be due to several factors, such as the medications you are taking, stress, how you exercise, or your eating patterns.
You might not achieve weight loss or your desired results even when you do everything “right.” Learn more about why you’re not losing weight and what to do to jumpstart your weight loss plan.
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Cardio is a necessary part of your workout routine, as it helps keep your heart healthy. Aerobic exercise keeps your heart strong, helps prevent diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and several cancers, improves sleep, and lessens stress. Still, if you are doing too much cardio and not eating enough, you may lower your metabolism because your body thinks it needs to conserve energy.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends you get 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of moderate aerobic exercise per week or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise per week. It’s also recommended to reduce sedentary time, and increase exercise to 300 minutes for added benefits.
Try adding interval training, which involves short bursts of all-out effort mixed into your regular session. These workouts are effective at decreasing abdominal and visceral fat.
Aim to do other exercises besides cardio if you are working out but not losing weight and your primary goal is fat loss. You can lose weight and build lean muscle by doing strength training in addition to your cardio. Lean body mass can increase your resting metabolic rate, meaning that you burn more calories at rest.
The AHA recommends at least two moderate to high-intensity weightlifting or resistance training sessions per week. Use weightlifting machines or add hand weights to your regular workout. For example, add weights while doing squats, arm raises, or calf raises. Start slowly with a weight you can lift at least 10 or more times using proper form. Then, add on as you develop strength and stamina.
Recovery and rest are equally as important as the workout itself. Getting enough recovery time allows you to prepare for the next workout you do. Not resting can result in worse performance later.
Focus on different muscle groups on different days. For example, you can do a lower-body workout on a Monday and an upper-body workout the next day. Or, establish a workout routine where you work your entire body one day. Then, take the next day to do light cardio, stretching, or rest.
Sitting for long periods may be the reason for weight gain or a lack of weight loss. Research has found that your risk for obesity increases by 5% for every two hours of sitting.
Experts advise that adults be physically active for:
- At least 60 minutes weekly minimum if you are new to exercise
- Up to 300 minutes weekly for moderately-intense exercise
- Up to 150 minutes weekly for vigorously-intense exercise
What matters most is moving. If standing is inaccessible, try doing micromovements while seated, such as arm circles, bodyweight bicep curls, and raising your arms above your head to stretch. You can also take “movement breaks” throughout the day, which can include taking the stairs if accessible, parking farther away from your destination, and making extra trips to refill your water bottle.
Some people focus all their energy on burning off calories and may not take the time to consider what they are putting in as fuel. You can gain weight instead of losing it if you consume more calories than you burn.
The amount of calories you need to consume to lose weight will depend on your age, height, and activity level. To lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit either by eating fewer calories than your body needs to maintain its current weight, burning more calories, or ideally a combination of both.
Aim for a balanced diet that includes the following:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Limited added sugars, sodium, saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol
- Various protein sources, from nuts and seeds to seafood and eggs
- Whole grains
Cutting out an entire macronutrient from your daily diet—like carbs, the body’s primary energy source—can deprive your body and tempt you to binge. Instead, consider the following for macronutrients:
- Add healthy fats to your eating plan: Foods with healthy fats, or unsaturated fats, include chia seeds, hemp seeds, and fatty fish like salmon or sardines.
- Choose lean or plant-based proteins: These include lean pork loin, chicken, turkey, beans, and lentils.
- Reach for healthy, complex carbs: Limit carbohydrates such as candy, soda, sugary sweets, fried foods, snack foods like potato chips, and foods with added sugar. Instead, get most of your calories from carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat or non-fat dairy, and legumes. Sweet potatoes, oats, and quinoa are a few complex-carb choices.
Overeating can hinder weight loss. Your body needs to run a calorie deficit to lose weight, meaning you need to burn more calories than you consume. Keep in mind that you do not need to limit yourself too much, either. Not eating enough can lead to an increased appetite and weight regain later. It can also reduce your metabolism.
Evaluate your pace of eating and your hunger cues. If you eat very rapidly, start by adding a few minutes to your meal time and build up. Make small, realistic, and consistent changes for the best results. For example, a great starting point is to consume at least one to two vegetables at each meal. Talk to a healthcare provider or registered dietitian for individualized meal planning.
Keep yourself hydrated with water, whether you are active or not. Water has several health benefits beyond helping you manage your weight, including:
- Cushioning and lubricating your joints
- Helping your body get rid of wastes
- Preventing dehydration
- Regulating your body temperature
Most adults generally need seven to nine hours of sleep every night. Not getting enough consistent sleep can lead to weight gain.
Research has linked sleep deprivation, or a loss of sleep, to both obesity and an increased risk of future weight gain. That’s because the same hormones—namely ghrelin and leptin—that play a role in the sleep cycle also affect your appetite.
Ghrelin is a hunger hormone, and leptin is a satiety hormone that controls how full you feel. Ghrelin levels can increase, and leptin levels can decrease when your sleep pattern is off-balance. Those changes tend to result in more hunger and less fullness.
Excess cortisol, a stress hormone, is involved in processes that give your muscles the energy to move. Cortisol also causes negative effects if you are exposed to it for long periods, such as gaining fat that takes a while to lose. Your body may produce excess cortisol if:
- You experience great stress or anxiety in your personal or work life
- You are not taking enough rest days or you’re working out too intensely
- You are not getting enough quality sleep
“Stress less” is often unhelpful advice. However, if you think stress could be contributing to your lack of weight loss, consider ways to alleviate it. That might look like meditation, outsourcing tasks, exercise, sleeping more, and saying no to things you don’t want to do or don’t have time for. If your stress or anxiety feels overwhelming or negatively impacts your daily life, talk to a mental health professional.
You might not be able to lose weight as efficiently as you want to if you are taking certain medications. Examples include beta-blockers, corticosteroids, and insulin.
Weight gain is a common side effect of other medications, including:
- Antidepressants: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
- Anti-diabetics: Rosiglitazone
- Anti-epileptics: Valproate
- Antipsychotics: Clozapine, olanzapine, and risperidone
Do not start or stop a medication without talking to your healthcare provider. Talk to a medical professional if you suspect your prescriptions are affecting your weight.
Certain health conditions may hinder weight loss. Examples include:
- Cushing syndrome, a hormonal disorder that develops after long-term exposure to high levels of cortisol
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Hypogonadism, which occurs if your gonads (sex glands) make little or no hormones
- Hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid (the butterfly-shaped gland in your neck)
- Menopause
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which happens if the ovaries or adrenal glands produce more androgens (male hormones) than usual
Sometimes, you exercise regularly and eat healthily, but the scale numbers do not change. Your weight loss might have plateaued, which can happen for many reasons.
For example, a decrease in calorie consumption can result in an initial rapid drop in weight as your body burns stored glycogen (sugar) for energy. You might even lose a little muscle along with fat. You may need to change your calorie intake or amp up your physical activity to lose weight.
Weight is not always the most accurate way to measure your health or fitness level. For example, you may see the scale stay the same or go up because while you are losing fat, you could be gaining muscle. Furthermore, weighing less is not always indicative of good health. Talk to a healthcare provider you trust to understand what your healthy weight range is.
One of the most important things to remember is to listen to your body. Here are other tips to keep in mind if you are trying to facilitate weight loss:
- Add resistance training. This builds muscle and burns fat.
- Engage in healthy snacking: Shop the produce section of the grocery store. Grapes, cucumbers, bananas, peaches, avocados, and apples are some whole-food snack ideas.
- Give yourself time to recover. Rest fully so you are ready to work hard the following day.
- Keep your mental and emotional health in check. These aspects of your health are equally as important as your physical health.
- Mix up your exercises. This helps you balance cardio and strength training well.
- Work up to lifting actual weights. You can do this using bodyweight exercises like push-ups, squats, and lunges.
Sometimes, you stay the same weight (or even gain weight) while trying to lose weight. You might experience a halt in your weight loss for many reasons despite your best efforts. You may not be maintaining a calorie deficit or you could be doing too much of one type of exercise. Reach out to a healthcare provider if you are feeling stuck and need help developing a more effective weight loss plan. They can help determine the reason for your plateau and help you get back on track.