Weight loss happens after you make the necessary efforts to shake it off, such as exercising and eating fewer calories than you actually burn.

At some point in your life, you may have worked so hard to lose weight but still observed no improvements. I’m following a diet! I’m picking healthy foods! I've been jogging every day for two weeks now! Seriously? What more should I do?

It is important to note that the rate in which you lose weight depends on several factors, including age, gender, the extent of calorie deficit, and the starting weight.

Some may experience weight loss at first but will eventually slow down or even stop after a while. Why do you think this happens? If you are one of them, this article is absolutely made for you.

Here are 21 reasons you’re not losing weight and how to fix them to get things moving again for you.

1. You’re not loading up on protein

Protein is necessary for weight loss. It can affect appetite-regulating hormones like ghrelin.

Consuming 25–30% of calories from protein can drastically reduce your cravings and desire for snacking and eventually help you eat several hundred fewer calories per day. It can also boost your metabolism by 80–100 calories per day.

So make sure to load up your breakfast with protein. This can make you less hungry and have fewer cravings throughout the day.

Increasing your protein intake can also help prevent metabolic slowdown, which is a common side effect of weight loss. What’s more, it can help you avoid adding extra pounds.

2. You’re overconsuming calories

Some people trying to lose weight don’t see the results because they are also eating too many calories.

If you’re working out yet still not losing weight, try tracking your calorie intake using any of the following helpful resources:

Calorie counters. There are a number of free apps and websites that can help you track your nutrient and calorie intake, exercises, weight/waist progress.

Calorie calculator. Calorie calculators can help you determine an estimated number of calories your body needs every day to maintain your weight.

Using these resources can be helpful when you are trying to achieve a specific nutrient goal, like getting 25% of your calories from protein. It is therefore very important to track things properly using a weight loss calculator.

You need not necessarily weigh everything and count calories for the rest of your life. Just getting a feel for how much you’re consuming can already make a difference, and you can do this by tracking your calorie intake for a few days every few months.

3. You’re not consuming real, whole foods

Food quality is also something that you should take into consideration when you are trying to lose weight. It is just as important as food quantity.

Real, whole foods are more filling than their highly processed counterparts. Consuming them can help regulate your appetite and improve your well-being. Make sure to eat the healthiest fruits and vegetables on the planet.

It is important to note that not all processed foods labeled as “health foods” are healthy; thus, make sure to be keen on the ingredients on the package and skip foods that contain extra carbs.

4. You’re having a binge

Having a binge means eating more than your body needs.

This is a real problem for those aiming to shed extra pounds. Although some may binge on healthy foods, such as dark chocolate, nut butters, nuts, and cheese, and others may binge on highly processed foods, regardless of the food you eat, whether highly processed or healthy, keep in mind that its calories still count.

5. You’re not cutting back on sugar

Regularly indulging in sugary foods and beverages is absolutely not beneficial when it comes to losing unwanted weight.

Added sugars are high in empty calories, tend to be less filling, and may cause you to overeat. In short, they are contributing factors to weight gain and chronic health conditions, such as diabetes and obesity.

If you really want to lose that unwanted weight, then cutting back on simple carbohydrates and artificial sugars is best.

6. You’re not keeping a food diary

Keeping track of what you’re eating is incredibly important if you are trying to lose weight.

It gives you a clue of how much you’re eating and has been found in studies to help with weight loss. In fact, people who used food diaries have been shown in studies to lose more weight than those who don’t.

There is however a potential downside that comes with food tracking, esp. when used for weight loss. Some people may take it too far that they skip meals to keep calorie intake for the day low and even cancel social plans to avoid a tricky food situation. Some may even insist on exercising even when they’re ill.

That being said, it is important that you know when to track your food intake and when to stop.

7. You’re not doing cardio regularly

Cardiovascular exercise, such as cycling, jogging, running, power walking and swimming, increases your heart rate.

It is among the most effective ways to burn belly fat, which is the harmful visceral fat that accumulates around your organs and causes health complications, and improves your health.

If you’re starting a weight loss journey, make sure you do cardio for about 30 minutes a day. Low-intensity cardio can help beginners or those who have physical limitations to drop pounds.

8. You’re not getting enough sleep

Getting enough sleep is beneficial not only for your mental and physical health but also for your weight.

Sleep deprivation can negatively affect your metabolism. It has been shown in studies to be one of the biggest risk factors for obesity. In fact, sleep-deprived children and adults have respectively 89% and 55% greater risk for developing obesity.

To improve sleep during weight loss, try following a regular sleep schedule or sleeping in a dark room. Make sure to reduce stress and don’t eat right before bed.

9. You’re still eating carbohydrates

A low-carb diet is ideal for individuals trying to lose weight and have a metabolic condition such as prediabetes or type 2 diabetes.

This diet has been shown in short-term studies to cause up to 2–3 times as much weight loss as the often recommended standard “low fat” diet.

Aside from weight loss, low-carb diets can also help improve several metabolic markers, such as blood sugar, triglycerides, and HDL (good) cholesterol.

10. You’re eating small meals often

Eating small meals too often does not help boost metabolism and lose weight.

In fact, meal frequency has actually been shown in studies to have little or no effect on fat burning or weight loss.

In addition, preparing and eating food all day is inconvenient and makes healthy nutrition more complicated.

Intermittent fasting, which is an eating pattern that involves strategically going without food for longer periods of time, is one of the most effective weight loss methods you can try.

12. You’re not drinking enough water

Drinking water and staying hydrated throughout the day is incredibly beneficial when it comes to losing weight.

In fact, people who drank half a liter of water half an hour before meals have been shown in one 12-week weight loss study to lose 44% more weight compared to those who did not.

In addition, drinking enough water has been found to increase the number of calories burned by 24–30% over a period of 1 hour and 30 min.

13. You’re drinking too much alcohol

If you like alcohol but want to drop extra pounds, it would be best to avoid high-calorie beverages like wine and beer and stick to spirits mixed with a zero-calorie beverage.

Bear in mind that the alcohol itself provides about 7 calories per gram—that’s quite high. Drinking alcohol in moderation is fine. Just don’t overdo it as it might lead to weight gain.

14. You’re addicted to junk foods

If you have a junk food addiction, changing your diet or simply eating less can seem like an uphill battle. This is absolutely detrimental to your weight loss journey.

Food addiction is a mental health issue, and it does not resolve on its own. To address food addiction, you can look for social support or get cognitive behavioral therapy or join commercial treatment programs.

15. You’re not practicing mindful eating

One of the most powerful weight loss techniques in the world is mindful eating.

It involves eating without distraction, slowing down, savoring every bite and stopping when your body has had enough.

Mindful eating has been found in multiple studies to reduce the frequency of binge eating and subsequently cause significant weight loss.

To eat more mindfully, slowly and thoroughly chew your food and drink some water when you begin to feel full. Sitting at a table with just food can also help.

16. You have an underlying medical condition that makes weight loss harder

Certain medical conditions, such as sleep apnea, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and hypothyroidism, can drive weight gain. They can even make it more difficult for you to lose weight.

Some medications can also sabotage your weight loss efforts. If you’re taking such medication, tell your doctor about it to get another option.

17. You’re too focused on dieting instead of adopting health-promoting habits

People who diet have been shown in studies to gain more weight over time. It can be deduced that diets do not work in the long term.

Instead of focusing on dieting, try to adopt health-promoting habits, like exercising as often as possible, eating a well-rounded diet, and doing things that make you happy.

Weight loss naturally follows when you focus on nourishing your body by adopting health-promoting habits instead of dieting.

18. You’ve been dieting too hard for too long

Dieting too hard for too long is also unhealthy. It can lead to nutrient deficiencies and fatigue.

Also, prolonged dieting forces your body to find the energy it needs from your stored fat and muscle mass; thus, you lose not only fat but also your hard-earned muscle mass.

Take a break from time to time. Slowly increase your calorie intake per day, lift weights, and sleep more to gain more muscle and get stronger.

19. You’re not setting SMART goals

Weight loss doesn’t happen overnight; it’s a slow process.

You have to set specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely goals to make sure you succeed. Don’t force yourself to achieve something unrealistic of what is achievable with a well-rounded diet and consistent exercise. Otherwise, you’ll get frustrated.

Accept your body the way it is and slowly work on improving it in a way it feels comfortable. Forcing your body to achieve something impossible can have potentially negative effects on your health.

20. You’re either depressed or stressed

When you’re stressed or depressed, you are likely to gain weight. This is because you’re not focused on keeping track of what and how much you’re eating. You are unlikely to exercise as well because you lack the energy and enthusiasm to make it through the day.

Stress management is therefore important as part of your weight loss journey. To do this, you can just do a low-impact cardio or visit a mental health provider.

21. You’re not getting any younger

When you get old, your metabolism declines, leading to weight gain.

No diet or exercise can cancel out the fact that it’s difficult to lose weight when you age. It’s really going to take more effort than when you were in your 20s.

Focusing on resistance training can help you build muscle mass and eventually jumpstart your weight loss journey.

Conclusion

Not all people who follow a certain diet and exercise program can maintain weight loss. There are certain factors that can also bring it to a standstill, including your mental health, the foods you eat and beverages you drink.

Basically, weight loss happens when you consume less calories than you actually burn. Try to load up your breakfast with protein, keep a food diary, practice mindful eating, do cardio regularly, or speak with a health professional.

At the end of the day, losing weight requires consistency, dedication, perseverance, resilience, and patience.