Why you are not losing weight: 7 common mistakes

You are eating less, you are walking, and still the scale will not move. This is one of the most common and most frustrating problems in weight loss. Usually the reason is simple, and fixing it is easier than you think.

By Muhammad IshfaqUpdated 25 October 20264 min read

Mistake 1: You are eating more than you think

This is the number one reason, and it happens to almost everyone. Studies that measure exactly what people eat show that most of us under-report our food by a large amount. It is not lying. We simply forget the small things.

In a desi home, the hidden calories are usually:

• Oil in the salan. One extra tablespoon is 120 calories. If the cook pours instead of measuring, it can be 3 or 4 extra spoons for the pot.
• Tasting while cooking, and finishing the children's plates.
• The "small" extras: two biscuits with chai, a few pieces of mithai, a handful of nimko, a glass of juice.
• Bigger rotis than you think. See calories in roti.

Fix: For one week, write down everything you eat and drink, including chai and bites. Most people are surprised. Our food calorie picker helps you add it up.

Mistake 2: Looking at the scale every day

Your weight changes every day because of water, salt, food in your stomach, and, for women, the monthly cycle. A salty dinner of karahi or a big plate of biryani can add 1 kg on the scale the next morning, which is mostly water and goes away in a day or two.

Fix: Weigh yourself once a week, on the same day, in the morning, after using the toilet and before eating. Compare the average over 3 to 4 weeks. Also measure your waist once a month. Sometimes your waist goes down while the scale stays the same.

Mistake 3: Your calorie target is out of date

A lighter body uses fewer calories. If you lost 8 kg, your body may now need 100 to 150 fewer calories a day than when you started. The amount that made you lose weight at the start may now only keep you the same.

Fix: Every time you lose about 5 kg, put your new weight into our daily calorie calculator and update your target.

Mistake 4: Healthy food, but too much of it

Some foods are very healthy but also very high in calories. Eating them in large amounts can stop weight loss:

Fix: Keep nuts to a small handful (about 20 g) a day. Eat whole fruit instead of juice.

Mistake 5: Strict on weekdays, everything on weekends

Five careful days can save about 2,500 calories. But one Saturday dinner out (pizza, cold drink, dessert) and a Sunday halwa puri breakfast can easily add 2,000 to 2,500 calories on top of your normal needs. The week ends at zero.

Fix: Enjoy one treat meal a week, not a treat weekend. Before going out, have a light lunch, and at the meal, fill half the plate with salad or tikka. Read healthy eating at weddings and dawats for more ideas.

Mistake 6: Not enough sleep, too much stress

When you sleep less than 6 hours, your body makes more of the hormone that makes you hungry (ghrelin) and less of the one that makes you feel full (leptin). Tired people also crave sweet and fried food. Long-term stress can increase belly fat and late-night eating.

Fix: Aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep. Keep the phone away for the last 30 minutes before bed. A short evening walk helps with both stress and sleep.

Mistake 7: Eating too little, then giving up

Some people cut down to 800 or 1,000 calories to lose weight fast. They lose weight quickly at first, but they feel weak, hungry and grumpy, lose muscle, and after a few weeks they give up and eat more than before. This "yo-yo" pattern makes things harder each time.

Fix: Eat about 500 calories less than you need, not more. Include protein at every meal. Slow and steady weight loss is the kind that stays off.

When to see a doctor

If you have followed a sensible plan carefully for 2 to 3 months and your weight has not changed at all, it is worth seeing a doctor. Some health problems and medicines can make weight loss harder, for example:

• Low thyroid (hypothyroidism), which is common, especially in women
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• Some medicines for diabetes, depression, epilepsy, allergies, or steroids
• Insulin resistance and prediabetes, which are very common in South Asians. See diet tips for high blood sugar.

A simple blood test can check most of these. Do not stop any medicine on your own.

Common questions

Why has my weight stopped going down after the first month?

In the first weeks you lose water as well as fat, so the scale moves fast. After that, fat loss is slower, and your body also needs fewer calories as you get lighter. Update your calorie target and look at the trend over a month.

Can I gain weight from drinking water?

No. Water has no calories. Water weight changes come from salt, carbs and hormones, and go away on their own.

Does eating late at night stop weight loss?

Not by itself. But late night eating is often extra snacking on top of meals. If your total calories are under control, the time matters much less.

Am I building muscle and that is why the scale is not moving?

Only if you have just started strength training. For most people, it is more likely to be hidden calories or water changes. A falling waist size is a good sign you are losing fat.

Sources

1. Lichtman SW, Pisarska K, Berman ER, et al. Discrepancy between self-reported and actual caloric intake and exercise in obese subjects. New England Journal of Medicine, 1992;327:1893-1898. doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199212313272701
2. Hall KD, Sacks G, Chandramohan D, et al. Quantification of the effect of energy imbalance on bodyweight. The Lancet, 2011;378:826-837. doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60812-X
3. Spiegel K, Tasali E, Penev P, Van Cauter E. Sleep curtailment in healthy young men is associated with decreased leptin levels, elevated ghrelin levels, and increased hunger and appetite. Annals of Internal Medicine, 2004;141:846-850. doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-141-11-200412070-00008
4. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIH). Factors affecting weight and health. www.niddk.nih.gov
5. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central: almonds; butter oil (ghee); honey; dates. fdc.nal.usda.gov

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