Why Am I Not Losing Weight in a Calorie Deficit?
Question
Why am I gaining body fat despite being in a calorie deficit? I have maintained a strict diet but I am not experience weight loss.
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Weight Loss
2 years
2021-02-02T23:52:33+00:00
2021-02-02T23:52:33+00:00 1 Answer
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Beginner 1
Answer ( 1 )
The reason you are not dropping body mass when food shortage occurs is because you are not actually in a calorie deficit. To become thinner or lighter you need to burn more energy than what the body needs to maintain itself.
If you are not losing weight it means you are not in a calorie deficit. If you are not losing weight you are either in a calorie surplus or the amount of food you are consuming is precisely the number of calories your body needs to maintain its current body weight.
You are not in a calorie deficit
Let’s answer some of the most common questions as to why people are not losing weight while in a calorie deficit.
Question: I am eating 1200 calories per day but not losing weight?
Answer: You are not in a calorie deficit.
Question: Why am I gaining weight on a calorie deficit?
Answer: You are not in a calorie deficit.
Question: Why am I not burning fat when I exercise and diet?
Answer: You are not in a calorie deficit.
Question: How come I am not losing weight but I am exercising and counting calories/macros?
Answer: You are not in a calorie deficit.
Question: How come I am not losing weight if I am only eating 1000 calories per day?
Answer: You are not in a calorie deficit.
When you are in a calorie deficit you will lose weight. It is as simple as that.
Reasons why you are not in a calorie deficit
So the have established that when food shortage occurs you will lose weight. You can swear by the fact that you are in a calorie deficit but that doesn’t mean you are actually consuming an undersupply of food.
Keep in mind that everyone is different. That YouTuber with a ripped physique who said he can lose weight if he eats 3200 calories per day, doesn’t mean you can. The amount of calories needed to be in a calorie deficit depends on a person’s metabolic rate and how active that person is.
It is really simple to lose fat, just eat less than last time. If you minus the amount of food each day, eventually you will reach a calorie deficit. Some people might be in a calorie deficit at 2500 calories per day whereas other people might need to consume 1000 to achieve weight loss.
Too much snacking
You know that small amount of food people eat between meals? Stop doing it. Those snacks add up! Just 1 piece of chocolate can be 80 calories. If you eat 3 or 4 pieces per day, it can easily eat put you in a calorie surplus.
Don’t get me wrong, you can eat whatever you want when you’re trying to burn fat and lose weight, but you still need to be in a calorie deficit. You can be on a cake diet and lose weight, but you still need to be in a calorie deficit.
Not counting calories correctly
Get a food scale and weigh every bit of nutritious substance you consume. If you are going to add ketchup to some fish, then weigh it so you know how many calories it contains.
Log it! Keep a record of every single calorie you consume. Use the Lose It app. The app is available for Android and Apple phones—and it’s free. When you weigh and log ever morsel of food you will be shocked how quickly it adds up.
Your metabolism has adapted
In the beginning of a diet it is easy to lose weight. Your metabolism is chugging along like a race car. But when you go into a calorie deficit, your metabolic function quickly adapts to prevent starvation.
So for example, maybe at the beginning of your diet you could eat 2000 calories per day and lose weight. Now you might need to eat 1400 calories per day to continue the weight loss.
Just 1400 calories per day sounds impossible, right? Trust me it is possible. In fact, you might require 1000 calories daily to be in a deficit. This is especially true if you are older, have metabolic dysfunction or you are too obese to exercise.
The bottom line
Let me put things into perspective. I am a bodybuilder. I have been lifting weights for 30 years and I have never missed more than a week from the gym. When I was young I could burn fat by consuming 3200 calories daily.
Today, if I want to continue losing weight beyond 30 days (after my metabolism has adapted to weight loss) I need to consume less than 1550 total calories each day.
Keep in mind that I burn about 400 calories through exercise each day. That brings my net daily calories to 1150. If you are a short petite woman or man, you might need to consume 800 calories per day to be in a deficit.