WHY ISN’T MY CALORIE DEFICIT WORKING?

​You took all of the appropriate steps to determine the calorie deficit needed to lose weight. You hit daily macro and calorie goals. You followed the plan for at least 4 weeks. During this time, you lifted weights and completed cardio sessions. You stepped on the scale this morning and actually gained 2 lbs. WTH?! So why is your calorie deficit not working? 
 
Quite simply, you are not in a calorie deficit. You are still consuming too many calories. If you are tracking all food intake “accurately”, consistently executing workouts, and not seeing weight loss trend downward, then it is time to take a look at your process.

​I have had the “calorie deficit isn’t working” conversation more times than I can count. Clients get frustrated because they believe they are eating the calorie/macro goal we established to lose weight (bodyfat), but the scale doesn’t move. Sometimes it even goes up. As we discuss their methods, missteps begin to unfold.
 
Eyeballing portion sizes
 
If you are new to counting calories, I don’t recommend using your eyes to measure portions. Have you ever weighed 1 tablespoon of peanut butter? This is a common food people often misjudge. 1 tablespoon is usually 16 grams and around 95 calories. If you eyeball your midday snack, you could accidentally consume an extra 100 calories.
 

​Invest in a kitchen scale and measure your peanut butter at least one time. You might cry when you see how small 1 tablespoon really is, but at least you will know. This is the scale I use. It is super accurate, less than $20, and runs on AAA batteries. 
 
Cheating too often
 
Taking a bite of “this” and grabbing a handful of “that” can wreck your calorie deficit. Over the course of a week, you can add several hundred unintended calories. I recommend having one reward meal every week. Track this meal and don’t let it turn into a free-for-all day. 

​Forgetting to track
 
Life gets busy. You start to rush and forget to log an entire snack or meal. At the end of the day, it might look like there are a few hundred calories to go. You decide to have a healthy yogurt snack, but now you went over in daily calories. It doesn’t matter if this snack is “healthy”, you will gain weight because now you’re in a calorie surplus. Track food as you go to avoid this common mistake.

Underestimating calories
 
Research indicates that people who struggle with weight tend to underestimate their calorie intake by 40%. Consistently getting the information wrong, will lead to weight gain. I strongly encourage anyone who wants to lose weight to get a weight loss app like MyFitnessPal. It allows users to track calories, monitor progress toward weight-management goals, and gain support from an online community.
 
Final thought
 
Estimating calories and eyeballing portions is a skill that is built through years of practice and repetition. Even the best make errors. Tracking can help but it is not always 100% accurate.

If you are certain that your measuring and tracking is correct, then the deficit is not big enough. You need to lower your calories AND/OR move more. This can be achieved by adding additional steps to your day. A daily 30 minute walk is a great way to unwind and get the extra activity needed to produce fat loss.

Strive for progress, not perfection, and you will gradually build consistency that will produce results.