7 Hard Truths About Why You’re Not Losing Weight (Even If You Think You’re Doing Everything Right)

If you’ve ever caught yourself saying, “I’m doing everything right, but the scale still isn’t moving,” - this one’s for you.

And fair warning: this might sting a little. But you don’t need another sugar-coated pep talk. You need the truth.

As a nutrition coach, I want to help you create sustainable, feel-good fat loss without deprivation, food rules, or another round of starting over Monday. So let’s dig into the 7 reasons you’re not losing weight, even when it feels like you’re doing everything right - and what to do about it.

1. You’re Eating More Calories Than You Think You Are

Even if you’re tracking your calories, research shows we all underreport what we eat… sometimes by as much as 20–50%.

It’s not because you’re lazy or dishonest. It’s because you’re human.

A handful of nuts here, the extra bites off your kid’s plate there, a splash of creamer you forgot to log - it all adds up.

Even small inaccuracies in measuring or logging can make the difference between a deficit and maintenance.

👉 Try this: Do a short “nutrition audit.” Assuming you don’t have a history of obsessive tracking, try logging everything you eat and drink for a few days to see where things might be slipping through the cracks.

2. You’re Burning Fewer Calories Than You Think

Most adults lead largely sedentary lives - sitting at desks, driving, and relaxing on the couch for much of the day.

Even if you work out consistently, exercise only accounts for about 5% of your daily calorie burn.

👉 Reality check: If you’re not walking much or getting consistent daily movement in addition to your workouts, your total energy burn may be lower than you think.

3. You’re Obsessed With What to Eat Less Of, Not What to Eat More Of

When your entire focus is on cutting carbs, eliminating sugar, or skipping snacks, you create a scarcity mindset.

And that always backfires.

The more we restrict, the more we crave, and eventually, the pendulum swings hard in the other direction.

👉 Shift your focus: Instead of asking “What do I need to cut?” ask, “What do I need to add in?”

Add protein for satiety and muscle support.
Add fiber for fullness and gut health.
Add water for hydration and appetite control.

This is what I call Nutrition by Addition - a mindset shift that makes consistency (and results) feel so much easier.

4. You’re Waiting for Something Else to Do the Work for You

This one might hurt the most, but there’s no coach, supplement, workout program, or medication can do the work for you.

Tools like GLP-1 medications or structured programs can be helpful, but they can’t build habits, change your mindset, or manage emotional eating for you.

👉 The truth: Sustainable change only happens when you commit to showing up long after the “new plan” excitement fades.

5. You’re Ignoring the Psychology Behind Your Eating Habits

You don’t need another meal plan.
You need to understand why you eat when you’re not hungry and why consistency never seems to stick.

Until you address emotional eating, stress triggers, and all-or-nothing perfectionism, the cycle will repeat itself.

👉 Start here: Learn non-food coping strategies for stress, find ways to celebrate that don’t revolve around food, and work on consistency over perfection.

6. You Haven’t Actually Tried Everything

You’ve probably tried every diet name under the sun: keto, paleo, intermittent fasting, “clean eating.”

But if all those plans rely on cutting out foods you love and restricting calories to extremes, and they’re not all that different - they’re simply restriction repackaged.

👉 What you haven’t tried:
Eating enough to feel satisfied while still maintaining a mild deficit.
Building eating and movement habits that fit your life — even during busy seasons.
Tracking progress beyond the scale: energy, confidence, strength, consistency.

That’s the version of “trying everything” that actually works.

7. You’re Majoring in the Minors

You’re stressing about seed oils and artificial sweeteners while ignoring the basics.

If you haven’t built consistent habits around balanced eating, movement, emotional regulation, and mindset, none of the biohacks matter.

👉 Focus first on:

• Eating nutrient-dense meals most of the time

• Managing stress and emotions without food

• Moving your body daily (in and out of the gym)

• Building self-awareness and consistency

Once those foundations are solid, the rest will fall into place.

You don’t need to starve yourself or cut out entire food groups to successfully lose weight.

But you do need to be honest with yourself, stay consistent longer than feels comfortable, and be willing to play the long game.

Sustainable fat loss doesn’t come from perfection. It comes from patience, awareness, and the willingness to keep showing up.

If you’re ready to stop spinning your wheels and finally create results that last, let’s talk.
You can fill out a 1:1 coaching application here or message me on Instagram @nutritionwithnicole

You don’t have to figure this out alone - and you don’t have to hate your life while losing weight.