One of the questions that arises repeatedly among people trying to lose weight is: "Is it possible that I am not losing weight because I am eating too little?". This is a frustrating question, because the feeling is sometimes entirely real. You skip cake, you do not order dessert at a restaurant, you do not eat pita bread with everyone else, you avoid pasta in the evening, and in the end, the scale does not budge. The feeling is that the body is "stuck", resisting, or even punishing us for not eating enough.
But in most cases, the explanation is simpler: Someone who feels they are eating little does not always actually eat little from a caloric perspective. Many times, this feeling stems from comparing oneself to others or from the fact that they are giving up many foods they are used to eating. The very act of giving things up creates a sense of great effort, but it does not always mean that in the daily total, a caloric deficit sufficient for weight loss has been created.
The gap between perception and caloric amount: A person can feel like they are on a diet because they do not eat bread, do not touch sweets, and do not eat a "normal" dinner, but still consume an amount of calories that exactly matches what their body burns. This can happen due to small snacks, tastings while cooking, a large quantity of nuts, oil in the salad, milk in the coffee, sauces, full-fat cheeses, or restaurant dishes that look innocent but contain far more calories than it seems. For example, a single tablespoon of oil adds about 90 calories. A handful of nuts can easily reach 150 to 250 calories. Coffee with a lot of milk several times a day can turn into a significant caloric addition. Even "just a taste" of a teaspoon of chocolate spread, a tablespoon of rice from the pot, a bite of a child's sandwich, or a few crackers while standing in the kitchen, ultimately accumulate into an amount that can stop weight loss. The problem is that the body counts everything, even what we do not count.
Can eating too little stop weight loss? There is a situation where the body reduces its calorie burning rate as a result of very extreme diets. This happens mainly when someone is on a very low calorie intake for a long time, for example around 600 calories a day for weeks. In such a state, the body becomes more efficient, reduces energy expenditure, shuts down non-essential processes, and sometimes also breaks down muscle mass. The result is a decrease in the metabolic rate.
But it is important to be precise: This does not mean the body "breaks the laws of physics" or that it is possible to eat very little and never lose weight. It means that the body burns less than it burned in the past, and therefore dieting becomes harder, slower, and more frustrating. In cases of repeated crash diets over the years, especially if there were many weight losses and gains, there may be a certain reduction in daily caloric expenditure.
But for most people who have not gone through severe and prolonged starvation diets, the reason the weight does not drop is usually not "eating too little", but rather a lack of accuracy in estimating the amount eaten, or a deficit that is too small compared to what the body burns.
The most common reason – Inaccurate counting: In studies on weight loss, it is observed time and again that people tend to underestimate the amount of calories they eat. This does not stem from lying, but from a completely normal human mechanism. We forget some of the things, do not account for tastings, do not measure oil, estimate a restaurant dish as if it were a home-cooked portion, or ignore small additions because they do not feel like "real food". At home, it is easier to know what goes onto the plate. Chicken breast in a pan, cooked vegetables, yogurt, a slice of bread, an egg. But in a restaurant, it is very difficult to know what is hidden inside the dish. A chicken breast that looks innocent could be marinated with oil, honey, or silan (date syrup). Green beans can be sautéed in several tablespoons of oil. A salad that looks healthy can contain a rich dressing, nuts, croutons, and full-fat cheese. Thus, several hundred more calories can be added to the meal without feeling like we ate "something fattening". This is one of the reasons people say: "I only ate a salad", but in practice, this salad can be calorically equivalent to a full meal.
Healthy food can also stop weight loss: It is important to emphasize, healthy food is not necessarily low-calorie food. Avocado, tahini, olive oil, nuts, almonds, seeds, granola, peanut butter, sourdough bread, and high-quality cheeses can be part of an excellent menu. But if the quantity is too large, they can certainly prevent weight loss.
Many people replace "unhealthy food" with healthy food, but do not lose weight because the calorie amount remains similar. From a health perspective, this is an important improvement. In terms of weight loss, a gap must still be created between the calories coming in and the calories being burned.
Medical conditions worth checking: Sometimes there are medical reasons that can make weight loss difficult or lower energy levels and daily activity. This is not always the primary reason for the weight plateau, but it is certainly worth checking, especially if there is also unusual fatigue, weakness, hair loss, feeling cold, constipation, a slow heart rate, a decline in mood, or a general feeling of being unwell.
Basic tests that are advisable to request from a family doctor include thyroid function, iron levels and iron stores (ferritin), vitamin B12, and sometimes also a protein and albumin test, according to medical discretion. Hypothyroidism can reduce the metabolic rate. An iron or B12 deficiency can cause fatigue, reducing movement and the ability to perform physical activity. A lack of protein in the menu can make it difficult to maintain muscle mass.
Protein deficiency and muscle mass: Muscles are a metabolically active tissue. The higher the muscle mass, the more calories the body burns even at rest. When dieting with too little protein, especially without physical activity, the body may break down not only fat but also muscle. The result is weight loss at the beginning, but later a decrease in the calorie burning rate and greater difficulty to continue losing weight. This is one of the reasons why a weight loss menu should not just be "as little food as possible". It needs to be precise, with enough protein, enough vegetables, enough dietary fiber, and planning that allows for satiety throughout the day. A diet based on coffee, vegetables, and a few rice cakes might look "strong" for a week, but over time it can cause hunger, fatigue, muscle breakdown, and unplanned eating in the evening.
The important message – Do not blame the body, be precise: When not losing weight, it is very easy to blame the body. "My body does not burn", "my metabolism is ruined", "I am eating too little and therefore the body stores fat". Sometimes there is a certain grain of truth in this, especially after years of extreme diets. But in most cases, the problem is not a broken body, but a lack of precision.
The bottom line is simple: If weight does not drop over time, the meaning is that in practice, the body receives roughly the same amount of calories that it burns. This can happen even when feeling that a lot of effort is being made, even when giving up many foods, and even when eating "healthy".
What to do? Do not enter another crash diet. Check in a calmer and more precise manner the quantities, the snacks, the drinks, the restaurants, the oil, the sauces, and the protein. In parallel, add movement and physical activity in a way that fits life, and not just for two weeks.