Why Can't I Lose Weight? What Reddit Actually Says

If you feel like you can't lose weight at all — not a plateau after progress, but no movement from the start — the most common Reddit answer is that you're not actually in the calorie deficit you think you're in. Untracked oils, drinks, and snacks, overestimated exercise burn, and rough portion guessing routinely close a deficit that looks correct on paper. Less commonly, but not rarely, an underlying health issue (thyroid, PCOS, medication side effects) is a genuine factor worth ruling out with a doctor.

The Most Repeated Answer: You're Not Actually in a Deficit

Asked point-blank why weight isn't moving, one of the most direct answers on this exact question: "You aren't in a deficit because you have overestimated the calories you are burning. You may be overestimating your daily activity level." (r/loseit, "Why You Aren't Losing Weight", 190+ comments) This is the single most common thread across every "why can't I lose weight" post on r/loseit — not a metabolic mystery, just a math problem with hidden inputs.

A widely-read thread addressed directly to people asking this exact question makes the same point without softening it: "This is for everyone maintaining a calorie deficit and gaining weight or it staying the same. People confuse weight loss and fat loss. You want to lose..." fat specifically, and water weight fluctuation can mask real fat loss for weeks at a time even when the deficit is real. (r/loseit, "To everyone wondering 'why am I not losing weight?'", 140+ comments)

"But I Barely Eat Anything"

This is the most common pushback, and Reddit's answer to it is consistent. Responding to someone convinced they were eating too little to lose weight: "Inflammation and insulin make a difference. Muscle mass and general activity are a huge factor. Nutrition is key. Some health issues can make..." weight loss slower even at very low intake, but the far more common explanation is still inaccurate tracking, not a broken metabolism. (r/loseit, "No matter how little i eat, i can never lose weight", 270+ comments) A 780-comment thread on the exact same complaint offers a practical troubleshooting checklist rather than a diagnosis: "Check for food allergies, vitamin deficiencies, micronutrient deficiencies. Try an elimination diet. Try fasting. Try very low carb." — worth working through before assuming your body is simply an exception to calorie balance. (r/loseit, "I literally can't lose weight. Please help me", 780+ comments)

When It's Genuinely Not Just Tracking

Reddit doesn't dismiss the possibility that something real is going on — it just puts it in the right order. From a thread specifically about burnout after repeated failed attempts: "Hard cardio is not helpful if you have cortisol issues. You could have something wrong with your thyroid or pituitary gland, You may have an..." undiagnosed condition worth a blood panel, but that's the exception, checked after ruling out tracking errors, not instead of it. (r/loseit, "I can't lose weight. I'm tired and ready to give up.", 400+ comments) A dietetics-focused subreddit frames the honest professional answer to "can some bodies just not lose weight": "Weight loss can be masked by water retention with extreme dieting/stress. You see patients in clinical not eating for days and gaining weight." — meaning even genuine near-zero intake can show a stalled scale short-term due to stress and water retention, not a paused metabolism. (r/dietetics, "Can some bodies just not lose weight??", 120+ comments)

The Tracking Gap That Fixes Most of This

Nearly every thread above lands on the same starting point: track more accurately before concluding something is broken. The problem is that accurate tracking is tedious enough that most people quietly give up on it within a few weeks — which is exactly why the "hidden calories" explanation stays hidden. Photo-based logging removes the friction that makes people stop weighing food and start guessing again; PonteFuerteAI's AI photo meal logging is built specifically to close that gap without turning every meal into a data-entry chore.

If the scale genuinely isn't moving despite a real, tracked deficit, the next thing to check isn't your willpower — it's whether your calorie target itself is still accurate. See our weight loss plateau guide for what to do once tracking is confirmed accurate and the stall continues.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I lose weight even though I barely eat?

The most common Reddit-confirmed explanation is inaccurate tracking — unweighed portions, untracked oils and drinks, and overestimated exercise burn routinely add up to more calories than intended, even when it genuinely feels like very little food.

Could a medical condition be why I can't lose weight?

It's possible — thyroid issues, PCOS, and certain medications can affect weight — but Reddit's community consensus is to rule out tracking accuracy first, since it explains the vast majority of "I can't lose weight" cases without needing a medical explanation.

How accurate does my calorie tracking need to be?

Weighing food on a digital scale for at least a week, rather than estimating portions, is the most repeated recommendation for finding out whether your deficit is real. Oils, sauces, coffee creamers, and alcohol are the most commonly missed sources of hidden calories.

When should I see a doctor about not losing weight?

After confirming your tracking is accurate and a real deficit still produces no movement for 3-4+ weeks, that's a reasonable point to rule out thyroid function, PCOS, or medication side effects with a doctor rather than continuing to adjust the diet alone.