Weight Loss Resistance

I know how frustrating it can be to put in the effort—tracking diligently, training hard, staying consistent—and still not see the results you expect. It’s disheartening, and it can make you question everything. Am I doing something wrong? Is my body broken? Why is this happening when I know how this should work? 

Fat loss is rarely a straight line. While the science of energy balance is simple in theory, it’s far more complex in practice. If you feel stuck despite doing everything right, there are a few key areas that could be playing a role. 

Calorie Deficit Calculations Aren’t Always Accurate

Most macro calculators estimate your energy needs using formulas, but they don’t account for individual metabolic differences, past dieting history, or how your body uniquely processes food. Some people burn more calories at rest than predicted, while others burn fewer due to metabolic adaptation, stress, and hormonal factors. If fat loss isn’t happening, it may be worth reassessing total intake and expenditure rather than assuming the numbers are set in stone. If you’re doing everything ‘right’ via tracking yet not losing weight, it might mean you need to drop the calories to create that deficit.

Hidden Calories Add Up More Than You Think

Even if you’re tracking diligently, small unaccounted-for calories can make a big difference over time. Some of the most common culprits include:

• Condiments – Mustard, ketchup/sauces, salad dressings, and even spice blends often contain hidden sugars and fats and with them, calories.

• Sugar-free products – Gum, mints, and diet drinks may seem negligible, but they can add up, especially if consumed frequently throughout the day.

• Cooking methods – Oils, butter, and sprays often go untracked but contribute extra calories. Or we are used to drizzling these over our salads or in our roasting pans, and this contributes many more calories than a spray oil would.

• Portion creep – Even if you’ve tracked for years, what looks like a tablespoon of peanut butter or a handful of nuts might be more than you think. This is why I’m a big fan of tracking using food scales and not relying on cups, teaspoons or tablespoons as a measure.

• Eating out. Even when meals seem "healthy," restaurant portions and cooking methods can add hundreds of hidden calories—extra oil on veggies, sauces you don’t see, and serving sizes that are larger than expected. If you’re eating out regularly and progress has stalled, it might be worth either tightening up tracking or adjusting how frequently you rely on restaurant or café meals.

Stress and Sleep Can Stall Fat Loss

Stress and lack of sleep are two of the biggest yet most overlooked barriers to fat loss. When stress is high, your body releases cortisol, which can increase water retention, disrupt appetite signals, and even shift fat storage toward the midsection.

Similarly, sleep deprivation disrupts hunger hormones, reduces insulin sensitivity, and can slow metabolic rate. Even if your nutrition and training are dialed in, poor sleep and chronic stress can create a metabolic environment that makes fat loss much harder. Prioritizing 7-9 hours of sleep and managing stress through movement, mindfulness, or downtime can be just as important as hitting your macros. These are often ignored as it is harder to changes these patterns, particularly if it feels the only time you have to yourself is late into the evening. Look at sleep as self-care (ditto with stress management). The more we can disengage that sympathetic nervous system and engage our parasympathetic nervous system, the better we are able to change how we respond to the inputs such as food, exercise and sleep.

NEAT (Daily Movement) Plays a Bigger Role Than You Realize

Many people assume that structured workouts burn the most calories, but Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)—all the movement you do outside the gym—has a bigger impact on daily energy expenditure. It’s largely because we spend so many more hours outside of the gym than in it. When you diet or train harder, your body subconsciously tries to conserve energy by reducing spontaneous movement—less fidgeting, fewer steps, more sitting. If your step count has dropped, fat loss can slow, even if everything else is on point, and increasing NEAT is often more effective than cutting more calories.

Biomarkers Might Be Playing a Role

If everything looks right on paper—calories, training, movement, stress, and sleep—but fat loss still isn’t happening, it could be worth looking under the hood with bloodwork.

Key biomarkers that can impact metabolism and fat loss include:

• Thyroid function (TSH, T3, T4) – Even slightly low thyroid function can slow metabolism and impact fat loss.

• Iron & Ferritin – Low iron levels can leave you feeling fatigued, reducing energy expenditure and workout performance. This also impacts on thyroid function.

• Insulin Sensitivity (Fasting Insulin, HOMA-IR) – High insulin levels can make it harder for the body to efficiently burn fat.

• Vitamin D – I had a client who had super low vitamin D and, when corrected, she shed the 5 kg she had put on and felt so much better. Summer is around the corner, and now is the perfect time to test your vitamin D (as is heading into winter) to ensure your levels are in optimal range (30-50 ng/ml). Vitamin D plays a role in fat metabolism, insulin sensitivity, appetite regulation and fat storage, and an app like D-minder can give insight into how much sunlight you need each day to optimize your vitamin D levels.

If you haven’t checked these recently and progress has stalled despite consistency, getting a full blood panel that is interpreted by an experienced practitioner could provide valuable insights.

What To Do Next

If you’re feeling stuck, don’t panic. The body doesn’t always respond immediately, and sometimes small tweaks can make all the difference. Here’s what I’d suggest:

• Double-check tracking accuracy for a week—look at condiments, oils, portion sizes, and sugar-free products.

• Assess stress and sleep patterns—if either is off, focus on improving recovery.

• Increase NEAT by adding more daily movement and monitoring step count.

  • Track your steps and aim for 8,000-10,000 per day to ensure your overall movement stays high.

  • Be intentional about daily activity—take short walks, stand while working, and add movement breaks.

• Be mindful of meals out—restaurant portions and hidden ingredients can unknowingly add up.

• Consider bloodwork—checking thyroid, iron, and insulin markers may reveal an underlying factor affecting progress.

Give it time—your body may need longer to adapt, especially if you’ve been in and out of dieting phases before. There is also good cause to ask whether now is the best time for a fat loss goal? If your body is really stressed (and the things I mention related to stress, sleep, etc.) are feeling overwhelming, then perhaps being at maintenance calories for a bit, working on shifting the nervous system response and even building muscle will prime your body to be ready for fat loss in a few months’ time. That isn’t a long time to wait, and when you’re there, it will be a far easier process.

Fat loss isn’t just about calories in, calories out—it’s about the bigger picture of metabolism, hormones, movement, and consistency over time. 

References:

Garofalo, V., Condorelli, R. A., Cannarella, R., Aversa, A., Calogero, A. E., & La Vignera, S. (2023). Relationship between Iron Deficiency and Thyroid Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients, 15(22), 4790. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15224790

Holick, M. F., Binkley, N. C., Bischoff-Ferrari, H. A., Gordon, C. M., Hanley, D. A., Heaney, R. P., Murad, M. H., & Weaver, C. M. (2011). Evaluation, treatment, and prevention of vitamin D deficiency: An Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 96(7), 1911–1930. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2011-0385

Liu, G., Liang, L., Bray, G. A., Qi, L., Hu, F. B., Rood, J., Sacks, F. M., & Sun, Q. (2017). Thyroid hormones and changes in body weight and metabolic parameters in response to weight loss diets: the POUNDS LOST trial. International journal of obesity (2005), 41(6), 878–886. https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2017.28

Müller, M. J., Enderle, J., & Bosy-Westphal, A. (2016). Changes in Energy Expenditure with Weight Gain and Weight Loss in Humans. Current obesity reports, 5(4), 413–423. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-016-0237-4