Stuck on a Plateau? 12 Hidden Reasons You're Not Losing Weight

Published January 2026 • 10 min read • Weight Loss

Quick Answer

Most common reasons: Underestimating portions (eyeballing instead of weighing), not tracking on weekends, forgetting liquid calories, and eating back all exercise calories. Fix these 4 and you'll likely break through your plateau.

You're tracking every meal, staying within your calorie target, and exercising regularly — but the scales aren't moving. Sound familiar?

Weight loss plateaus are frustrating, but they're almost always caused by hidden calorie tracking errors, not "broken metabolism" or "starvation mode." This guide reveals the 12 most common mistakes and shows you exactly how to fix them.

The 12 Biggest Calorie Counting Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)

1. Not Weighing Food (Eyeballing Portions)

The mistake: Guessing portion sizes instead of using kitchen scales. "That looks like 100g of chicken" or "about 2 tablespoons of peanut butter."

Why it matters: Studies show people underestimate portions by 20-40% when eyeballing. That "100g" chicken breast is probably 150g. Those "2 tablespoons" of peanut butter are closer to 4.

The impact: If you're 30% off on all portions, eating 2,000 calories could actually be 2,600 — a 600-calorie surplus!

Fix: Buy digital kitchen scales (£10-15 on Amazon). Weigh everything for 2 weeks minimum to learn true portion sizes. Even if you eventually go back to estimating, you'll be calibrated.

Common culprits:

Peanut butter (1 tablespoon = 16g = 95 calories, but people pour 40g = 240 calories)
Cheese (eyeballed 30g often turns out to be 70g)
Cooking oils (1 tablespoon = 120 calories, easy to add 3-4 tablespoons while cooking)
Nuts (handful varies wildly, 20g vs 50g = 100 vs 300 calories)

2. Not Tracking on Weekends

The mistake: Being strict Monday-Friday, then relaxing Saturday-Sunday. "I deserve a break" or "I'll get back on track Monday."

Why it matters: Weekend overeating wipes out your weekly deficit.

The maths:

Monday-Friday: 500 calorie deficit = -2,500 calories
Saturday-Sunday: 1,000 calorie surplus each day = +2,000 calories
Weekly result: Only -500 calories = 0.07kg loss per week (should be 0.5kg)

Fix: Track weekends just as carefully as weekdays. If you want flexibility, use a "weekly calorie budget" instead of daily — save 100 calories Mon-Fri to bank 500 calories for Saturday indulgence.

3. Forgetting Liquid Calories

The mistake: Not logging drinks — coffee with milk, juice, alcohol, fizzy drinks, smoothies.

Why it matters: Liquid calories add up fast and don't fill you up like solid food.

Common offenders:

Large latte: 220 calories
Pint of lager: 180 calories
Glass of wine (250ml): 200 calories
Orange juice (250ml): 110 calories
Bottle of wine: 600 calories
Smoothie (shop-bought): 200-400 calories

Two lattes + orange juice + wine with dinner = 730 calories you might not be tracking.

Fix: Log everything liquid. Switch to black coffee, diet fizzy drinks, or sparkling water. If you drink alcohol, budget calories for it in advance.

4. Eating Back All Exercise Calories

The mistake: Gym machines or fitness trackers say you burned 500 calories, so you eat an extra 500 calories that day.

Why it matters: Fitness trackers and gym equipment overestimate calorie burn by 20-30%.

Example:

Treadmill says: 500 calories burned
Actual calories burned: 350 calories
You eat back: 500 calories
Result: +150 calorie surplus

Fix: Only eat back 50% of exercise calories (or none if you're not hungry). Treat exercise as a bonus deficit, not a free meal ticket.

5. Not Adjusting Calories as You Lose Weight

The mistake: Using the same calorie target from when you started, even though you've lost 5-10kg.

Why it matters: A 90kg person burns more calories than an 80kg person. Your TDEE decreases as you lose weight.

Example:

90kg person: TDEE = 2,400 calories
80kg person: TDEE = 2,200 calories
If you keep eating the same 1,900 calories, your deficit shrinks from -500 to -300

Fix: Recalculate your TDEE every 5kg lost. Reduce daily calories by 50-100 to maintain your deficit. Use our free TDEE calculator.

6. Choosing Wrong Database Entries

The mistake: Using user-submitted database entries that are wildly inaccurate. "Chicken breast - 1 serving" could be 100g or 300g depending on who added it.

Why it matters: Apps like MyFitnessPal rely on user-submitted data. Some entries are 50%+ wrong.

Fix: Scan barcodes for packaged foods (100% accurate). For fresh foods, choose verified entries (green checkmark in MFP) or search "USDA chicken breast" for official data. Better: use UK food scanner apps with verified databases.

7. Not Tracking "BLTs" (Bites, Licks, Tastes)

The mistake: Not logging:

Tasting while cooking
Finishing kids' meals
Handful of crisps from partner's bag
Nibbling while food prepping
Free samples at supermarkets

Why it matters: These "tiny" bites add 200-400 calories/day you're not accounting for.

Fix: Log every single thing. If you taste while cooking, add "50 calories misc" to your log. Be honest about finishing kids' leftovers (half a fish finger = 50 calories, but 3 fish fingers + chips = 300).

8. Weighing Cooked Food Instead of Raw

The mistake: Weighing chicken, rice, or pasta after cooking and logging it as the raw weight.

Why it matters: Food weight changes when cooked due to water loss/gain. This throws off your calorie count.

Example:

100g raw chicken = 165 calories (loses water when cooked, weighs ~75g)
100g cooked chicken = 165 calories (was ~135g raw)
If you log 100g cooked as "100g raw chicken," you're underestimating by ~35%

Fix: Always weigh raw (meat, rice, pasta, oats). If you must weigh cooked, search for "cooked chicken breast" specifically in your app.

9. Trusting "Healthy" Restaurant Meals

The mistake: Assuming restaurant salads, grilled chicken, or "light" options are low-calorie.

Why it matters: Restaurants use butter, oil, and sauces generously. A "healthy" grilled chicken salad can be 800+ calories.

Hidden calories:

Caesar salad: 600-800 calories (dressing = 300+ calories)
Grilled chicken with sides: 700-900 calories (oil, butter on vegetables)
Nando's "healthy" bowl: 500-700 calories (sauces, dressings)

Fix: Look up menus online before going out. Ask for dressing on the side. Assume restaurant meals are 20-30% higher calories than you'd guess. Budget extra calories for eating out.

10. Forgetting Cooking Oils and Butter

The mistake: Not logging the oil you cook with. "It's just a little oil in the pan."

Why it matters: 1 tablespoon of oil = 120 calories. Most people pour 2-3 tablespoons when frying.

Example cooking session:

Scrambled eggs: 1 tbsp butter = 100 calories
Stir fry: 2 tbsp oil = 240 calories
Roasted vegetables: 1 tbsp olive oil = 120 calories
Total untracked: 460 calories

Fix: Measure oil with a tablespoon (don't pour straight from bottle). Log it. Use spray oil for minimal calories (5-10 per spray). Invest in non-stick pans to use less oil.

11. Overestimating Your Activity Level

The mistake: Setting your activity level as "active" or "very active" when calculating TDEE, but actually being lightly active.

Why it matters: This inflates your TDEE by 200-400 calories, so you eat too much.

Reality check:

Sedentary: Desk job, minimal walking
Lightly active: Desk job + 30 min exercise 3x/week
Active: Physical job OR desk job + gym 5x/week
Very active: Manual labour + gym daily

Fix: Choose "sedentary" or "lightly active" for most people. Add exercise calories manually if needed. Better to underestimate than overestimate.

12. Not Tracking Consistently Long Enough

The mistake: Giving up after 1-2 weeks when the scales don't move. "Calorie counting doesn't work for me."

Why it matters: Water weight fluctuations mask fat loss. You might lose 0.5kg of fat but retain 1kg of water (period, carbs, salt, inflammation) — scales show +0.5kg.

Timeline reality:

Week 1: Water weight loss (1-2kg) — NOT fat
Week 2-3: Water rebounds, scales plateau — fat loss IS happening
Week 4: True fat loss becomes visible (0.5-1kg total)
Week 8+: Consistent downward trend

Fix: Track for minimum 4 weeks before judging results. Weigh yourself weekly (same day, same time). Focus on the trend, not daily fluctuations. Track measurements (waist, hips) too.

How to Diagnose Your Specific Problem

If you're not losing weight after 3+ weeks, follow this checklist:

Week 1: Double-check portion accuracy
- Weigh EVERYTHING for 7 days (even things you "usually eyeball")
- Compare your estimated portions to actual weights
- Most people discover 200-500 hidden calories here
Week 2: Track EVERYTHING (including BLTs, drinks, weekends)
- Log every taste, every drink, every weekend meal
- Be brutally honest
- Most people find another 200-400 hidden calories
Week 3: Reduce calories by 10%
- If you're truly eating your target and still not losing, reduce by 100-200 calories
- Your TDEE might be lower than calculated
- Some people have slower metabolisms due to genetics, thyroid, or previous dieting
Week 4: Check for medical issues
- If still no progress, see your GP
- Get thyroid checked (TSH, T3, T4)
- Check for PCOS, insulin resistance, or other hormonal issues

The Truth About Metabolism and "Starvation Mode"

Myth: "I'm in starvation mode — my body is holding onto fat because I'm eating too little."

Reality: Starvation mode doesn't exist in the way people think. Yes, metabolism slows slightly as you lose weight (~50-100 calories for every 10kg lost), but you don't "stop losing weight" because you're eating too little.

If you're not losing weight, you're eating at maintenance — not below it. The solution is to eat less or move more, not eat more.

Tools to Fix Your Tracking

Improve accuracy with these tools:

Digital kitchen scales: £10-15 on Amazon (absolute must-have)
Food scanner app: Scan UK barcodes for accurate data (NutraSafe, Nutracheck)
Measuring spoons: For oils, sauces, nut butters
TDEE calculator: Recalculate every 5kg lost (use ours)
Body tape measure: Track waist/hip measurements (sometimes fat loss shows here before scales)

Final Thoughts

If you're not losing weight despite "eating at a deficit," you're almost certainly making one of these 12 mistakes. The good news? They're all fixable.

Start with the top 4:

Weigh your food (stop eyeballing)
Track weekends just as carefully as weekdays
Log all liquid calories
Don't eat back all exercise calories

Fix these and you'll likely break through your plateau within 2 weeks. Weight loss is simple (calories in vs out) but precision matters. Small tracking errors compound into big problems.

Ready to track accurately? Download NutraSafe — scan UK barcodes for precise nutrition data and log meals in under 60 seconds.

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