"Why is my weight not going down?" Avoid these common tracking pitfalls to get the scale moving
- 4 Minute Read
Is your weight not going down, despite doing everything right? Don't give up! Here are some common food and activity-tracking pitfalls to watch out for to get the scale moving again.
Key Takeaways
- If your weight is not going down, little tracking errors might be throwing off your calorie accuracy.
- Consistent daily logging can help you spot trends, make smart adjustments, and better understand what's slowing your progress.
- Precisely tracking your activity matters, as overestimating calories burned or eating back exercise calories can hinder your weight-loss goals.
When your weight won't budge even with your best efforts, it can feel frustrating and confusing. The good news? A few simple tracking habits can help you get a handle on your intake, troubleshoot that pesky weight-loss plateau, and make informed changes to get back on track.
Weight not going down? You may be underestimating your calorie intake
Let's take a look at everyday situations that could result in underestimating what you eat each day. If you are putting in the effort and your weight won't budge, pay close attention to these common pitfalls when tracking your food.
- Logging a portion size that is smaller than what you actually ate
- Logging the wrong food item
- Forgetting to log snacks, drink swigs, and nibbles
- Logging just the "good" days
Portion sizes matter
To get the most out of tracking, learn how to measure your portions, even without measuring cups and spoons! This is especially true for calorie-dense items such as fats/oils, snacks, and alcohol.
Log the right food item
Learning to accurately search for and log the correct food can boost the accuracy of your calorie counts.
- If you cook from scratch, take advantage of MyNetDiary's Staples feature, which provides complete nutrient info for generic foods in both cooked and raw forms.
- Take the time to enter and edit your own recipes. If it is a family-favorite, you know you'll eat it again at some point, so you might as well do it ahead!
- Slow down and double-check the nutrition info. Do the calories look about right for what you're logging?
- Use the barcode scanner for packaged foods. It's a snap to find the correct item.
- Remember the PhotoFood Service feature in MyNetDiary to add new foods or request corrections for a packaged food.
Remember to log everything
To keep track without missing something, log your food as soon as you eat. If that's not possible, at least make a quick note on your smartphone so you don't forget. This is especially key when it comes to snacking! If you tend to ignore the nibbles, try pre-measuring and portioning them to know how much you eat. This habit will help you estimate calories more accurately and cut down on mindless munching.
Log. Every. Single. Day!
As a learning tool, logging helps you meet your health and weight-loss goals. Sometimes people track for a few days and then think, "I eat the same thing every day, so why bother tracking?" Fun fact: research shows that consistent tracking is a strong predictor of weight-loss success, even with similar meals! Finding the time and motivation to track daily will help you make informed choices and see real results.
Accurately tracking activity is key when your weight won't budge
Now, the flip side of the weight-loss equation: energy expenditure. Be realistic about the calories (or energy) you burn from exercising and other activities by avoiding these common pitfalls.
Select the right activity level from the get-go
MyNetDiary uses science-based energy calculations for daily activity from the Dietary Reference Intakes. To modify your activity level in the app, follow these steps:
- Go to the "Me" tab and tap on "Personal Info."
- Tap on "Physical Activity Level" and select from 4 choices.
- Read each description closely before selecting a baseline activity level so you won't accidentally overestimate your daily calorie needs.
The simplest way to avoid overestimating your calories is to set your activity level to "sedentary." This mode already accounts for everyday walking from going about your day–up to about a mile or 2000 steps a day. So, there's no need to track a quick shopping trip as exercise, as that could lead to overstating your calorie burn.
Remember that your chosen activity level should represent what you do every day. So, if you work 4 days x 10 hours on your feet, then remember to average it over 7 days/week (so, instead of "active," you might choose "light active").
Avoid logging exercise at higher intensity than what you actually do
If you manually log exercise from MyNetDiary's database, be sure to select the closest matching intensity level for your activity. For instance, for activities like running, cycling, or walking, find the speed (MPH) that matches your effort. It'll keep your logging accurate! Click here to learn how the MyNetDiary app estimates exercise and physical activity calories.
Don't log too many minutes of physical activity
It can be tricky to accurately record your minutes for sports and activities that involve a mix of effort and downtime. For example, if you're at the gym for a while for a workout, just record the time you're actively exercising. Ask another person to use a stopwatch for those weightlifting sets. You might be surprised how much time is spent resting compared to actually lifting!
Here are a few extra tips when your weight seems stuck
Enable AutoPilot in MyNetDiary
AutoPilot takes the guesswork out when it comes to your daily calorie needs to reach your goal by your target date. It adjusts your Daily Food Calorie Budget based on your current weight on any given day. If you are losing weight too slowly, AutoPilot can tweak your rate against your goal to speed things up, or slow it down if weight loss is too fast.
Adjust exercise calories under Settings
While regular physical activity is important for losing weight and keeping it off, you don't have to eat back the calories you just burned off from working out. If your weight is not going down, turn off the option "add exercise calories to the calorie budget."
If you find yourself consistently below your Daily Calorie Budget, and do not see your weight going down, it might require a fresh approach. Sometimes, people cannot lose weight despite Herculean efforts due to thyroid issues or medications that make it harder to lose weight. Consulting your doctor can help deep dive into the obstacles for your weight stall.
If you've tried everything and your weight still stalls out, consider reaching out to a registered dietitian. They can review your food logs and habits to help you figure what may be sabotaging your weight-loss efforts.
You are worth the time, energy, and effort it takes to overcome what is standing in your way of achieving your weight-loss goals. Don't lose hope!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why am I not losing weight if I'm staying under my calorie budget?
If your weight is not going down, it could be that your calorie intake is higher than you think, your activity calories are overestimated, or maybe your body needs more time to show changes. It's a good idea to revisit portion sizes, logging habits, and exercise settings, in this case.
How accurate does food logging need to be for weight loss?
Food logging does not need to be perfect, but it should be consistent and reasonably accurate, more often than not. If you pay attention to calorie-dense foods, drinks, snacks, and to portions, you can depend on calorie totals again.
Should I weigh and measure everything I eat?
There's no need to weigh and measure forever, but doing it for a little while can help you learn what portions really look like. This can be especially helpful for foods like oils, nut butters, nuts, snack foods, pasta, rice, and alcohol.
Weight Loss->Other Resources Weight Loss->Plateau (Weight Stall)
Jun 26, 2026
