20 Habits Blocking You From Losing Weight

Is weight loss just not happening, even if you’re seemingly doing everything right? “The reason for gaining weight isn't always a mystery,” says Harvard Health. “For example, you might know you've been eating more and exercising less, a potent combo that often results in extra pounds. But sometimes the cause isn't quite so obvious. And you might not be aware of many of the other factors that can contribute to weight gain.” Here are 20 habits that could be derailing your weight loss.

Poor Sleep

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Not getting at least seven hours of sleep can derail your weight loss efforts. “Research shows inadequate sleep can lead to weight gain,” says Harvard Health. “Most people need about eight hours of sleep a night, but there's a lot of variability — some people need more, some less. You can tell if you're getting enough sleep if you wake up feeling refreshed and ready to go rather than groggy and grouchy.”

Unaware of Calories

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You have to burn off more calories than you’re taking in for weight loss to happen. “Carbohydrates, fats, and proteins are the types of nutrients that have calories and are the main energy sources for your body,” says the Mayo Clinic. “No matter where they come from, the calories you eat are either converted to physical energy or stored within your body as fat.”

Too Much Stress

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Stress can undermine your weight loss efforts. “Chronic and uncontrollable stress can undermine your efforts to eat healthy, exercise, sleep, and develop healthy habits,” says USCG. “And unhealthy weight-loss patterns usually intensify the stress.”

Sedentary Lifestyle

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Sitting all day is linked to excess fat, especially around the abdomen. “Exercise can help reduce your waist circumference,” says Harvard Health. “Even if you don't lose weight, you lose visceral belly fat and gain muscle mass. Engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity most days, such as brisk walking or bicycling at a casual pace.”

Too Much Alcohol

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Drinking too much alcohol can disrupt fat-burning and prevent weight loss from happening. “The best way to control calories from drinking is to limit how much you drink,” says Mount Sinai. “Before you go out, set a limit for yourself and stick with it. It is OK to turn down a drink you do not want or refuse a top-off on your wine glass. You can skip drinking altogether and volunteer to be the designated driver.”

Eating Late At Night

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Snacking late at night is not good for your health or your waistline. “Eating later can promote a negative profile of weight, energy, and hormone markers—such as higher glucose and insulin, which are implicated in diabetes, and cholesterol and triglycerides, which are linked with cardiovascular problems and other health conditions,” Namni Goel, PhD, tells Penn Medicine News.

Not Enough Protein

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Eating enough protein is important for weight loss. “Protein is invaluable when it comes to increased fullness and satisfaction after a meal,” registered dietitian Annalise Pratt, RD, tells the Cleveland Clinic. “Knowing how to use this key nutrient as part of a balanced diet puts the odds of losing weight on your side.”

Too Much Sugar

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Too much added sugar (for example, in ultra-processed foods) can derail weight loss. “Added sugars go by a lot of different names like brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, invert sugar, lactose, malt syrup, maltose, molasses, raw sugar, sucrose, trehalose, and turbinado sugar,” says the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

Too Much Junk Food

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Junk food is bad for your health but is especially toxic when it comes to weight loss. Not only does fast food tend to be very high in calories, it also is low in nutritional benefits and packed with sodium, trans fats, and additives.

Over Exercising

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Over-exercising can backfire when it comes to weight loss. How? Spiking cortisol encourages weight gain. Sometimes, less is more.

Yo-Yo Dieting

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Jumping on the next fad diet bandwagon only to jump on something else a week later is counterproductive for weight loss. Stick to a diet you can enjoy long-term, like the Mediterranean diet.

Eating On the Go

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Eating while distracted can cause weight gain in different ways. If you’re eating in front of a screen or while commuting, it’s harder to listen to your fullness/hunger cues. Try to sit down and focus on your food, even if it’s just a snack.

Too Much Processed Foods

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Processed foods, even if they are vegan, organic, grass-fed, or anything else “healthy,” are bad for your health and your weight. Ultra-processed foods are usually packed with unhealthy ingredients and preservatives. Stick to whole foods and minimally-processed foods as much as possible.

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Skipping Meals

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Unless you are consciously intermittent fasting, skipping meals is not a good idea. “Many people skip breakfast because they're too rushed or they aren't hungry,” says Harvard Health. “Try getting up 15 minutes earlier (which means going to bed earlier so you don't sacrifice sleep time) to make time for breakfast and practice putting down your utensil or sipping water, coffee, or tea between bites.”

Eating Out

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Cooking at home gives you full control over how much you eat and what exactly is in your food. By prepping all your meals and snacks, you don’t have to rely on unhealthy choices outside. Cooking at home most of the time means you avoid the risk of consuming unhealthy ingredients.

Not Hydrating

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Water is important for weight loss. By drinking plenty of water, you may feel less hungry, plus water has no calories. Get used to drinking lots of water and avoiding sugary sodas and other calorific drinks.

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Drinking Your Calories

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Speaking of drinking your calories… try not to do it. Consume your food whole to get all the benefits of fiber, which would be lost with juicing. Avoid sodas, even ones with artificial sweeteners, as studies show they contribute to weight gain.

Unrealistic Goals

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Trying to do too much too fast can backfire. “Perhaps you'd like to be the same size you were in high school or when you got married, but that would mean dropping more than 50 pounds. Don't go there — not yet, at least,” says Harvard Health. “Set a more realistic goal of losing 5% to 10% of your weight, and give yourself plenty of time and some flexibility to reach that goal, keeping in mind that most people take at least six months to achieve that degree of weight loss.”

Fear Of Bulking Up

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Do you avoid lifting weights because you’re afraid to get too much muscle? It’s almost impossible to do that by accident, and lifting weights encourages fat-burning even when you’re not working out. Don’t be afraid of weights!

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Getting Bored

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Find a weight loss routine that keeps you interested. “Try a new form of exercise. Swim laps at a local pool; go dancing; play Frisbee,” says Harvard Health. “Finding a form of exercise that you really enjoy will make it easier to stick to an exercise routine — and incorporating new types of exercise can keep you challenged and less likely to become bored.” And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.

If you’ve been trying to lose weight but just can’t seem to make it work, it might be time to have a look at your whole lifestyle, including diet, exercise, and wellness. Certain bad habits can prevent fat-burning and encourage weight gain, but replacing them with good habits can lead to success. “Keeping extra weight off takes effort and commitment, just as losing weight does,” says Johns Hopkins Health. “Weight loss goals are reached by a combination of changes in diet, eating habits, and exercise.” Here are 20 habits you should stop in order to lose weight and keep it off forever.

Staying Up Too Late

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Sleep is very important for weight loss and fat burning. "Not getting enough sleep is also linked to weight gain," says the National Institutes of Health (NIH). "Experts recommend that adults ages 18 to 64 get 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night."

Not Tracking Food

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Use a calorie calculator and find out if you’re taking in more than you’re burning off. “If you take in more calories from food or beverages than you use during physical activity and through daily living, such as doing housework or walking to the store, your body may store some of these extra calories as fat,” says the NIH.

Too Much Healthy Food

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Healthy food still has calories—if you’re eating more than you need, it can lead to weight gain. “Unless you need that fat right now in this moment, it’s going to get stored,” registered dietitian Melanie Murphy Richter tells AARP. “It is true that excess fat has a direct line to your belly and to other places where you hold fat in your adipose tissue.”

Too Much Sugar

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Is sugar derailing your weight loss? “I don’t think we have enough evidence yet to suggest that sugar is the reason for the obesity epidemic,” cardiologist Chiadi E Ndumele, MD, MHS, tells Johns Hopkins. “But there is enough evidence to say that elevated sugar consumption is an important contributor to weight gain.”

Not Enough Walking

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You don’t have to go crazy at the gym to burn fat—just walk as much as you can. “If you’ve been pretty sedentary, start by aiming for a relatively low amount, like 3-4,000 steps a day,” sports scientist Rosaria Barreto-Ellis tells The Telegraph. “If you’re more active, figure out your average step count and focus on increasing it, as there is always room for improvement. A minimum of 10,000 steps a day is good to aim for.”

Too Much Sitting All Day

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Stay active throughout the day, even if you work out. Sitting for hours is connected to many negative health conditions and fat gain, especially abdominal fat. “The more you exercise, the more calories you’ll burn,” explains Corewell Health. “If you’re trying to lose weight, you should aim for doing cardio at least five days per week for a total of at least 250 minutes (4 hours, 10 minutes) each week.”

Not Managing Stress

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Stress can make weight loss incredibly difficult. The spike in cortisol can lead to fat being stored around the abdomen. Look into stress-management techniques like meditation.

Too Much Snacking

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Snacking can lead to taking in excess calories. “Too much snacking can reduce hunger at meal times or cause one to skip a meal entirely, which increases the risk of losing out on important nutrients,” says Harvard Health.

No Exercise

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The more you move, the more calories you burn and the more weight you will lose. “Aim to exercise most days of the week,” says the Mayo Clinic. “For even more health benefits, strive for 300 minutes a week or more of moderate aerobic activity or 150 minutes of vigorous activity.”

Indoors Too Much

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Get outside into the fresh air—it’s good for your weight loss and mental health. Hiking is a great way to work out while enjoying nature. “Try to vary the intensity,” physiotherapist Esther Fox, PhD, tells The Telegraph. “Walk fast for half an hour and add in some hills if you can. As well as benefiting cardiovascular function, you’ll also be producing endorphins and boosting your mental health while increasing muscle density and improving your balance and coordination. For extra motivation I recommend using your phone or something like a Fitbit or Apple Watch to track your steps every day.”

Not Eating Vegetables

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Vegetables are important for health and weight loss. “Foods that contain a high amount of fiber without a corresponding spike in blood sugar are ideal for satiation,” Dr. Shaun Kennedy, ND, tells Sonoran University of Health Sciences. “Your best bet is to stick with foods that have a high level of micronutrients to accompany the fiber-like kale, spinach, arugula, watercress, broccoli, and cauliflower, as examples. These types of vegetables are ideal for weight loss because when eaten in large quantities, they can help to activate the stretch receptors in your stomach that will tell your brain you’re full.”

Not Eating Healthy Fats

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Cutting down on processed carbohydrates and eating more healthy fats can help with weight loss. “The theory is that by eating so many healthy fats and restricting carbohydrates, you enter an altered metabolic state in which you force your body to begin relying on fat for energy, burning away your fat stores instead of sugar for fuel,” says Harvard Health.

Calorie Deficit

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If you’re not in a calorie deficit, you won’t see results. “In general, if you cut about 500 calories a day from your usual diet, you may lose about ½ to 1 pound a week,” says the Mayo Clinic. “But this can vary depending on your body, how much weight you want to lose, your gender and activity level.”

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No Cardio

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Cardio can help burn hundreds of extra calories. “Cardio’s role in helping you shed pounds is burning calories,” says Beaumont Health. “The more you exercise, the more calories you’ll burn. If you’re trying to lose weight, you should aim for doing cardio at least five days per week for a total of at least 250 minutes (4 hours, 10 minutes) each week.”

Crash Dieting

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Crash dieting is terrible for your health and can undermine your weight loss. Make sure you’re eating enough calories to fuel your workouts. This way, you can build muscle and burn fat.

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You Don’t Lower Calories

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Remember, as you lose weight, your calorie needs will change, too. “If you continue to eat the same amount that helped you lose those first few pounds, your weight loss will naturally slow because your calorie deficit will get smaller as your weight goes down,” says the American Institute for Cancer Research. “This can be discouraging, but by setting realistic expectations, being patient, and combining physical activity with eating less, you can be successful.”

Mindlessly Eating

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If you find yourself mindlessly snacking, intermittent fasting might help. “Intermittent fasting contrasts with the normal eating pattern for most Americans, who eat throughout their waking hours,” neuroscientist Mark Mattson tells Johns Hopkins Health. “If someone is eating three meals a day, plus snacks, and they’re not exercising, then every time they eat, they’re running on those calories and not burning their fat stores.”

Not Enough Protein

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Eating protein is important for weight loss. “Increasing the amount of protein you eat can help reduce the buildup of harmful fats in your body, especially around your belly (abdomen),” says the Cleveland Clinic. “Protein is used to build muscle, so it can also help prevent muscle loss as you shed pounds.”

Avoiding Weight Training

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Strength training can give your weight loss a major boost, so don’t be afraid of weights. “If you’re building muscle, you’ll be burning fat, even though your weight is the same or even if it goes up a bit,” endocrinologist and obesity specialist Marcio Griebeler, MD, tells the Cleveland Clinic. “If you have more muscle, I can guarantee you your metabolic rate is up, and you’re burning fat. And you’ll be overall healthier, regardless of whether you’ve hit that weight number that you’re looking for.”

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Not Thinking Long-Term

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Remember—it’s best to develop healthy habits that last a lifetime. “We don’t want people to restrict, thinking, I can’t have this,” Adam Goldstein, MD, tells AARP. “You can have almost anything you want, in moderation… That’s the real key. Anyone can lose weight. The question is, can anyone keep weight off?" And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.

Have you tried every diet out there but still can't seem to keep the weight off? You're stuck in a cycle of restrictive eating, temporary results, and inevitable rebound. But according to one expert, the problem isn't your willpower—it's your blood sugar.

Jessie Inchauspé, known to her followers as the Glucose Goddess, is a biochemist who's challenging everything we think we know about weight loss. With over 1.3 million YouTube subscribers and a New York Times bestselling book, she's revealing why traditional dieting advice might be making your weight loss journey harder than it needs to be. Read on to discover the science-backed approach that could finally help you break free from the dieting cycle.

The Weight Loss Industry's Billion-Dollar Mistake

The multi-billion dollar diet industry has built its fortune on quick fixes and restrictive eating plans. "When I wrote my first book in 2022, even though my focus was never to help people lose weight, my publishers wanted me to put weight loss or lose weight on the cover because they know that it sells," Jessie reveals in her video podcast. But this obsession with quick results is exactly what's keeping people trapped in the weight loss cycle.

The Hidden Reason You Can't Stop Eating

What if your food cravings weren't about lack of willpower? "When we are on a glucose rollercoaster, after every glucose spike, there is a glucose dip, and this dip activates the craving center in our brain that tells us to go find some cookies, some chocolates, some chips," Jessie explains. This insight reveals why traditional diets often fail—they don't address the underlying blood sugar issues driving your hunger.

Why Your Body Fights Against Weight Loss

The real problem goes deeper than calories. "The reason that fat burning is important is not because it's going to make you lose weight. It's because if you're able to burn fat for fuel, it means that you are metabolically flexible," Jessie emphasizes. Without this flexibility, your body remains stuck in a cycle of constant hunger and energy crashes.

The Truth About Constant Hunger

If you're always hungry, there's a scientific reason: "People who are not very metabolically flexible, who rely mostly on glucose for fuel all the time, they're hungry every two hours. They get what's called low blood sugar. And if their meals are delayed or if they don't have a snack with them in their car, they can get really shaky and nauseous," Jessie explains. This constant need for food isn't normal—it's a sign your body isn't working efficiently.

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The Three Keys to Natural Weight Loss

When you focus on blood sugar stability, three powerful changes occur: "The reduction in cravings, the reduction in hunger, and the increase in burning fat for fuel," says Jessie. These changes create the perfect environment for natural, sustainable weight loss.

Why Quick-Fix Diets Make Everything Worse

"I think if your main focus is losing weight at all costs as quickly as possible, that often leads to very habits that are not sustainable, and that can actually be worse for your health and cause damage," Jessie warns. "Do not succumb to any of the crazy diets promising you fast, 10-pound in two-day weight loss. That's not what we're here for."

The Simple Changes That Transform Your Body

Instead of strict rules, Jessie advocates for easy, sustainable habits: "The hacks that I share are sustainable, easy partners that you take along with your days and your weeks and your months and your years and do whenever you can," she explains. "They don't ask you to count any calories. They don't ask you to cut out any food groups. They just teach you about what molecules are in your food and when, how, and what combination to eat your food."

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How to Break Free from Food Guilt

The beauty of this approach is its flexibility. "I like to say that they're a little bit like drink water and brush your teeth. If you can't do them one day, one week, one month, it's not a big deal," Jessie shares. "The point is not you do everything right or you're not doing it at all. It's purely take the principles with you and do them when it is easy."

The Science-Backed Results

The proof lies in the research. In a study of 2,700 people following Jessie's method for just four weeks, "90% of participants were less hungry, 89% reduced their cravings, 77% had more energy," she reports. Most importantly, 38% of those wanting to lose weight succeeded—without following a restrictive diet.

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Your Path to Sustainable Weight Loss

The most profound changes go beyond the scale. "What they had been after for a very long time was not necessarily weight loss, it was actually just to feel good in their body, to have a clear brain, to be happy to wake up in the morning with energy, to not feel so addicted to sugar all the time," Jessie reveals. By understanding and stabilizing your blood sugar, you can finally achieve the sustainable weight loss that has eluded you—without the struggle of traditional dieting. And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.

"I had never experienced an exercise high in my life, and I couldn't imagine living without bread, rice, and noodles," confesses Richa Prasad. After years of failed diets and a medical scare, she discovered that sustainable weight loss didn't require the intense lifestyle changes she'd been attempting.

Meet Richa, who, along with Lucy Liang, founded Coach Viva—a company helping people lose weight through simple, sustainable habits. Her approach? Work smarter, not harder. Here's how she lost 20 pounds using three surprisingly simple habits that finally stuck.

Why Your Past Weight Loss Attempts Failed

"There was a secret part of me that felt weight loss was something to get over with—like I was dragging behind in a race," Richa explains in her post. This mindset led to a cycle of intense starts and disappointing stops.

"Look at your lean friends," she says. "They aren't doing anything intense. But I kept trying to catch up to them with unsustainable plans, only to fall behind and regain the weight."

The First Lazy Habit That Changed Everything

After booking a personal trainer and dedicating months to exercising, Richa learned a crucial truth: "Physical movement contributes just 20% to our metabolic rate—and only 5% comes from structured exercise."

Instead of intense workouts, she focused on simple movement. "Even if you went to the gym for two hours, it doesn't compensate for 14 hours of sitting," she explains. "Adding a little more movement every day compounds to a big metabolic boost."

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A Realistic Movement Plan Anyone Can Follow

"Start by checking your average daily steps," Richa advises. "If it's below 6,000, that's your sufficient goal. Set an upper goal 1,000 steps higher for high-motivation days."

The beauty of this approach? "Because this isn't intense, my hunger levels didn't spike, so sticking to my nutrition plan was way easier. When I'm walking, I'm not mindlessly snacking, and the bar is set low enough that it minimizes the all-or-nothing thinking."

The Second Habit That Made Food Choices Simple

"With so much conflicting nutrition information out there, figuring out what to eat can feel like navigating a minefield," Richa acknowledges. Instead of eliminating food groups, she developed three simple rules:

1. "Drink one glass of water before eating. Early stages of dehydration manifest as hunger, not thirst."
2. "Have one palm-sized amount of lean protein first. It causes the highest metabolic rate of any macro."
3. "Use a half-cup-sized bowl for everything else. This gives your brain time to catch up with your stomach."

The Final Habit That Sealed Her Success

After testing 33 different sleep hacks, Richa discovered the key to maintaining her new habits: consistent sleep. "Your body doesn't understand the concept of a weekend," she explains. "All it wants is predictability."

Her three-step sleep routine:

• Wake up at the same time daily—even on weekends.
• Get immediate morning sunlight.
• Keep phones out of the bedroom.

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Why These Habits Actually Stick

"Weight loss is like a domino effect," Richa concludes. "You tip one small domino, triggering a chain reaction leading to massive results." By focusing on these simple, "lazy" habits rather than extreme measures, she found sustainable success that lasted—without feeling deprived or exhausted.

"The start-stop approach unsurprisingly caused poor weight loss, but these habits? They're so simple I actually kept them. And that made all the difference." And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.