We’re all familiar with the adage that if you want to lose weight, all you have to do is “eat less and move more.” It sounds simple enough, right? But if you’re one of the many people who have tried to follow this advice, you may have been frustrated when you didn’t see the number on the scale moving despite your best efforts. So, what’s the deal?
The concept of eating less and moving more to lose weight is simple in theory. However, this blanket advice fails to consider factors outside of diet and exercise that influence weight, like metabolism, hormones, genes, stress, inadequate sleep and the list goes on. To get to the bottom of why the “eat less, move more” approach to weight loss doesn’t actually work, we’ve asked nutrition experts to share their thoughts.
It’s Oversimplified
“It doesn’t take the full picture into account. Eating less and moving more is a very oversimplified approach to weight loss that doesn’t provide any real guidance” says Melissa Mitri, M.S., RD, a nutrition writer and owner of Melissa Mitri Nutrition. While eating fewer calories can lead to weight loss, there is nuance to the potential health impacts of what calories you do consume. A calorie is just a basic measure of the energy a food provides, but not all calories are created equal. Calories are part of a package that may also provide fiber, protein, fat and other nutrients that can make a significant impact on the body’s physiological response to the meal.
For example, if the majority of your calories come from ultra-processed foods and your meals are not balanced, you’re more likely to be hungry and unsatisfied, says Mitri. Rather than focusing only on the number of calories in a food, consider the overall nutritional quality. Mitri points to an older study where participants (following a low-carb or low-fat diet) were encouraged to consume more nutrient-rich vegetables and whole foods rather than cut calories. The result? Without counting calories or intentionally reducing portions, they still consistently consumed 500 fewer calories per day by focusing on filling up with nutrient-dense foods. In short, ditch the advice to just eat less and focus on calorie quality rather than calorie quantity for weight loss.
Just Exercising More Isn’t the Answer
The phrase “no pain, no gain” is commonly associated with exercise, but if you’re exercising harder and not losing weight, it may not be due to a lack of willpower. In fact, there are many factors outside your control that can impact whether exercise translates to pounds lost, and sometimes working out can actually cause weight gain. For example, our bodies are designed to resist weight loss as a survival response, so our metabolism can decrease by about 28% to make up for the calories burned during exercise. This means that even though you are putting more effort in at the gym, you might not actually reap the full benefits of that calorie burn. Not to mention that exercise can also increase appetite in some people, making it more difficult to stick to a calorie restriction. This doesn’t mean you should avoid exercise if you’re trying to lose weight (plus, regular exercise offers many health benefits aside from weight loss). However, it does mean that moving more doesn’t guarantee weight loss for everyone.
Another common side effect of working out more is that you may consciously (or unconsciously) reduce your activity for the rest of the day—especially if you’re sore. However, research has found that the potential calories burned from those non-exercise daily activities like walking the dog or taking the stairs can add up to as many as an extra 350 calories a day for adults. Losing out on that extra calorie burn from daily activities can make it seem like you’re not making any progress despite exercising more.
Deprivation Can Backfire
“For many, ‘eat less’ triggers feelings of deprivation, which can backfire”, says Lisa R. Young, Ph.D., RDN, a nutritionist in private practice and author of Finally Full, Finally Slim. “When people believe they’re being restricted, they are more likely to rebel against their plan or overeat later.” Research has found that over-restricting calories can sabotage weight-loss efforts—and may even lead to weight gain.
Like our other nutrition experts, Young agrees that focusing on the quality of your calories rather than the quantity is more important for weight-loss success. She says, “Reframe what to eat—shift toward nutrient-dense, whole foods that naturally promote satiety without the need for strict calorie limits.” In fact, sometimes adding foods to your diet may help you lose weight more effectively than removing foods. For example, are you missing the mark on fiber and need more fiber-rich foods like legumes, fruits, vegetables and whole grains? Are your snacks providing enough protein to keep you feeling satisfied until your next meal? Focusing on trying to meet your nutrient needs and help your body thrive allows you to have an additive mindset rather than a restrictive one.
It Ignores Metabolic Adaptation
Our bodies are complex systems, and some aspects of weight loss are outside of our control (something that “eat less, move more” doesn’t take into account). One of those uncontrollable factors that makes weight loss complicated is metabolic adaptation. In other words, our bodies fight to maintain their previous weight in order to survive, so our metabolism can actually slow down in response to weight loss, explains Lisa Andrews, M.Ed., RD, LD, founder of Sound Bites Nutrition. In fact, this metabolic adaptation often explains why people find themselves hitting a weight-loss plateau. This is another reason why the best strategy for weight loss is to make small adjustments to your habits that you can sustain for the long term to help you slowly lose weight over time.
Other Tips for Healthy Weight Loss
- Manage Stress: Research has found that there is a strong connection between chronic stress and weight gain. While some stress in life is inevitable, it’s important to have strategies to cope with it in a healthy way. Find outlets for stress reduction like spending time outdoors, socializing with friends, meditating or journaling.
- Get Quality Sleep: Most people need around seven to nine hours of sleep each night to feel their best. If you’re missing out on shut-eye, you’ll not only struggle with feeling sluggish during the day but it can also make it much harder to lose weight. Create a bedtime routine that you can be consistent with to help you wind down from the day and get more quality shut-eye.
- Stay Hydrated: The simple habit of drinking more water can be a helpful tool for weight loss. Not only can water replace high-added-sugar drinks, but it can also support healthy digestion and help you feel full for longer (though water should never be used as a substitute for a meal).
- Celebrate Your Successes: Reaching your goal weight isn’t a quick fix and requires sticking with diet and lifestyle changes that work for you over the long term. To keep yourself motivated, be sure to celebrate the smaller wins along the way. Instead of using food as a reward, make a list of other motivators like a new book, a relaxing soak in the bath or an outing with friends.
The Bottom Line
The advice to “eat less, move more” to lose weight has been doled out for years by friends, family and even health care providers with good intentions. Maybe you’ve even tried to follow this advice yourself, but were frustrated by the lack of results. It’s not just you—experts agree it doesn’t work. This simple adage assumes weight loss is completely within your control, failing to take into account many uncontrollable factors like genetics or metabolic adaptation. Not to mention, things outside of just diet and exercise like sleep and stress influence the number on the scale as well. This is why the best approach to weight loss will always be the one that is individualized to your specific needs and lifestyle.
