Weight Loss Tips: Scale Won't Budge? Here's What to Do

By Diana Kelly

Count Every Calorie Consumed and Make Adjustments as You Go

Keeping track of every calorie matters. "People think their portion sizes are correct and sometimes they're misguided on that," says Boston-based dietitian Elizabeth Ward, MS, RD, author of MyPlate for Moms: How to Feed Yourself & Your Family Better. "Measure out peanut butter, hummus, sauces, salad dressing servings — all of those foods you've been eyeballing," she says. "Just an extra quarter cup of cereal every day could be slowing your weight loss." Find areas in your diet where you can shave calories. Just 100 calories a day can add up to 10 pounds in a year — in either direction!

And while the pounds may fall off more easily at first, keep in mind that as you approach your goal weight, you need to tighten your daily calorie intake and adjust your exercise routine as well. "When you're doing the same thing at 140 pounds that you did at 180, it's not going to work," Ward says. Weight loss and weight maintenance require constant recalibration.

Reviewed by Shira Goldenholz, MD, MPH on June 22, 2014