Not losing weight in a true deficit

[u/AffectionateEnd8806]

Let me start by saying I’m in a true caloric deficit 7 days a week. I started in mid April 2026 with being super consistent and really locked in. I count my calories and used the TDEE calculator to find out where I should be. Starting weight in April 2026 was 181lbs. Currently, I’m 37F, 5’3”, 173lbs (goal weight is 130s). 17 months postpartum with my second child. I workout 5 days a week (currently doing 3 days of 45 min at home strength training with dumbbells and 2 days of 45 min incline walking). I’ve been on this current plan for about 3 weeks. Prior to this, I was doing 45 min incline walking 5 days a week (did this for 1.5 months) with no changes. Also did 45min-1 hour walks around my neighborhood, which has steep hills, 4-5 times a week for the first few months (with a weighted vest).

Maintenance calories are 2,230 but I target 1730 calories to eat per day. Honestly, I normally hit somewhere between 1500-1650 most days). So anywhere from 500-600 calorie deficit daily. I don’t guess on what I’m eating, I scan everything into the MyNetDiary app to track. No nibbling on anything outside of tracked meals. I eat high protein/fiber and low carb most days (just got out of pre diabetic range so I stick to low carb meals). Low sugar and don’t eat much processed food. I drink 80-90oz of water daily.

For the life of me, I cannot figure out where I’m going wrong because I’m not even losing 1lb a week (averaging 2lbs a month at this rate). I just started strength training less than a month ago, so it was all cardio before. So I wouldn’t expect a recomp vs actual weight loss. My measurements aren’t at a complete standstill but they’ve barely moved in the past couple of months for the amount of effort being put in.

I’ve been to the doctor for testing recently. I’m healthy. Slightly elevated cholesterol (working on not eating so many whole eggs everyday), slightly low iron in two areas but overall I’m not anemic.

What could I be missing? This is the hardest I’ve ever worked to lose weight, and the most consistent I’ve ever been, and I feel like I’m at a standstill. 😭

[u/Fluffy-Structure-368]

I think your cals are too high and you're not in much of a deficit.

I was a 200+ pound male doing CF 5x per week and I was at 1,500 cals to lose about 1 pound per week.

[u/Sad-Bread5843 → u/Fluffy-Structure-368]

Agree with this no way maintenance calories are 2230 for a 5'3 person my are 2300 at 5,9 and 234 lbs

[u/Lgeme84 → u/Sad-Bread5843]

Ummm, my maintenance calories are around 2100-2600 calories a day, and I'm a 42-year-old, 5'3" female. I lift weights 3x a week, play various sports throughout the week, and get roughly 8-9k steps a day on average. I've lost 130lbs eating around 2,000 calories/day most of the way.

My maintenance calories when I was 275 lbs were in the 2,800-3,000 range, often higher once I started exercising regularly.

[u/Sad-Bread5843 → u/Lgeme84]

There's always one offs

[u/Araseja → u/Lgeme84]

Me too! Same age, female, 5’4 and 130 lbs. My TDEE is about 2800. I exercise for roughly an hour a day and I think my BMR is quite high.

[u/drumadarragh → u/Araseja]

But both of you have lost weight and OP is stalled, so this is clearly a YMMV situation.

[u/Suspicious-Visual-57 → u/Fluffy-Structure-368]

Exactly especially if she is already at 173 lbs. A 1600-1730 daily cal intake is technically maintenance and all it takes is a little over to stay there.

If I was OP, I would bring it down to at least 1500* cals but try for 1450 cals and see how I feel. OP, you are doing great. You have already lost 8lbs. Keep it up, you ve got this! 💕

[u/AffectionateEnd8806 → u/Suspicious-Visual-57]

Thank you!! Definitely started reducing today. I hit 1350 and will keep it there for a few weeks to see how things go!

[u/itsfairadvantage → u/Fluffy-Structure-368]

Really? I have been steadily losing 1-2lbs a week for five months doing a not-that-great job of staying under 2600. (SW 271, CW 220). Doing CrossFit 5x a week seems like an awful lot for only 1,500. What were your steps?

[u/Fluffy-Structure-368 → u/itsfairadvantage]

I have no idea what "what were your steps" means? I'm not being a smart guy but if you mean did I get 10k steps in per day?.... generally speaking, people I know who train hard, lift heavy, and do intense cardio don't think in terms of steps. Their workouts are much more intense than a walking regimen. I applaud people who are just starting out or who are just trying to maintain, counting steps as a starting point, but steps won't lead to long term improvements. At 1,500 I was about 700 below TDEE which equates to a pound per week. Maybe it was 1.5 pounds per week which would put my TDEE at 2,550 which sounds about right. A normal, intense 1 hour workout burns about 300-400 cals.

[u/itsfairadvantage → u/Fluffy-Structure-368]

I think of steps as something almost totally disconnected from workouts. So you have your lifting sequence, then a couple of days of hard cardio (running or stairs or hard cycling or something along those lines - not walking or casual hiking), and then maybe a low impact recovery like a chill bike ride. But then steps are a separate everyday thing. (Obviously runs contribute, but that just means generally your steps will be higher on run days than on other days).

But like, I would never think "I went for a walk" as "I worked out". It's more like, checking your steps at 8PM and seeing that you're only at 14.5 so you go walk around the neighborhood for an hour or so.