9 Surprising Reasons You're Not Losing Weight

If you're all about counting calories, you might be skimping on the protein your body needs to lose weight. According to Esther Blum, MS, RD, CDN, CNS, high-protein foods take more work to "digest, metabolize, and use, which means you burn more calories processing them." Esther says that eating adequate protein also ensures that you keep your precious muscle tissue — something that is often lost with a low-calorie diet.