---
title: "Why weight loss stalls: an endocrinologist explains why calories alone are not enough"
description: "Why does weight stand still despite diets and sports? Endocrinologist Elena Domanska explains that it's not just about calories. 🥗 Find out how the gut microbiome, stress, and food quality affect weight loss and why there are no universal diets. 🥦🧬"
date: 2026-08-03T13:10:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/why-weight-loss-stalls-endocrinologist-explains-why-calories-alone-are-not-enough
tags: [elena-domanskaya, rbc-ukraine, wave]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Why weight loss stalls: an endocrinologist explains why calories alone are not enough

![Two women preparing healthy food: salad and vegetable toasts, illustrating the article's theme on why calories alone are not enough for weight loss](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/03/pochemu-ves-stoit-na-meste-endokrinolog-razobralas-s-prichinami/pochemu-ves-stoit-na-meste-endokrinolog-razobralas-s-prichinami-1.webp)

Many people face a paradoxical situation: they follow a balanced diet and exercise regularly, but the weight loss process does not go as expected, or weight loss stops altogether. It turns out that the issue may not only be a caloric deficit but also deeper physiological processes.

Exclusively for the Wave RBC.UA project, endocrinologist, therapist, and clinical diagnostician Elena Domanska explained what factors to pay attention to in order to regulate metabolism and achieve the desired results.

### Quality matters more than quantity

The modern understanding of "proper nutrition" often boils down to counting calories, following trendy trends, or introducing specific "superfoods" into the diet. However, according to the specialist, there is no universal approach that would guarantee results for everyone.

The doctor emphasizes that it is critically important to evaluate not only the volume of food consumed but also its quality. Key parameters become the composition of products, their variety, and the degree of processing. The body reacts to food not just as a source of energy, but as a complex biochemical signal.

### The role of the microbiome

One of the main "conductors" of digestion is the gut microbiome. It is the communities of bacteria in the intestine that participate in the breakdown of food and the absorption of nutrients. An imbalance of the microflora can be the reason why weight does not go away even with a caloric deficit.

To maintain the health of the microbiome, Elena Domanska recommends including naturally fermented products in the diet, such as pickled vegetables. On the contrary, excessive consumption of highly processed foods can reduce the diversity of microflora, which negatively affects metabolism.

### Hidden causes of weight stagnation

If weight does not change for a long time, despite efforts, the causes may be hidden outside the kitchen. The following factors affect body weight and the speed of its reduction:

    - Hormonal background;

    - Level of physical activity;

    - Quality and duration of sleep;

    - Stress level;

    - Associated diseases.

The doctor advises in such cases not just to review eating habits, but to consult a specialist. This will help identify individual causes and select the correct approach to health.

### A healthy lifestyle without fanaticism

According to Elena Domanska, a healthy lifestyle is not strict restrictions, starvation diets, or blindly following fashion trends. It is balanced nutrition, sufficient physical activity, and, most importantly, a careful attitude towards the needs of one's own body.