Why People Stall: The Physiology Of Plateaus in Weight Loss

Overview

When starting a weight loss journey, many people see quick results at first, only to hit a frustrating plateau later. This stall often happens because the body adapts to fewer calories, slows metabolism, and balances energy use to protect itself.

Understanding the physiology behind these plateaus can help you overcome them and continue progressing toward your goals.

What is a Weight-loss Plateau?

When your weight doesn’t change, you’ve reached a weight-loss plateau. Everyone who attempts to lose weight eventually reaches a weight-loss plateau. Nevertheless, because they continue to eat healthily and exercise frequently, most people are shocked when it occurs to them. Even carefully thought-out weight-loss plans can stall, which is a frustrating reality.

It’s prevalent, annoying, and discouraging. Even if they’re still cutting calories, people trying to lose weight often notice that their weight loss has slowed down or stopped.

When our weight decreases steadily for a while and then stays the same or slightly increases, it can be confusing for those of us who are developing sustainable, healthy habits around nutrition, exercise, physical activity, strength training, sleep, and stress.

This can be very discouraging and is referred to as a weight-loss plateau. To achieve our health objectives, it is critical to comprehend the science underlying why this occurs and how to overcome a weight-loss plateau.

The significance of weight-loss plateaus

A plateau in weight loss does not indicate that the changes we have made to our healthy lifestyle are ineffective. They are an essential part of our body’s process to readjust and reset if they are brought on by reaching our set-point weight.

To give our bodies time to adjust, the weight maintenance phase, also known as the weight loss plateau, is crucial. Ignoring this maintenance phase will make it extremely difficult to continue losing weight. This makes sense from an evolutionary perspective. Because there was less food available, our ancestors’ periods of weight loss typically signaled a risk of being hungry.

As a result, our body would make every effort to preserve the energy reserves we currently possess. Lowering our basal metabolic rate (BMR) accomplishes this.

BMR calculates how much energy our bodies need to function while at rest. This is the amount of energy required to carry out vital processes like breathing, heart rate maintenance, and digestion. Our bodies will become much more adept at rationing what they have to make it last longer if we lose weight. It will help our muscles move more effectively and lower our body temperature, thyroid activity, and fat oxidation (the amount of fat we burn). We use less fuel overall as a result of all these changes, which may cause a natural plateau.

Compared to people who have maintained the same weight for years, those who have lost weight have higher levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin. Additionally, higher ghrelin levels instruct our bodies to store more fat.

For our body’s metabolic rate and ghrelin signaling to return to normal, a weight-loss plateau is necessary. When our body “resets” to a new, lower set-point weight, this occurs.

Physiological and Metabolic Adjustments

Many people believe that after a few weeks or months, changes in their bodies lead to a plateau or weight gain. A diet can be adjusted according to your body. These are a few of the metabolic adaptations that can hinder weight loss or prevent weight gain.

• Decreased resting metabolism: To survive, your body burns calories day and night. Your body may go into starvation mode to survive on a calorie deficit when you’re cutting calories to lose weight.
• Decreased lean muscle mass: Losing pounds of body fat is the main objective for most people. But at the same time, you will be losing muscle, or lean tissue. If you’re losing weight rapidly, this loss may be larger. Losing a significant amount of muscle can lower your metabolism and daily caloric expenditure because muscle burns calories throughout the day.
• Hormonal changes: Losing weight may cause changes in your hormone levels. People who lose a lot of weight may have lower levels of leptin and peptide-YY, or PYY, and higher levels of ghrelin and neuropeptide Y.

When combined, these adjustments may result in consuming (taking in) more calories and burning (expending) fewer calories. Because of this, losing weight is more difficult than it was when you initially began your diet.

Simple Techniques to Break Through a Weight Loss Stall

Reduce your intake of carbohydrates

Nutrition and obesity experts are still debating whether reducing carbs gives you a “metabolic advantage” that raises your body’s calorie expenditure.

A low-carb diet might lessen appetite. As a result, you may unintentionally begin eating less, which would make it easier to resume weight loss without feeling hungry or uncomfortable.

Increase the frequency or intensity of your workouts

As you lose weight, your metabolic rate decreases. Because the metabolic rate gradually drops as weight decreases, it could be difficult to sustain weight loss. However, it has been shown that exercise can help counteract this effect.

Aerobic training works better than resistance training for reducing weight, fat, and belly fat. However, since resistance training also has many health benefits, a combination of the two might be best for overall health.

If you currently exercise, you may be able to increase your metabolic rate through boosting the frequency or intensity of your workouts or by working out an extra day or two per week. Your metabolic rate is also increased by shifting posture, fidgeting, and other similar physical activities.

Such activities are referred to as non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT. Though the amount varies greatly from person to person, NEAT can have a significant impact on your metabolic rate.

One easy way to increase your NEAT is to use a standing desk or stand up more often.

Track everything you eat

Individuals often underestimate the quantity of food they consume.

Because of this, keeping track of your caloric intake and macronutrients protein, fat, and carbohydrates can give you specific insights into how much you’re consuming. This will enable you to adjust your diet as necessary.

Just keeping a food journal could help you lose weight.

Don’t cut back on protein

Boosting your protein intake could be helpful if your weight loss efforts have stalled.

First, compared to fat or carbohydrates, protein increases metabolic rate more. This relates to the thermic effect of food (TEF), which is an increase in metabolism brought on by food digestion. 20–30% more calories are burned when protein is digested, more than twice as much as when fat or carbohydrates are consumed.

Second, protein promotes the synthesis of hormones that help curb hunger and provide feelings of fullness and satisfaction.

Control your stress

Stress frequently prevents people from losing weight. It also causes your body to produce more cortisol, which in turn encourages comfort eating and food cravings.

The “stress hormone” is cortisol. It aids in your body’s reaction to stress, but it can also lead to an increase in the storage of belly fat. Although excessive cortisol production can hinder weight loss, studies have indicated that stress management techniques can aid in weight loss.

Consider alternating periods of fasting

Recently, intermittent fasting has gained a lot of popularity. It entails fasting for extended periods of time, usually 16–48 hours. Weight loss and body fat reduction have been attributed to the practice.

Steer clear of alcohol

Your attempts to lose weight might be obstructed by alcohol.

One alcoholic beverage has no nutritional value, even though it only has about 100 calories (4 ounces (oz) of wine, 1.5 oz of hard liquor, or 12 oz of beer). Additionally, you are allowed to consume multiple drinks at once.

Alcohol also lowers inhibitions, which can cause overeating or bad food choices. For those with high levels of impulsivity, cutting back on alcohol consumption resulted in less overeating and more weight loss. Alcohol can inhibit fat burning, which can result in the accumulation of belly fat.

It might be best to abstain from alcohol entirely or to use it sparingly if your weight loss efforts have stalled.

Increase your intake of fiber

You might be able to overcome a weight loss plateau by increasing the amount of fiber in your diet. For soluble fiber—the kind that dissolves in liquid or water—this is particularly true.

First of all, soluble fiber can help you feel full and content by slowing the passage of food through your digestive system. Fiber may also help you lose weight by reducing the quantity of calories you take in from other foods.

Sip tea, coffee, or water

Certain drinks can help break a weight loss stall, but sugary drinks cause weight gain.

Plain water can increase metabolism, which may eventually lead to weight loss, especially for those who drink it before meals. It may also help people eat less. Tea and coffee aid in weight loss as well. An antioxidant called EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), which is found in green tea specifically, may help people lose weight.

Exercise’s ability to increase metabolism and burn fat can be greatly enhanced by consuming caffeinated beverages.

Make sure you get enough sleep

For optimal physical, mental, and emotional well-being, sleep is crucial. It’s also increasingly evident that sleep deprivation can cause weight gain by lowering metabolic rates and changing hormones that promote appetite and fat storage. Attempt to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night to promote weight loss and general health.

Consume veggies at every meal

The best food for losing weight is vegetables. The majority of vegetables are rich in healthy nutrients, low in calories and carbohydrates, and high in fiber. Vegetable-rich diets typically result in the biggest weight loss.

Don’t depend just on the scale

Your progress, including changes in your body composition, may not always be accurately reflected by your scale reading.

You want to lose fat, not weight. Regular exercise may help you gain muscle, which is denser than fat and occupies less space in your body. Therefore, you may be gaining muscle and losing fat while keeping your weight steady if the scale weight isn’t changing.

Additionally, there are several reasons why you might retain water, including the foods you eat. The most frequent cause, though, is hormone fluctuations that impact fluid balance, especially in females assigned at birth (FAAB).

Avoid allowing a plateau in weight loss to trigger an occurrence

Discuss alternative strategies with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if your attempts to break through a weight-loss plateau aren’t succeeding. You might want to reevaluate your weight-loss objective if you are unable to further reduce your caloric intake or increase your physical activity.

Take pride in your weight loss. Perhaps you can’t reach the number you’re aiming for. Your health has already improved as a result of your improved diet and increased exercise. Even a small amount of weight loss can help people who are overweight or obese with long-term health issues associated with their weight.

Don’t give up and resume your previous eating and exercise routines. That could cause you to regain the weight you lost. Celebrate your accomplishment and keep working to keep the weight off.

Starting Over as a Method for Breaking Through Stuckness

You can alter your lifestyle to help shift the balance back in your favor, even if any physiological adaptations are impeding your attempts to control your weight. Returning to the diet and exercise routines that initially aided in weight loss could be a first step.

Here are a few methods for doing that

• Keep a food and drink journal to determine where your calories are coming from and whether the foods you choose are as nourishing and satisfying as you thought.
• Look for changes, such as different food choices or larger portions, if you were logging at the start of your journey.
• To ensure you have wholesome options when you’re hungry, plan your meals and snacks.
• Keep track of your workouts to determine if they are as high as they were when you first began to lose weight.
• Remember that every minute improves metabolism and health, even if you are unable to maintain that level of activity.
• Technically speaking, you’re not “starting over” because you still possess the abilities you’ve been improved. On the other hand, adopting the attitude of starting over can be inspiring.

Lifestyle Decisions That Lead to Plateaus

Plateaus and regains can also be caused by changes in lifestyle behaviors in addition to physiological changes.

Some people, for instance, begin eating more calories than they did when they first began to lose weight. This is frequently the result of a return to previous eating habits. Here are some instances of how calories can rise without you realizing it.

• If you stop measuring, portions of high-calorie foods will grow larger.
• calculating calories from tastes, bites, and cooking ingredients without recording them.
• cravings that increase, particularly if you feel deprived after eating healthily for a while
• Calorie consumption during social interactions, such as going out to dinner with family or friends, or enjoying lattes or frappes
• Another possibility is that you’re getting less exercise. This is particularly likely if you started a new exercise program or greatly upped your exercise game because you were so driven to lose weight when you initially began dieting.

Long-Term Weight Management

Maintaining a healthy weight takes time. Make sure your plan is sustainable by strategizing as you proceed. Here are some pointers for typical problems.

• Plan ahead to keep cravings from throwing you off course, and eat healthily to lessen them.
• Arrange your meals and snacks in advance to prevent unpleasant surprises when you’re hungry.
• To prevent feeling deprived, incorporate your favorite foods and frequent treats into your plan.
• When you veer off course, forgive yourself and keep going. Think of it as a teaching moment.
• You should constantly be searching for new chances and challenges. Sometimes things that worked for a while don’t work anymore. You didn’t fail because of that. It indicates that it’s time to give something new a shot.

What leads to a plateau in weight loss?

During the first few weeks of weight loss, a significant drop in weight is typical. This is partly due to the fact that the body releases its stores of glycogen to supply the energy it requires when you first cut calories. The liver and muscles contain a form of carbohydrate called glycogen.

Water makes up a portion of glycogen. Consequently, weight loss that is primarily water is caused by the release of water when glycogen is burned for energy. This effect, however, is transient.

Along with fat, you also lose muscle when you lose weight. Muscle aids in maintaining your metabolism, or the rate at which you burn calories. You therefore burn fewer calories when you lose weight because your metabolism slows down.

Even if you consume the same amount of calories as before, your slower metabolism will hinder your weight loss efforts. You hit a plateau when your caloric intake and expenditure are equal.

You must either reduce your calorie intake or increase your physical activity if you want to lose more weight. Maintaining your weight loss with the same strategy that initially worked won’t result in further weight loss.

How can a Weight-loss plateau be broken?

You might have lost all the weight you could with your current diet and exercise regimen when you hit a plateau. Consider whether you want to lose more weight or if you’re content with your current weight. Your weight-loss program will need to be modified if you wish to lose more weight.

Try these strategies to break through the plateau if you’re determined to lose more weight:

Review your eating and activity logs to reevaluate your habits: Verify that you haven’t relaxed the guidelines. Examine whether you’ve been eating more processed foods, eating larger portions, or exercising less, for instance. Plateaus are a result of intermittent rule relaxation.

Reduce calories: Reduce your daily caloric intake even more, as long as you don’t go below 1,200. A daily calorie intake of less than 1,200 may not be sufficient to prevent persistent hunger, which raises the risk of overeating.

Boost your workout by completing at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, or a mix of both. According to the guidelines, you should spread out this exercise over a week. At least 300 minutes per week is advised for even more health benefits and to help with weight loss or weight maintenance.

You can burn more calories by increasing your muscle mass with exercises like weightlifting.
Include more physical activity in your day. Consider alternatives to the gym. Throughout the day, increase your overall level of physical activity. For instance, take more walks and drive less, work in the yard more, or do thorough spring cleaning. Any kind of exercise will increase your calorie expenditure.

Conclusion

A weight-loss plateau occurs when we “stall” or even gain weight while trying to lose weight.
The plateaus are necessary for long-term weight loss because no healthy, sustainable weight loss journey is linear.
According to “set-point theory,” we must give our bodies time to “reset” before we can resume weight loss.

Everybody has a different set-point weight, and it can be very difficult to go below it.
A plateau in weight loss does not imply that our efforts to adopt healthier lifestyles are ineffective.

To give our bodies time to adjust, the weight maintenance phase, also known as the weight loss plateau, is crucial.
Over time, we can reduce our set-point weight.
Your body will react by saying that’s the “new normal” after you hit your set-point weight plateau, so you can start losing weight again if you need to or want to.
Although it varies from person to person, a plateau can last anywhere from eight to twelve weeks, and during this time, we need to continue our healthy routines.

FAQs

References

• Weight loss stalled? Move past the plateau. (n.d.). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/weight-loss-plateau/art-20044615
• Willner, T. (2025, September 1). Weight-loss plateaus explained | Weight loss tips. Second Nature. https://www.secondnature.io/guides/mind/motivation/weight-loss-plateaus-explained?srsltid=AfmBOooQ9s7pKmyaIbQ8asnH-_8BToaiYZgKQLJF0-czqhOwBv0vmSHf
• Spritzler, F. (2024, February 26). 12 simple ways to break through a weight loss plateau. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/weight-loss-plateau#track-your-foods
• Stein, N. (2023, April 19). Why plateaus happen and how you can break through. Lark Health. https://www.lark.com/resources/why-plateaus-happen-and-how-you-can-break-through