Weight Loss Plateau
Introduction
When you reach a weight-loss plateau, your weight doesn’t change since your caloric intake and expenditure are identical. Anyone attempting to lose weight, including those who are eating healthily and exercising frequently, may experience this.
People may begin to lose weight steadily when they stick to a diet and exercise regimen. Nevertheless, despite dietary adjustments and physical activity, many people experience a weight reduction plateau, where their weight remains constant.
When people reach a weight reduction plateau, they may become disappointed and give up on their weight loss plan.
The majority of individuals know that to lose weight, they must burn more calories than they consume. However, behavioral, hormonal, and environmental factors are just a few of the many other factors that affect weight reduction.
Learn more about the causes of weight loss plateaus and strategies for overcoming them by reading on.
You’ve been putting a lot of effort into improving your fitness routine and maintaining a nutritious, low-calorie diet. And seeing your weight decrease and feeling healthier have been your rewards. But now, for no apparent reason, the scale has ceased to move. Your weight loss efforts have plateaued.
Try not to give up. It’s common for weight loss to plateau or even slow down. You may choose how to react and prevent reverting to your new, healthy habits by knowing what causes a weight-loss plateau.
Because your body is using all the energy it has saved for fuel, you may lose a lot of weight in the first few weeks of weight reduction. This causes your body to lose water as well.
- Weight loss usually stabilizes at a slower pace after this.
- After this first phase, a healthy weight reduction is typically no more than 0.5 kg to 1 kg, or 1 IBM to 2 lb, per week.
Considering how much weight you shed in the first week or two, this may seem disheartening. However, you will be 26 kg, or almost 4 stone, lighter at the same time the next year if you lose 0.5 kg every week for a year.
We assume that weight loss will occur gradually. However, in practice, advancement is halted by religious festivals, life events, or holidays.
You’re doing great if you can continue to lose weight through these circumstances and then begin to lose weight again.
Is a plateau in weight loss typical?
Plateaus can be discouraging and upsetting, especially if you’ve invested a lot of time and energy into weight loss. However, they are typical.
Glucose, or blood sugar, is the main and preferred energy source for your body. It serves as the fuel for all of your cells.
Your body saves glucose for later use when it doesn’t require it for energy right away. Glycogen is the “storage form” of glucose. Additionally, your muscles and liver store the majority of your glycogen.
Your body turns glycogen back into glucose for energy when you reduce your calorie intake. There is a lot of water in glycogen. Actually, for every gram of glycogen, three grams of water are bound.
Early in our weight reduction efforts, we get lighter on the scale, which can be explained by the fact that we urinate out this extra water.
A weight-loss plateau: what is it?
When your weight doesn’t change, you’ve reached a weight-loss plateau. Everybody who attempts to lose weight ultimately finds themselves at 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 might stall, which is a frustrating truth.
What causes plateaus?
Despite sticking to a diet and exercise routine, a person will stop losing weight when they hit a weight loss plateau. After roughly six months of sticking to a low-calorie diet, research indicates that weight loss plateaus occur.
Although the exact cause of weight reduction plateaus is unknown to doctors, various possibilities include:
- The body adjusts to losing weight and protects itself against losing more.
- After a few months, people stop sticking to their diets because if they lose weight quickly, their metabolism slows down.
- The experts that conducted a study on the subject, however, concluded that while a person’s metabolism may alter as they lose weight, this does not account for the occurrence of a weight loss plateau.
They think that when someone stops following their diet plan, they reach a weight reduction plateau.
Modifications to the makeup of the body
Your body weight is primarily made up of your muscle mass and fat mass. Losing weight is a result of both factors.
However, the metabolic activity of muscle mass is significantly higher. Thus, compared to fat mass, muscle mass consumes more energy.
Upon reflection, this makes sense. Almost everything you do involves using your muscles, from brushing your teeth to brewing a cup of tea.
It can be difficult or even impossible to follow a low-calorie or restrictive diet plan every day. Early weight loss plateaus may result from subtle, unintentional changes in daily caloric intake.
The cause of weight reduction plateaus has to be investigated further. We discuss a few strategies for overcoming them below.
Fat does require energy to sustain, even though muscle has a far higher metabolic activity. This implies that your body will use less energy when you reduce fat, particularly muscle.
Therefore, the amount of energy you require fluctuates as your body becomes used to a reduced weight.
A weight reduction plateau could occur if your caloric intake exceeds your new energy requirements. But weight is much more complex than a straightforward calorie computation.
Begin keeping a food journal.

Although it can be time-consuming, keeping track of meals and snacks can yield insightful information.
According to research, people frequently greatly underestimate how much calories or energy they consume. People can adjust their eating and drinking habits once they are completely conscious of them and know where their extra calories are coming from.
Over 50% of participants in a previous study underreported their food intake, according to the study’s authors. These individuals possessed:
- Greater BMI (body mass index)
- higher perceived stress levels, more visceral fat, and increased fat mass
- a greater proportion of protein-based energy and decreased calcium, fiber, iron, vitamin B-1, and vitamin B-6 levels
- less fruit and veggie portions
People can know exactly how many calories they are consuming by utilizing a food tracker app or by keeping a food diary.
Certain trackers even indicate if a person is consuming too much or too little of a specific macronutrient, like fat or carbohydrates.
Alcohol and sugary snacks should be consumed in moderation or not at all to reduce the consumption of empty calories that have no nutritious value.
- Make your workouts more frequent or more intense.
- Exercise can increase metabolism by helping people maintain their weight and gain muscle. A person’s age and weight are two of the many variables that determine how much exercise they need.
Adults should engage in at least 150–300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise or 75–150 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity activity, according to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.
For many people, maintaining their body weight requires more than 150 minutes of moderate activity every week.
Additional benefits may be experienced by those who undertake moderately intense muscle-strengthening exercises and participate in more than 300 minutes of moderate physical activity each week.
A person’s level of fitness will increase as they begin to exercise and follow a diet. They might eventually get to the point where they are fit enough to move on to more strenuous activities. To continue seeing results, a person may need to modify the intensity of their workout during their weight loss journey.
Breaking past a weight loss plateau can be facilitated by implementing gradual, moderate changes in activity level.
Decrease tension

Reducing stress has been linked to weight loss, according to studies.
Researchers tracked two groups of obese individuals in one study. One group took part in a stress management program and received guidance on leading a healthy lifestyle, whereas the other group just got the advice.
The BMI of the participants in the stress management group decreased more than that of the participants in the control group.
The study’s stress-reduction techniques included: Gradual muscular relaxation, guided visualization, and diaphragmatic breathing.
Rest well.

According to a study published in the International Journal of Obesity, getting the recommended amount of sleep enhanced weight loss results.
Waist circumference alterations were less pronounced in those who slept for less than six hours each night than in those who slept for seven to nine hours.
A person may be able to overcome a weight reduction plateau by increasing the quantity and quality of their sleep.
What leads to a plateau in weight loss?
A sharp decline in weight is common in the initial weeks of weight loss. This is partially because when you first reduce calories, the body releases its glycogen stores to provide the energy it needs. One kind of carbohydrate that is present in the liver and muscles is glycogen.
Water makes up a portion of glycogen. Consequently, weight loss which is primarily water is caused by the release of water when glycogen is burnt for energy. This impact, however, is transient.
Along with fat, you also lose muscle as you lose weight. Muscle aids in maintaining your metabolism, or the rate at which you burn calories. Your metabolism therefore slows down when you lose weight, which results in you burning fewer calories than you did when you were heavier.
Even if you consume the same amount of calories as before, your slower metabolism will hinder your weight loss efforts. When your calorie intake and expenditure are the same, you reach a plateau.
You must either reduce your calorie intake or increase your physical activity if you want to shed more weight. Maintaining your weight loss using the same strategy that initially worked won’t result in more weight loss.
- Strategies to accelerate weight loss
- You require less energy (fewer calories) to sustain a lower body mass as you lose weight. You might cease losing weight for this reason as well.
- You might think about changing the kinds or quantities of food you eat if you want to start losing weight again.
This might consist of:
- Eating more substantial foods that are rich in protein and fiber.
- Cutting back on the amount of food on your plate.
- Increasing your level of activity can also assist you keep off the weight.
For a few days, think about maintaining a diet and activity journal. Make use of this to find minor, long-lasting adjustments that suit you.
How can a weight-loss plateau be broken?
You could have lost all the weight you could with your current diet and exercise regimen when you hit a plateau. Consider whether you want to shed more weight or whether you’re content with your current weight. Your weight-loss regimen will need to be modified if you wish to shed additional weight.
Try these strategies to break through the plateau if you’re determined to lose more weight:
Review your routines. Examine your past eating and activity logs. Verify that you haven’t relaxed the guidelines. Examine whether you’ve been eating more processed meals, consuming greater portions, or exercising less, for instance. According to research, intermittent rule relaxation is a factor in plateaus.
- Reduce your calorie intake. Reduce your daily caloric intake even further, 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.
- Get your workout going. Every week, engage in 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 activity across 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 undertake thorough spring cleaning. Any kind of exercise will increase your calorie expenditure.
Avoid allowing a plateau in weight reduction to trigger an avalanche.
Discuss alternative strategies with your healthcare physician or a trained 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 improve your physical activity. Take pride in your weight loss. Perhaps you can’t reach the amount you’re aiming for.
Your health has already improved as a result of your healthier diet and greater 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 food and workout routines. You might gain back the weight you lost as a result of that.
12 Easy Strategies to Get Past a Weight Loss Stall
At first, weight usually falls off rather quickly, but eventually, it may feel like your weight won’t go away. But there are a few tactics that might help you start losing weight again.
Reaching your ideal weight might be challenging. A weight loss plateau or stall is the inability to continue losing weight after an initial period of rapid and successful weight loss. This can be depressing and upsetting.
These twelve suggestions will help you get off a weight loss rut.
Reduce your intake of carbohydrates.
Experts in nutrition and obesity continue to argue about whether cutting carbohydrates results in a “metabolic advantage” that increases your body’s calorie expenditure.
However, there is some evidence that a low-carb diet can help people feel less hungry. You might unconsciously start eating less as a result, which would make it simpler to start losing weight again without experiencing any discomfort or hunger.
Make your workouts more frequent or more intense.
As you lose weight, your metabolic rate decreases. It may be challenging to maintain weight loss when weight decreases due to the gradual decrease in metabolic rate.
Exercise, however, has been demonstrated to help offset this effect.
According to research, aerobic training is superior to resistance training for reducing weight, fat, and abdominal fat. Nevertheless, a mix of the two may be optimal for general health because resistance training also offers numerous health advantages.
Increasing the frequency or intensity of your exercises, or working out an additional one or two days a week, may assist raise your metabolic rate if you currently exercise.
Additionally, fidgeting, shifting posture, and other comparable physical activities raise your metabolic rate.
NEAT, or non-exercise activity thermogenesis, is the term for these kinds of activities. Although the amount varies greatly from person to person, NEAT can have a considerable impact on your metabolic rate.
Standing up more frequently, including by using a standing desk, is a simple method to raise your NEAT.
Keep a record of everything you eat.
According to research, people frequently underestimate how much food they consume.
Because of this, keeping track of your caloric intake and macronutrients—protein, fat, and carbohydrates—can provide you with specific insights into how much you’re consuming. This will enable you to adjust your diet as necessary.
Furthermore, it has been suggested that simply keeping a meal journal could help you lose weight.
This article reviews several easy-to-use websites and applications for monitoring your nutrient consumption.
Don’t cut back on protein.

Increasing your protein intake could be helpful if your weight loss efforts have halted. First, compared to fat or carbohydrates, protein increases metabolic rate higher.
This relates to the thermic effect of food (TEF), which is an increase in metabolism brought on by meal 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 term “stress hormone” refers to 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 reduction, 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 going for extended periods—usually 16–48 hours—without eating.
Although more research may be required to confirm this, the method has been linked with encouraging weight and body fat decrease.
That being stated, you may discover six distinct approaches to intermittent fasting here.
Avoid booze.

Alcohol may be hindering your attempts to lose weight.
One alcoholic beverage has no nutritional benefit even if it only has about 100 calories (4 ounces (oz) of wine, 1.5 oz of strong liquor, or 12 oz of beer). Additionally, you are allowed to consume multiple drinks at once.
A further issue is that alcohol lowers inhibitions, which can cause overeating or bad dietary choices. Reducing alcohol use was associated with less overeating and more weight loss among individuals with high levels of impulsivity, according to a study of 283 adults who finished a behavioral weight loss program.
Additionally, studies have demonstrated that alcohol might inhibit fat burning and contribute to the buildup of belly fat.
It could be preferable to abstain from alcohol entirely or to use it sparingly if your weight loss efforts have stopped.
Increase your intake of fiber.

You might be able to overcome a weight loss stall 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. Find out 22 foods high in fiber that you should eat and how fiber can help you lose abdominal fat.
Sip tea, coffee, or water.

Certain drinks can assist break a weight reduction halt, but sugary drinks cause weight gain.
Plain water has been shown to increase metabolism, which may eventually lead to weight loss, particularly for people who drink it before meals, which may help them eat less.
Tea and coffee may also aid in your weight loss. An antioxidant called EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), which is found in green tea specifically may help people lose weight.
Furthermore, studies indicate that drinking caffeinated beverages can greatly increase the benefits of exercise for increasing metabolism and burning fat.
Get enough rest.
For optimal physical, mental, and emotional well-being, sleep is crucial.
It’s becoming more evident that sleep deprivation can cause weight gain by lowering metabolic rates and changing hormones that promote appetite and fat accumulation.
Aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night to promote weight loss and general wellness.
Include vegetables in all of your meals.

Vegetables are the finest food for weight loss.
The majority of veggies are rich in healthy nutrients, low in calories and carbohydrates, and high in fiber. Studies have shown that diets high in veggies tend to result in the biggest reductions in weight.
This collection of nutritious, low-carb vegetables can be served at mealtimes.
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.
Your objective is fat loss, not weight loss. 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 decreasing fat while keeping your weight steady if the scale weight isn’t changing.
Additionally, there are several reasons why you could 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).
Here are a few methods to assist you reduce water weight.
Conclusion
Plateaus in weight reduction can be discouraging and frustrating.
Nonetheless, they are a common aspect of losing weight. In actuality, almost everyone stalls at some time during their weight loss process.
You can safely reach your target weight and start losing weight again by using a few tactics. Although they can be discouraging, weight reduction plateaus are frequently a typical aspect of the process.
They can occur for a variety of reasons, but they can be overcome. Here are some tactics to consider:
- Changing up your exercise routine
- Selecting foods that prolong feelings of fullness
- Changing your diet in additional sustainable ways
- Controlling stress
- improving the quality of sleep
- In general, it’s critical to keep in mind that weight is just one indicator of health.
FAQs
How can one overcome a weight loss plateau?
Review your routines. Examine your past eating and activity logs.
Reduce your calorie intake. Reduce your daily caloric intake as well, as long as you don’t go below 1,200.
Get more out of your workout.
Include more physical activity in your day.
Are plateaus in weight loss permanent?
Weight loss advice An explanation of weight-reduction plateaus
Although it could be difficult, your body will require some time to acclimate to a new weight after you’ve reached your set-point plateau. Your body will react as though that’s the “new normal” after you’ve set a new set point, so you can start losing weight again if you need to or want to.
Why, even with exercise and a calorie deficit, am I not losing weight?
Despite their popularity, calorie shortages have disadvantages, including potential harm to the metabolism and heightened desire. You and your healthcare team may want to look at several things, such as your exercise level, underlying medical issues, and food choices if you’re not losing weight in a calorie deficit.
Will my plateau be broken by a cheat day?
To prevent bloating, cheat meals are usually introduced during the day. For instance, someone may eat oats at lunch as part of their diet, but they are free to eat anything they want as long as they don’t overindulge during a cheat meal. Since they aid in breaking the plateau, cheat meals are a necessary component of every diet.
Is the plateau in weight reduction a myth?
Losing weight is a complicated process that involves dietary adjustments, exercise, and other behavioral changes. After a time of consistent weight loss, people who are trying to reduce weight often hit a painful plateau where their progress stops.
What is the duration of my weight reduction plateau?
To begin with, it’s helpful to know when they begin. According to a 2014 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, six months after beginning a low-calorie diet, weight-loss plateaus usually appear. Weight-loss plateaus may last a minimum of four weeks—and other reports indicate they can even last months.
How can I tell if my weight loss efforts have plateaued?
You can tell when you’ve hit a plateau because, no matter how closely you follow your new diet or exercise routine, you stop losing weight. You can also experience a decrease in your energy levels. Your metabolism slows down and retains every calorie, which is why this occurs.
Can a plateau in weight reduction be broken by increasing water intake?
Boost your water intake.
Water helps speed up metabolism, which is another reason why you might eat less, even though you usually do. Your system works out and burns calories more effectively. One more major issue? Strange, huh? Drinking more water helps your body stop retaining it.
How do you get your body to stop plateauing?
12 Easy Ways to Break Through a Weight Loss Plateau: Reduce carbohydrates, increase exercise, monitor your diet, eat protein, manage stress, try fasting, abstain from alcohol, and increase fiber.
Reference
- 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
- Spritzer, F. (2024, February 26). 12 simple ways to break through a weight loss plateau. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/weight-loss-plateau#bottom-line
- Dietitian, V. T. R. (n.d.). Weight loss plateau. British Heart Foundation. https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/nutrition/weight-loss-plateau
- PharmD, J. C. (2019, September 23). What to do about a weight loss plateau. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326415#summary
- Gill, S. (2024, March 24). Weight loss plateaus: Why they happen and what to do. https://zoe.com/learn/weight-loss-plateau