Step-by-Step Tips on how to Break a Weight Loss Plateau
When you first start your weight loss journey, everything is smooth-sailing. You see your scale weight dropping consistently for days as you start exercising and going on a diet. You’re happy that everything is working, and look forward to achieving your dream body soon.
But one fateful morning, as you step on the scale, you realize that your weight isn’t falling like it used to. You get stressed up, but brush it off as a one-time event. However, the following morning, the same thing happens - same weight, or worse, heavier than the previous morning! The weight that was previously falling off consistently seems to be sticking onto you for its dear life now. This continues for a week and you get demoralized and feel like you’re just not meant to be lean. You then search the internet for answers, and get things like “carb cycling”, “intermittent fasting” or “starvation mode”, but get even more confused.
This is something you’ve probably experienced before. And if you have not, you can actually count on this to happen sometime.
Well, I’m here to tell you that you’re actually not in a weight loss plateau. But if you’re really in one, breaking it is actually much simpler than you think. And in this article, we will check out what weight loss plateau really is, and what you can do about it.
Weight loss plateaus can be demoralizing. But remember that they are not only inevitable, there are also many ways to break it!
What is a Weight Loss Plateau?
A weight loss plateau occurs when you go from losing weight consistently to getting stuck at a certain number for a long time.
Are you at a Weight Loss Plateau?
I get many questions and rants from people who have told me that they have reached a plateau. The truth is, most of them have not actually reached one. They look at their scale weight on a day-to-day basis and if their weight fluctuates over a few days without consistently going down, they think they’re stuck. But you won’t lose weight everyday - the scale will fluctuate for many reasons:
Water weight
Food Weight
Salty / Carby food which will hold water.
Alcohol may take a longer time for your body to eliminate. Also, it is diuretic so you may weigh lighter the day after drinks, but heavier a few days later.
Medication can cause your body to retain water.
A day after Strength Training will cause your muscle to be stretched which will hold onto some water.
Menstrual Cycle results in hormonal imbalance can cause water retention.
Your weight can fluctuate up to 3 kg a day!
Many people actually already know that scale weight fluctuates a lot, but let their emotions get the better of them. They can tell it to their friends, but can’t seem to do it for themselves.
What you should do is to measure your weight consistently every morning, and compare the weekly average instead of daily numbers. In this way you’ll average out all the different possible reasons for fluctuations as mentioned above.
Water weight is the biggest factor of weight fluctuations.
Are you REALLY at one?
Even if your weekly average is stagnant, you still may not be at a plateau.
Remember that linear progress cannot continue indefinitely. Just because you’ve lost 4 kg in 4 weeks, does not mean you can lose 52 kg in one year. This is because
You have less fat to lose, so weight loss will slow down.
Your metabolism slows down as you weigh less.
Due to adaptive thermogenesis, as you get leaner, your body will actively try to preserve the extra body fat that you have left.
As you are eating less, you will subconsciously move less. For example, you will fidgeting less. This will reduce your daily energy expenditure.
All these will cause your weight loss progress to slow down, which may at times feel like a plateau, but actually isn’t.
But if you’ve measured your weekly weight for 3 to 4 weeks and there is still zero (and I really mean zero) or negative weekly scale weight change, then you might have really reached a weight loss plateau.
What should you do when you hit a Weight Loss Plateau?
A weight loss plateau is not the same as a fat loss plateau. When you just start lifting weights, you get stronger and start to put on muscle mass. You’re losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time, and so it seems like your weight isn’t moving. You’re at a weight loss plateau, not a fat loss plateau.
What you should do is to use other indicators, like a measuring tape to measure your waist circumference (be sure that the location you’re measuring at is constant), progress pictures, or what people are telling you to better know if you’re in a fat loss plateau or not. Only when there is no progress in all the above indicators, then you might be in a fat loss plateau.
Measurements are a better indicator of fat loss than scale weight.
What can you do to overcome the Fat Loss Plateau?
Only after you have zero scale weight for 3-4 weeks, and used the above indicators to see if you’re in a fat loss plateau, then you should look at some tips below to overcome it.
In a majority of cases, plateaus are actually an issue of discipline, consistency, and lack of knowledge. There are actually a lot more things you can do to overcome those plateaus:
Be mindful of every lick and bite you’re taking. All these can add up to something significant - you might be eating much more calories than you think you are. Overestimating your portion sizing can be an issue too. I recommend tracking your calories to solve these 2 problems.
Do not overeat on weekends just because you undereat on weekdays. Going on a diet on the weekdays and then binging on a weekend is one of the most dangerous mistakes dieters can make. The excess calories consumed on weekends can actually far exceed the calorie deficit you worked so hard during the weekdays.
Eat more protein. Protein not only aid in retaining lean body mass, it helps one feel full faster and longer. Protein also requires the most energy to digest. Also, increase fibre intake for similar reasons - fibre helps one feel full faster, and increases energy used for digestion.
Increase weight lifting volume and frequency. Increased muscle mass can increase metabolism. Also, as you lose fat, uou subconsciously move less, so try to add in activities like clocking a certain amount of steps daily to ensure movement.
High stress levels have shown to be strongly related to weight gain and obesity. Find ways to manage your stress!
Sleep at least 8 hours a day. Poor sleep has been strongly correlated to weight gain. Poor sleep also increases your appetite and your calorie intake as seen in these studies. Lastly, this study shows that poor sleep may decrease your resting metabolism.
Be wary of small licks and bites - something people often overlook!
Most people who tell me that they are facing a plateau usually will not get to this step, as they would have either
Looked that their weight loss on a day-to-day basis without waiting for at least 3-4 weeks,
Focused too much on scale weight instead of better fat loss indicators, or
Been eating more, exercising less, or sleeping less than they should be.
But if you have honestly done all the above steps and are sure that you’re still in a fat loss plateau, you will then need some adjustments to kickstart progress again. This is something that you should face after dieting for a few months.
Ask yourself these questions:
How long have you been dieting? If you have been dieting for more than 3 months, it is time to take a diet break. Bring up your calorie intake to maintenance level (about 200 to 400 more calories) for a week and focus on getting stronger in the gym. This is to regain your energy levels and reducing the effects of adaptive thermogenesis. After that, get back to dieting and monitor your weight again for 4 weeks.
If you have been dieting for less than 2 months and you have a lot of fat to lose, do a dietary audit. Track all (and I really mean ALL) your food and drinks and put in into a calorie counter. You’ll realize you are eating more than you think you are. If you’re already doing this, drop your calories by about 300-500 cals and monitor again for 4 weeks. This is because as you lose weight, your metabolism slows down, as there is simply less of your body to maintain. But remember that there’s a limit to reducing your calorie intake. If you’re already eating at 1300 calories (after precise tracking) and you still have a lot of fat to lose, yet at a fat loss plateau, you might want to get your body checked.
If you don’t have a lot of fat to lose but you’re at a plateau, diet break for a week too. After that, get back to dieting and monitor your weight again for 4 weeks. Also, increase your workout frequency, and focus on building more muscle mass.
A diet break by increasing your calorie intake can be a powerful tool to help with fat loss plateaus.
Conclusion
Weight loss plateaus are nothing mythical or magical. You do not need anything special to get through them - you just need to be more consistent with nutrition, exercise and sleep, especially when you think you’re not making progress. Because even if you don’t think changes are happening, they probably are - you just need to give yourself enough time to see that.
Remember - weight loss plateaus are totally expected, even for people who knows exactly what they are doing. They are an inevitable consequence of losing weight. However, I can guarantee that you will be able break out of your weight loss plateau if you follow the steps above. This is due to the laws of thermodynamics. As long as you’re eating at a calorie deficit, you will lose weight.
Remember, the only time you stop making progress is when you quit.
P.S. - need help breaking out of your weight loss plateau? Drop me a message!
