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You’ve been seeing results from your weight loss efforts when suddenly, the scale stops moving. Hitting a weight loss plateau can be frustrating. This is especially true when you feel you’re still practicing the same habits that led you to lose weight in the first place. It’s first important to remember that weight loss plateaus are normal and expected, and happen to everyone.

Keep reading to learn what constitutes a weight loss plateau, why they happen, and how to break a weight loss plateau. From tweaking your diet and exercise routine to understanding the role of metabolism, we’ll get you back on track toward achieving your goals.

What is a weight loss plateau?

A weight loss plateau is a halt in your weight loss progress. It can last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. While they tend to happen after a few months into your journey, they can also happen early on, depending how close you are to your weight loss goal.

When you hit a weight loss plateau, it’s important to first remember to not throw in the towel. As a weight loss expert, I often find my clients struggle with motivation at this time. And it makes sense – when you’re no longer losing weight and seeing results, you may think to yourself why bother? 

This stall in progress can make you feel like you’re doing something wrong and what you’re doing is no longer working, but that’s not necessarily the case. Instead, just pause and take it as an opportunity to reassess what you’re doing and your goals.

What causes a weight loss plateau?

Weight loss plateaus happen for several reasons, but mostly occur as a result of changes in metabolism as you lose weight. Your body always tries to protect you, and is constantly adjusting itself as it changes. Here are the biggest reasons for weight loss plateaus:

Your metabolism slowed

As you lose weight, your body requires fewer calories to maintain its new, lighter self. Your metabolism slows down as a result. This means the same calorie deficit that initially caused weight loss may no longer be sufficient to continue shedding pounds. This is part of the body’s survival mechanism to prevent excessive weight loss and illness.

This is even more likely to happen if you’ve yo-yo dieted many times in the past, where over time your body gets worried and tries to keep you at a certain point to avoid starvation. This is when you may find yourself struggling to get past a certain weight, called a “set point weight” that your body keeps going back to.

You’re losing muscle

During weight loss, most people lose some muscle along with fat. Muscle tissue burns more calories than fat, so as muscle mass decreases, your body’s ability to burn calories also decreases, contributing to a plateau.

You’re burning fewer calories

Even if you’ve remained active and consistent in your workout routine, your body may be burning less calories than it was before. Over time, your body becomes more efficient at performing physical activities, meaning you burn fewer calories doing the same workouts. This is a good thing and means you are getting more fit. But, it also means you’ll want to vary your routine to ensure you are burning enough calories to get over your plateau.

You’ve relaxed your habits

While this is not always the case, it can be another factor leading to a weight loss plateau. As you get closer to your weight loss goal, you may subconsciously start to relax your diet and exercise habits. This may be even more so if you’re following a plan that is hard to stick to long-term.

Other factors may also come up such as alcohol intake or vacations where you are veering off track for longer than you think.

The truth is the process of losing weight is not linear, despite what some diet programs will try to tell you. Any time you hear “you’ll lose x amount of pounds every month,” it’s time to run as fast as you can. Nobody can promise you this, and weight loss typically looks more like a mountain with peaks and valleys, rather than a downhill graph.

How to break a weight loss plateau

Before taking the steps to break your weight loss plateau, it’s helpful to first ask yourself if you’re happy with your progress so far. Are you content with your current weight? Has your health, energy, and quality of life improved? Asking yourself these questions can help you figure out if continuing to pursue weight loss is the right move.

There is no right or wrong, and even if you initially set a goal of a specific weight, remember that you have permission to change that along the way.

If you want to continue losing weight, here are 9 tips on how to break a weight loss plateau:

1. Reassess your habits

Look back at your food and activity log. If you stopped tracking, restart for at least 1-2 weeks to see what’s happening. If you are no longer paying attention, it’s possible you are still making healthy choices but eating too much. There really is no way of knowing if you’ve hit a diet plateau until you track it, so committing to doing this can bring you more insight.

When you track, see if you are going over your daily calorie, are eating more sugary foods, alcohol, or getting less exercise. Research suggests inconsistency in healthy habits can contribute to plateaus, so it’s important to be aware of your current habits.

The two calorie-counting apps my clients use are Lose It! And MyFitnessPal. I also love the Ate Food Journal for mindful eating, but it doesn’t have a calorie-tracking feature.

If you’re not sure how to use these apps or how many calories you need to lose weight, I figure this all out for you in my sustainable weight loss program.

2. Reduce your calories

As your body weight decreases, your calorie needs change due to metabolic adjustments. This is because when you weigh less, your body burns fewer calories at rest, which can reduce your daily calorie needs over time. 

For example, if you’ve been following a 1600-calorie diet and hit a plateau, try reducing to 1400 to see if it helps you get over that hump. It’s not advised to go below 1200 calories, as research shows this amount of calories is not sufficient or sustainable for most people to meet their nutrition needs. 

3. Increase protein and fiber intake

Increasing fiber and protein in your diet can control appetite and keep you full on a low-calorie diet. This is especially helpful if you are reducing your calories to get over your weight loss plateau. 

When planning your meals, ensure you are getting in 1-2 high fiber and protein sources in your diet to meet daily fiber recommendations of at least 25-30 grams per day. Individual protein needs vary, but a good place to start is aiming for 30 grams of protein per meal.

For more specifics on good sources of fiber and protein, check out 15 High-Fiber Foods for Weight Loss and the Best Protein Foods for Weight Loss.

4. Increase your exercise

Even if you’re exercising regularly, your workouts can get boring or stale. Your body gets used to what it’s doing if you’ve been doing the same thing for a while (more than a few months), so it may be time to change it up.

Like I mentioned earlier, over time your body becomes more efficient and burns fewer calories during workouts. This means you’ll want to increase your exercise intensity, resistance, and/or duration in order to burn the number of calories needed to get over your plateau. If you’re exercising 4 days a week, you may want to increase to 5-6. If you can’t increase the frequency of your workouts, you can up your intensity or resistance, going faster or lifting heavier during your sessions.

All of these options will allow you to burn more calories and enable you to burn more calories in a given week.

The general recommendation is to get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity (walking, jogging, biking) or 75 minutes of vigorous activity (running, swimming, heavy weight lifting) per week for health. However to lose weight, many people may need to up this to at least 300 minutes a week. This can be a combination of strength and cardio and can be broken up however works best for your schedule.

In my weight loss program, I help you figure out a sustainable workout plan that you actually enjoy and can fit into your busy life.

5. Add in strength training

While cardio often gets the holy grail as the best exercise for weight loss, strength training is just as important. This is especially the case in terms of getting over a plateau or maintaining weight loss, as it helps build and maintain muscle, which revs up your metabolism. This is because muscle is more metabolically active than fat, which means it helps you burn more calories in a given day when you have more of it.

It’s best to incorporate strength training into your routine as soon as possible in your weight loss journey. This helps reduce the amount of muscle loss as you lose weight. However, it’s never too late to start. The National Academy of Sports Medicine suggests strength training 2-3 times per week as a start, progressing from there based on your fitness level, goals, and schedule.

Over time, you’ll start to burn more calories at rest, upping your overall daily calorie deficit for weight loss. You’ll also feel stronger and more confident! Many clients have told me that their clothes fit better and they receive compliments on how they look after lifting weights, even if they are not actively losing weight.

6. Increase NEAT activity 

NEAT stands for “Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis.” In layman’s terms, this is any type of movement outside of your scheduled workouts. Basically, moving more throughout the day and reducing sedentary time can up your overall calorie burn in addition to your usual workout time.

Examples of NEAT activity include walking throughout the day, cleaning, taking the stairs, and even fidgeting. Get creative with ways to get in more activity and daily steps – walk to your colleague’s office instead of calling them, and consider purchasing a treadmill desk, walking pad, or standing desk.

I use a standing desk every day, and I love to alternate between sitting and standing to stretch my legs and keep the blood flowing. These small changes and movements add up and can help break through a plateau.

7. Assess your stress

Your stress levels, and how you manage stress, can impact weight loss. Chronic, heightened levels of stress increase cortisol, the stress hormone, which can hold onto belly fat and increase cravings.

While you can’t avoid all stress, you can grow aware of it and learn how to better manage it. Check in with yourself and tune into anything that may be stressing you more than usual. Has work been busier than usual? Did you take on too much recently and now you’re feeling overwhelmed?

If you can change the situation to lessen your stress, do it. If not, talk to a trusted friend, partner, or family member to vent and get things off your chest. Journaling, meditation, and deep breathing are all effective ways to manage daily stress (granted you are doing them daily). Even 5 minutes makes a difference and can empower you to crush your stress.

8. Prioritize sleep

Sleep is something many people neglect and forget about, especially during a weight loss journey. You may be unknowingly losing sleep in order to fit in an early morning workout, or staying up later to meal prep the next day. While these are all good intentions, your results won’t be as profound if you’re lacking sleep in order to fit in your healthy habits.

Study after study shows a lack of sleep can hinder weight loss, increase hunger hormones, and reduce motivation to exercise. 

Prioritizing sleep is often a matter of discipline and strict boundary setting. While it’s not always easy to do, aiming for 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night and having a cut-off time is essential. This may mean cutting back on the amount of TV you watch or social media scrolling. But trust me, you won’t miss it when you realize how better you feel with more sleep.

If you have a newborn or young kids that affect your sleep, do the best you can. Try to fit in short naps whenever possible and get to bed as soon as your kids do to try to maximize the amount of time you have for deep sleep. It’s a phase and will get easier (I’ve been there)!

9. Consult a dietitian for guidance

It can feel like a jigsaw puzzle trying to find the perfect balance to get over a weight loss plateau and still follow a sustainable plan. If you’re stuck and aren’t sure how to adjust your diet and lifestyle, don’t feel like you have to do it all on your own. 

As an experienced weight loss expert, I help you figure out where you may be stuck and provide personalized guidance to move you along your journey.

Whether that be to maintain your weight loss, stay healthy, or continue pursuing weight loss, having an expert and accountability buddy on your side can make all the difference. Contact me today to book a free 15-minute call to see if my nutrition program is a good fit for you.