Anyone on a weight-loss journey will agree that one of the most demoralising things that can happen is for the scales to stall. No matter the calories counted or time put in at the gym, there are times that weight and inch loss can stagnate. And no matter what you do, you can’t seem to get the number on the scales moving in a downward direction again.
We ask seven experts in the fields of medicine, nutrition and fitness what causes a weight loss plateau and what you can do to get past it and back on track to achieve your goals.
What is a weight loss plateau?
“It’s a common phenomenon that occurs when a person experiences a temporary halt or significant slowdown in weight loss after an initial period of progress,” says Dr Grace Fabrizia Graziani, specialist family medicine, Aster Royal Clinic, Arabian Ranches. “The underlying medical factors contributing to a plateau include metabolic adaptation, changes in body composition and adjustments in energy expenditure.”
A weight loss plateau can mean different things to different people. For some, a lack of continued results after two or three weeks can feel like a stall. For others, it may be a matter of months.
“The process of weight loss is not always linear,” says Katherine Zeratsky, a dietitian with Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “It is not uncommon for weight loss to occur, pause, then resume eventually to an endpoint. Weight loss plateaus can vary in when they occur and in duration. A plateau generally occurs around six months, but it could happen after a year. It may last two to six weeks or longer.”
What causes weight loss to slow or stall?
Because all bodies are different, experts say the way an individual reacts to exercise and calorie deficit needs to be considered on a person-by-person basis. However, certain common factors can cause a stall.
“Factors that may be causing weight loss to slow down include metabolic adaptation, loss of muscle mass, hormonal changes, exercise routine adaptation, stress and sleep,” says Dr Nasr Al Jafari, co-founder and group medical director of DNA Health & Wellness. “As you lose weight, your body’s calorie needs decrease because your body now has less mass to support and your metabolism may slow down in response to lower body weight. What you were once doing to lose weight may no longer create a calorie deficit as your metabolism adjusts.”
As muscle burns more calories than fat, losing muscle, which can occur when weight loss is rapid, can lower the metabolic rate causing a stall or stop.
“The human body likes to adapt,” says Suzan Terzian, a clinical nutritionist and holistic lifestyle coach. “As you lose weight, your basal metabolic rate decreases, which basically means you burn fewer calories at rest. This is why constantly cutting calories and eating less is counterproductive. There is also the theory that our bodies have a natural ‘set point’, a weight that it’s comfortable at and will always try to revert to.”
Do weight loss plateaus affect men and women differently?
Men and women store fat differently. According to the 2001 report, Gender Differences in Fat Metabolism: “Women generally have a higher percentage of body fat than men. Also, women store more fat in the gluteal-femoral region, whereas men store more fat in the visceral [abdominal] depot.”
Munawara Yahaya, clinical dietitian at Nabta Health, says: “Weight loss plateaus certainly affect both men and women differently, especially due to physiological and hormonal variations which becomes more complex and challenging for women compared to men. Women-specific challenges include hormonal fluctuations, whereby the menstrual cycle directly affects metabolism and causes water retention; oestrogen levels, which can influence fat storage and weight reduction; hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause; and thyroid function.”
Additionally, women tend to have a lower muscle mass compared to men, as well as a slower metabolic rate. “Several studies support that men generally have a greater amount of weight loss than women under the same dietary and/or exercise conditions,” says Zeratsky. “Certain hormones have roles in appetite regulation. It has been shown that women’s food intake during the different phases of the menstrual cycle varies. If concurrent with a time of lower calorie intake for weight loss, hunger may be amplified by the presence of higher levels of progesterone.”
What is the effect of exercise on a weight loss stall?
According to experts, those combining calorie deficit with an exercise routine may see faster results than those who choose to only change their eating habits. However, the body can quickly adapt to exercise if the same routine is followed each day.
“Changing your routine is very effective and the key is to keep your body guessing,” says Ethan Matthews, chief executive of Reset Fitness. “The body is highly adaptive, so if the exercise or diet regimen remains the same for a prolonged period, it becomes more efficient and weight loss can slow down. Switching between different types of exercise – strength training, cardio and mobility – can shock the system, encourage muscle growth and increase calorie expenditure.”
How to move past a weight loss plateau
An honest evaluation of calories in versus calories out is a good place to start if your stall has lasted a few weeks, experts say. “When my clients hit a plateau, I always encourage them to relook at diet and see where they can they make small changes to their daily routine, particularly with their food,” says Cyrus Rustom, coach and co-founder of Boxica in Studio City. “Eating the right quality and quantity of food is what people struggle with the most and are not honest with themselves about.”
Along with looking at diet and exercise, experts recommend considering sleep, hydration, stress levels and mindset for a more rounded look at the plateau. “Not getting enough sleep can lead to less insulin sensitivity, more cravings, less energy to exercise and lower motivation,” says Dr Al Jafari. “Additionally, not handling stress can lead to fat storage and difficulty building muscle.”
Terzian adds: “It’s so important to understand that plateaus are a normal and natural part of the fat loss journey. Remember to be kind and compassionate with yourself, and reframe these plateaus as a normal part of the process. These adaptations can be viewed as milestones and overcome.”
