Q&A4 Why Weight Loss Plateaus Happen and What Actually Works?

Why Weight Loss Plateaus Happen and What Actually Works?

Welcome to Q&A Wednesday!

Hey this is Rick and today I’m answering another question I hear a lot. Why Weight Loss Plateaus Happen and What Actually Works?

Okay, you've made progress, but now your weight loss has slowed or completely stopped. It’s not a nice feeling and can throw you off your game.

This isn't by chance. Your body reacts to calorie restriction in ways that make staying on track harder over time.

Your Metabolism Slows Down

Cutting calories makes your metabolic rate drop up to 25%.

For example, if you burn 2,000 calories a day, it may drop to 1,500. This change often happens within two to three weeks of dieting.

Your body thinks a modern diet is like a historical famine, making it tougher to lose weight when calories are low.

You Lose Muscle, Not Only Fat

Calorie deficits don't only burn fat.

Your body also breaks down muscle for energy, especially if you eat little protein or don't do resistance training. Since muscle burns more calories than fat, losing muscle means burning fewer calories.

As muscle mass decreases, your body burns fewer calories at rest and during activity. This cycle makes weight loss harder over time.

Hormones make you hungrier.

Dieting affects the hormones that control your appetite.

Leptin, which signals fullness, decreases. Meanwhile, ghrelin, which boosts hunger, increases. These changes make you feel hungrier and can lower your motivation for physical activity.

You move less without realizing it.

You often move less while dieting, sometimes without noticing.

A drop in non-exercise activity, such as fidgeting, walking, or standing, can reduce your daily calorie burn by hundreds. This happens even if you continue to exercise.

Your deficit disappears.

A slower metabolism, less muscle, hormonal changes, and moving less can erase your calorie deficit.

A 500-calorie deficit can become maintenance or even a surplus. This change may cause weight loss to stall.

Breakthrough strategies

Take planned breaks from calorie restriction to boost your metabolic rate.

Eat at maintenance calories for 10 to 14 days every 6 to 8 weeks to signal to your body that food is available, reversing some of the metabolic slowdown.

Keep or increase your protein intake during these breaks (0.8–1 gram per pound of body weight daily) to retain muscle.

Strength training helps.

Regular resistance training helps you keep and build muscle during weight loss.

Compound movements such as squats, deadlifts, push-ups, and rows work several muscle groups. They also help you burn more calories.

Measure Progress Beyond the Scale

Your body weight can change daily due to water retention, hormone cycles, and digestion.

Track your body measurements, progress photos, and how clothes fit to get a clearer view of your body composition changes.

Plateaus are part of the journey.

Periods of stalled weight loss often happen while your body adjusts to new habits, builds muscle, or rebalances hormones.

These plateaus don't mean failure; they reflect your body's adaptive responses. Understanding these patterns can help you adjust your approach and keep moving toward your goals.