How to Break a Weight Loss Plateau

Written by Tony Schober · 35 Comments

If there’s one thing that’s certain, it’s that you’re at one point or another going to hit a weight loss plateau. What you decide to do at that time is going to have a large impact on your success. The following 8 weight loss plateau tips will help you out when you inevitably reach that question: My weight has stalled, how do I break a weight loss plateau?

Be Patient

This needs to be said, as even the most patient of people suddenly become impatient when it comes to weight loss. If it’s only been a week, or even just a month and your weight hasn’t changed, don’t stress out. Weight loss is a process, not an event. Getting fit is not a destination, it’s a way of life. If you’re consistently eating right and exercising, the body fat will come off. Notice I said body fat. It’s important to make that differentiation right now. The important thing is that you’re making progress. Weight is not the only determining factor.

See why losing 2lbs per week isn’t realistic for everyone.

Carbohydrate Cycling

This is one of my favorite eating methods for those people that are carbohydrate sensitive. You are able to eat just as many carbohydrates as usual, but instead, you mix up low carb and med/high carb days. Stick those high carb days on intense workout days, and use the low carb days for when you’re resting. In my opinion, there’s no better way to add muscle and drop body fat than carbohydrate cycling.

Increase Your Calories For a While

As our weight goes lower, so does our calorie intake. How low can you really go though? Your metabolism slows down as you lose weight, and rightfully so. Give your body a break and try increasing your calories to maintenance levels for a week. I think you’ll find that once you return to a hypo-caloric environment, your weight loss progress will pick back up. Let your body know that it’s not starving.

Find out why you might not be eating enough calories to lose weight.

Try a Different Workout Routine

Nutrition is just one part of the fat loss equation, although it is the biggest part. Exercise also plays a large role. It’s not uncommon for your strength training progress to stall out when eating fewer calories. It’s imperative that you maintain your muscle mass as you lose weight, or else the weight you lose will be valuable muscle. If you find that you aren’t making strength progress anymore, but your nutrition is spot on, try changing up your routine. It might be all that you needed to get over that weight loss plateau.

Here are 10 powerful ways to stimulate new muscle growth.

Time Your Carb Intake

Carbohydrate intake and timing can make or break your weight loss. I am by no means a low carb advocate. Many people are very successful eating a high carb diet. That is something only experimenting can determine. However, a common denominator for success is when people time the intake of those carbs to around times when your insulin sensitivity is highest. When is that? Your first meal of the day, and the meals around your workout. Sometimes just shuffling your current carb intake to those times can break you through that weight loss plateau. Give it a try. You might just be pleasantly surprised!

Cheat Meal

Cheat meals can be a tricky thing. You don’t want them to be an excuse for bad eating, and you definitely don’t want them to work against your goals. A cheat meal does not mean a binge-fest. You could very easily wipe out that 3500 week-long calorie deficit with one day of binge eating. Instead, plan out your cheat meal ahead of time. Try eating 50% more calories than you average the rest of the week. Doing so can “reset” your metabolism and many of the hormones (leptin, ghrelin) that have begun to make it difficult to lose weight. Try to keep the fat intake low on this day and focus on eating carbohydrates and protein.

Here are some cheat meal guidelines you should follow.

Set-Points

Set-points are a tricky topic to write about because there’s no clear evidence they exist. On the other hand, there is plenty of real-word personal accounts of them occurring. Set-points are particular body weights that we tend to have a problem breaking through. They usually are a weight that you were fluctuating at for a long period of time in your life, and they tend to be the weight that most people end up getting stuck at. Is it mental? Physical? I’m not sure, but I do know that they can be broken through with a little patience, and you can create new set-points at lower weights.

Start Logging Your Food

It’s a tedious process, but one that becomes very helpful when you come upon a weight loss plateau. Are your calories too high? Too low? What about your maconutrient breakdown? Maybe you could do better with fewer carbs, or maybe you aren’t getting the protein requirements that you need. While you can do a good job guesstimating once you’ve been doing this for a while, there is no substitute for tracking calories. The extra work will pay off in the long run.

MUST USE FITNESS DEVICE: BodyMedia FIT Calorie Tracking Armband
FREE EBOOK: The 10 Forgotten Rules of Weight Loss

About Tony Schober

Healthy living curator, blogger, foodie, certified personal trainer, husband, & step-dad to 3. Founder of Coach Calorie. Hates scales.

Follow @CoachCalorie

about me | interview me | submit guest post | contact me | advertise

raylene

i need to loose a lot of weight
- Coach Calorie
  
  Don’t beat yourself up! One day at a time. Make small changes to your lifestyle habits, and eventually you’ll reach your goals.
Corlena

A weight loss plateau is sooo frustrating and a little disheartening. I plateaued for 7 months after losing 50 pounds, but never gave up. Started bootcamp 3 times a week but still no change. Then I took some of the above points, which were in some previous articles, and started calorie and carbohydrate cycling…and eating more. I was counting calories but restricting them too much, so my metabolism had slowed down. I use a handy calorie counting app that helps me track both daily calories and carb intake and by calorie cycling + exercise I have the equivalent of 2 ‘cheat days’ a week. I still eat healthy on those days, just a lot more. In just the last 2 months I’m down another 12 pounds (5% body fat loss in 6 months), 3 inches off my waist and 2 inches off my hips. I attribute the latest changes to your suggestions and an awesome fitness instructor!! Thank you.
- Coach Calorie
  
  Thanks for sharing your experience Corlena! Not eating enough calories is just as bad as eating too many.
Darlene

so true! I had stayed the same for a few weeks and just increased my calories from 1200 to 1400 a few days ago and lost over a pound in the past 2 days!!
- Coach Calorie
  
  Many people would be surprised that they can actually eat more food and still lose weight!
Joanna

Great article. I totally resonate with the set points. I’ve been at 130lbs for a really long time and always seem to hover around there give or take. My bodyfat is ok. 18-19%. I think ideally I look best around 125 lbs. I also think this set point is what I call “happy weight”- where its easy for both your body and your mental self to maintain with little effort. To maintain a 5-10 lb loss can be tricky if your rituals dont change with it. Just my thoughts.

I’ve always thought about carb cycling but never had the resources to do it. Do you think you could do a post just on that and what % macronutrients should be on low/high carb days, if you haven’t already?

Thanks. Keep up the great work.
- Coach Calorie
  
  Interesting thoughts on the set-points.
  
  I have done a post on calorie cycling, which for me is basically carb cycling. You can check it out here – http://coachcalorie.com/calorie-cycling-for-weight-loss/
Ann

Hi i am getting married in 2 weeks and am stuck at my weight, i really want to lose 7lbs before my wedding especially off my hips (eventhough i cant spot reduce) i would really love your help as im desperate
- Coach Calorie
  
  Hi Ann, it’s highly unlikely you are going to lose 7 pounds of fat in the next 2 weeks. You could realistically lose 4 pounds of fat, and if you implemented some sort of carb restriction the last week, you could drop a few more pounds of water.
  - Ann
    
    Thanks Coach, do you think a boby wrap will help me lose a few inches? If i concentrate more on inches that pounds, id love to lose 2 and a half inches of hips, but is this unrealistic?
    - Coach Calorie
      
      I don’t think it’s worth the time or money. My advice would be to do the best you can. If you start now, you will be in better shape come your wedding date.
      - Ann
        
        Ok thanks Coach..am 5ft 2inches and weight 128 lbs…just want to be slim for my wedding!!! Thanks Coach!
Lacey

Haa anyone watched Jodie Marsh: Brawn in the usa ?
Well, she does all of these things; from the ‘cheat meal’ to the high carb binge etc…
I couldn’t do it. I’d feel too guilty and all my hard work would be for nothing.
- Coach Calorie
  
  Admittedly, I do feel a little guilty after the high carb days and cheat meals too. My weight is usually higher the next morning, and it can play tricks with my head. But if you stick to the plan, your weight is usually lower the next time you have a cheat meal. It’s one big zigzag that has a downward trend.
Danielle

Hello, I just have a couple of quick questions:

The part about increasing your calorie intake makes me nervous, and I’m trying to lose my last 25-30 lbs…..whenever I eat anymore about 1200-1300 calories a day, I feel sick. I work out once in the morning and once at night; I always do my morning workout on an empty stomach, and do my evening one after dinner. I work out for between 20-45 mins each time I work out. Am I doing this correctly?

Also, I’m a 24 years old female, 5’4″ and sitting still at 167 lbs (I started out at 192 in late April) and wanting to get down to 140 lbs by the end of the year. Is this reasonable? I started out losing weight so consistantly and now I’m lucky if I lose 2 lbs a week but it usually comes back in a day or two or just holds steady…not sure what all I’m messing up on – any advice would be much appreciated!! thanks!
- Coach Calorie
  
  First off, yes, it is very reasonable for you to lose 27lbs in 5 months. You are leaving yourself plenty of time to do things the right way. That being said, I don’t know what you body fat percentage is. A better guide would be for you to lose about .5 – 1% body fat a week.
  
  Doing 2 workouts a day certainly isn’t necessary for weight loss. The biggest factor is going to be your nutrition. You can’t out exercise a bad diet. It’s highly unlikely you are going to gain weight (fat) eating 1200 calories a day. Focus more on quality when it comes to exercise and nutrition – not quantity.
  - Danielle
    
    the .5-1% is a great guideline…we’re doing biggest loser here at work and I”ve got a spreadsheet that measures all of that stuff….how do I figure out what my actual body fat percentage is? is that my BMI or is it something else? thank you so much for your reply!!
    - Coach Calorie
      
      You have to actually measure it with body fat calipers ($10 at Amazon.com), or you can get a test done somewhere. BMI is not a very good indicator of body composition. For someone that is fit, your BMI reading could say you’re obese.
      - Danielle
        
        Add a comment
        
        I just bought: ‘Accu-Measure Body Fat Caliper’ by AccuFitness
        http://www.amazon.com
        Easy to use, comes with Fat% Chart, Instructions and caliper
        
        Haha just ordered one now, thanks for all the advice, I appreciate it!!
http://www.missfitnesslife.com Vix- Miss Fitness Life

Another cool tip is to re-visit what you were doing when you were getting great results. Has anything slipped, have any shortcuts slipped in?

Sometimes just some more attention to detail is all it takes.

I also strongly recommend the cheat meal, if you are uncomfortable with the word cheat start calling it a refuel meal.
http://www.weight-loss-supreme.com Gordon Youd

It is surprising how many people lie about the weight loss program they are using to lose weight.
They fib to other people and themselves.
“Are you keeping to the program” “Oh! yes, I am following it to the letter”, “What about that icecream you had down at the beach”, “Ah! well that was the only thing” “What about that late night sandwich you had the other night”, ” Well it was just a small one, lettuce and tomato”. I know it is hard to be exactly strict, but weight reduction under those conditions takes forever and can lead to someone dropping out of the program.

DEDICATION is the only way….
Jonathan

Hi,

Thanks for this and your other entries regarding eating too few calories. My question concerns the ideal content of the calories. I work out an hour a day and have plateaued in my weight loss. My fat % has plateaued as well. I’m at 20-22% fat. I’d like to keep that percentage dropping. I’m increasing my calories as per your suggestions. However, recently I’ve read some information that indicates that perhaps my protein intake isn’t as much as it should be. I’m trying to attack this from a couple of different directions. In addition to bumping my calories up to 2000 (or more), since I weigh 190lbs, I’m going to see if I can get 190gm or more protein. And, I think that I should have a protein/carb/fat percentage distribution of 40/40/20. What are your thoughts on this approach?

Thanks!
- Coach Calorie
  
  Hey Jonathan, it’s definitely a good idea to bump up your calories, and your protein intake looks good. As to the macro ratio, that’s going to depend on your activity level. At 2000 calories, 40% carbs would be 200/day. If you are not extremely active, they may end up being too many. I would consider eating the 200 on intense workout days, and then dropping them down on rest/less intense days, and up the fat intake in its place.
Diane

When I break a plateau, how can I prevent it from coming back again?

So, I’m a 15 year old girl (please still help me though!) and I’m trying to lose belly fat. So far, I’ve went from a 33 inch waist to 29 inch. But I still really do have to lose belly fat ( I still have enough to grab into 2 full hands) in order to get at least a flat stomach or if i’m lucky abs.
The problem with me is that for some reason, my body only wants to lose fat 2 weeks at a time and then stops for no apparent reason. My first plateau lasted 6 months and then after losing fat again for 2 weeks, I’m plateauing AGAIN.
I got out of my first plateau by calorie cycling which only got me losing fat for 2 weeks. So for this plateau, I just did about 4 days of high calorie days (no clue how much I ate), and I’m planning on going back to my calorie deficient (1500 cals on average) really soon. I’m also going to incorporate your tips too. But I’m afraid this either won’t work for me or it’ll only last 2 weeks.
- Coach Calorie
  
  Hi Diane, what kind of exercise are you doing? Are you strength training? You need to be. I’d be interested to see the types of food you’re eating. I have a feeling that your diet could use some work. Why not show me a typical day’s diet? Also, show me the not so good days too.
  - Diane
    
    So, this is my typical day’s diet. But the only thing is that the calorie amounts changes everyday, it could be either 1,100 or 1,700, (I’ve been calorie cycling for about a month so far). I just mix up how much of everything I eat. But on the days I eat worse than what I usually do, I’d probably eat about 2 bowls of cereal, 2 bowls of oatmeal, a snack, and eat random breads all day, (happens about once every 2 weeks.) My eating is pretty much consistent.
    
    Typical Day #1
    Breakfast (540 cals):
    1 cup oatmeal , 1/2 cup milk, 3 tablespoons of honey
    Lunch (325) :
    1 cup salad (15 cals) , Chicken (130 cal) and four packets of salad dressing (220 cals)
    Played 2 1/2 hours of tennis
    Lunch (200 cals):
    Honey Roasted Granola Bar- 200 cals
    Lunch (126 cals):
    Baked Chicken (126 cals)
    Lunch/Dinner (390 cals):
    Multigrain Sub Roll (190 cals) + Marinara Sauce (200 cals)
    Dinner (60 cals):
    2 cups of Broccolli – 60 calories
    
    Total- 1605 cals
    
    Typical Day #2
    
    Breakfast (420 cals):
    1 cup oatmeal, 1/2 cup 2% milk, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 packets of all natural zero calorie sweetener
    Lunch 1 (226 cals):
    2 cups of peas and carrots (150 cals)
    1 Chicken Leg (76 cals)
    Interval Strength Training for 19 minutes (as many reps as possible) (Bodyrock)
    Lunch 2 (325):
    2 slices of whole grain bread – 80 cals
    1 turkey pattie (all natural) – 200 cals
    1 tbsp reduced fat mayo – 45 cals
    Dinner (300 cals):
    2 chicken breasts- 300 cals
    
    Total: 1217 clas
    
    Other things I Eat Often that weren’t mentioned
    
    1 cup Spinach + 1 Chicken leg + 2 tbsp. Marinara Sauce
    Homemade Pancakes: 1/2 cup oatmeal, 1/2 cup 2% milk, 2 eggs
    Artificial Sweetener
    Apple
    Banana
    
    Things I eat on worse days
    
    Crunchy Honey Oats with Almonds Cereal
    Peanut Butter
    Artificial Sweetener
    Peanut Butter crackers
    Crackers
    
    And as for my workouts, I do both cardio and strength training. I compete for tennis 3 times a week. Then I also do interval strength training 3x a week. For that, it’s Bodyrock. The workouts bodyweight stuff like burpees, push-ups, reverse pushups, planks, mountain climbers, squat jumps, spiderman push ups, elevated pushups, ninja jumps, bucking bronco, ab exercies.etc . And sometimes I use a sandbag (16 pounds) and do a workout with that. But those workouts are like 10 – 20 minutes, some I have to go through it all, some has work times and rest times. But all of them are like scary hard though (lol). Each workout either gets my muscles work really hard or I just get really out of breath. Either one or both.
    
    When I finally get rid of excess fat, I’d then focus on building muscle. My arms have the musuclar curves, but it’s not muscular yet, if that makes sense. So far, I’ve been pretty good with making sure I don’t lose any muscle.
    
    My goal is to look like Zuzana Light (I still follow her workouts on both her sites):
    http://ts3.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=4716506145095970&id=719c757a0cc4c09ac4067e1d50f2fef4
    - Coach Calorie
      
      Alright Diane, first off, your exercise is just fine. I wouldn’t change a thing. BTW, I wouldn’t wait until you lose fat until you try to build muscle. Do both at the same time. Makes weight loss so much easier. That being said, you should have no problem putting on muscle with your current workout.
      
      On to your diet where the problem is:
      
      To sum it up, too much sugar, too much processed food, too many empty calories
      
      - 3 tbsp of honey is 50g of sugar. You’re going to want to lower the amount of sugar you eat. Try cutting that way back. Maybe use fruit instead.
      
      - the artificial sweeteners need to go. I’ve seen too many people drop the sweeteners and see their weight loss continue. They are unhealthy, unpredictable, and have no place in a healthy lifestyle IMO. People will debate the merits of particular ones, but the fact is that they provide no nutrition.
      
      - the breads, dressings, bars, and cereals need to be replaced. Again, they are mostly empty calories. They provide energy, and that’s about it. There are much better choices. Try beans, potatoes, fruit, veggies, and WHOLE grains (oats, wheat, etc).
      
      There’s nothing wrong with eating some of those “bad” foods in moderation, but while trying to lose weight, you need to be limiting them. Try planning a day once a week where you can eat them, but eat them within maintenance calories, and be sure to still get in all your other necessary nutrients first. Earn them.
      
      Hope that helps!
      - Diane
        
        Thanks, Coach Calorie!
http://Marina Marina

Hi Coach,

I am trying to lose weight and also tone my body i’ve become to flabby after having 2 kids….
my daily intake is morning i either have cereal on it’s own or with yogurt, s/wich with a slice of turkey cucumber and cheese, in between a fruit, at lunch whatever is prepared but to a limit, afternoon any fruit and around 5-6pm about 30 almonds. Please note i drink about 2-3 litres of water during the day plus every evening I spend 20mins on the treadmill.

The first week I lost 4kg, but I think I’m losing inches now….

could you please advise if i’m on the right track?
- Coach Calorie
  
  Hi Marina, it just doesn’t seem like you’re eating enough. After lunch you aren’t eating anything but a piece of fruit and some nuts. Don’t be afraid to eat. You need nutrients.
  
  Have at least 3 solid meals with 2 snacks in between. The snacks should still be protein based.
http://www.coachcalorie.com/ Coach Calorie

Hi Helen, to be completely honest with you, your program doesn’t look too bad to me at all. There are some improvements you could make, so let me just give you a little critique.

1 – You’ve got protein powder in 2, sometimes 3 of your meals. Try to bring that down to 1, or better yet eat nothing but whole foods.

2 – Your calories are currently 12 times body weight. While this is a good starting point, they may need to come down a little. If neither your weight OR your body fat have changed over a 2 week period, it’s time to drop them a little.

3 – Yes, strength training would be a good add, but if pilates is difficult for you, that will work just fine as long as you can push yourself.

4 – You say your goal is to have 17% body fat. That’s a good goal, and I’m glad you are making it a body fat goal instead of a weight one. However, you must measure your body fat to see if everything is working.

5 – Your diet seems very low in fat. Overly restricting your fat intake can have negative effects. Try getting at least 20% of your calories from healthy fats.

6 – Most importantly, be patient. I can go weeks without my weight changing at all, and then all of a sudden it starts dropping without making any changes. Just remember that you are changing your body from the inside out. You are getting healthier whether it looks like it on the outside or not. Be patient and your body will start changing.

Good luck!
http://www.coachcalorie.com/ Coach Calorie

Hi Sara, I suspect the problem lies in your diet. I don’t know what you’re eating, but there can be a lot of problems. For some people, cheat meals can hold them back. If you feel like you’re doing everything right, I would really consider dropping the processed cheat meals – at least for a month or so and see what happens. You might be surprised the negative effect they can have on the body. Try doing healthy refeeds instead – http://www.coachcalorie.com/refeeds/
http://www.coachcalorie.com/ Coach Calorie

Have you tried the suggestions in this article? You say you tried everything, but you have not tried eating more. 1300 is too low for your size and activity level. Don’t be afraid of gaining weight. Fat gain is extremely unlikely at a calorie intake equal to your BMR. Measure your body fat first and then experiment with upping your calories.
http://www.coachcalorie.com/ Coach Calorie

Take some body fat measurements so you know what’s really going on with your progress. Also, make sure you’re eating enough calories.10-12 times body weight is a good starting point.