7 way to fix a weight loss plateau?

Weight loss plateaus happen a lot these days to a lot of people. It’s normal for people to attempt unsuitable diets and exercise routines while trying to reduce weight. These techniques have the potential to make weight gain or decrease.

The quantity of energy in meals and beverages is expressed in terms of calories. To operate, the body needs a certain number of calories. Any extra calories will be turned into fat, making you weigh more overall.

Only when the body expels more calories than it consumes can it begin to lose weight. A diet low in calories and frequent exercise may help someone lose weight. Still, a lot of things might make losing weight difficult.(1)

Weight Loss Plateau: Overcoming the Stagnation

What is a plateau in weight loss?

When you stop losing weight while following a regular diet and exercise routine that has previously assisted in weight reduction, you have reached a weight-loss plateau.

When the weight stops dropping, a lot of us question what we’re doing wrong and place the responsibility on ourselves. However, it is not at all how it should be.

Losing weight is difficult, and each pound lost has to be acknowledged. Furthermore, while our bodies have a role in weight-loss plateaus, we are not responsible for them.

Why does a weight loss plateau occur?

Your body weight plateaus for two major reasons: one is connected to hunger, and the other is related to activity. A weight-loss plateau arises when your body is focused on preserving what Dr. Avadhanula refers to as your “metabolic set point,” even if your mind may be focused on decreasing weight. There’s a set point at which your body thinks it’s at its ideal weight, and it’s determined by a number of factors. That’s why your body is rather resistant to weight loss.

Even with a nutritious diet, your body still interprets weight loss as starvation when it happens. “Your body starts a process of trying to counteract that, to get you to regain the weight you’ve lost,” the expert explains, believing that you are famished. In an attempt to get you to keep eating until you reach that fixed threshold, your body creates regulatory hormones that raise appetite and decrease feelings of fullness.

Even though weight usually drops quite quickly initially, there comes a time when it feels like it won’t go away. Nonetheless, a few tactics can enable you to start losing weight once again. Reaching your ideal weight might be difficult. A weight loss plateau or stall is the inability to lose further weight after an initially rapid and effective weight reduction. It may be disheartening and disappointing.(2)

These are 14 strategies for getting over a weight loss plateau.

Reduce Carbs

Studies have shown that diets low in carbohydrates are quite successful in helping people lose weight and maintain the weight loss.

In fact, those who consumed 50 grams or less of carbohydrates per day lost more weight than those who followed conventional weight-loss regimens, according to a sizable evaluation of 13 studies with follow-up lasting at least a year. When you feel hopelessly stuck, cutting down on your carbohydrate consumption could help get your weight going in the correct direction again.

Experts in obesity and nutrition are still debating whether limiting carbohydrates results in a “metabolic advantage” that makes your body burn more calories.

Very low-carb diets have been shown in some controlled research to enhance fat burning and encourage other metabolic changes that support weight reduction; however, this impact has not been shown in other studies.

Very low-carb diets, on the other hand, have repeatedly been shown to increase feelings of fullness and decrease appetite more than other diets. Furthermore, they trigger the production of ketones in your body, which have been shown to decrease hunger.

This might cause you to inadvertently eat less, which would facilitate weight loss without hunger or pain.

Keep your eyes on what you eat.

It might feel like you’re not eating all that much at times, yet you still have trouble dropping pounds.

Overall, studies show that individuals tend to overestimate how much food they consume.

In one study, participants who were obese said they consumed around 1,200 calories daily. But a thorough examination of their consumption over the course of 14 days revealed that, on average, they were eating over double that amount.

Monitoring your intake of calories and macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrates) may provide you specific insights into how much you’re consuming. This will enable you to adjust your diet as necessary. Furthermore, studies indicate that just keeping a food journal might improve your attempts to lose weight.

This is a review of a few easy-to-use nutrition tracking applications and websites.

Never cut back on protein.

Increasing your protein consumption might be helpful if your weight reduction has stopped.

First, compared to fat or carbohydrates, protein increases the metabolic rate. This relates to the rise in metabolism brought on by food digestion, known as the thermic effect of food (TEF). Digestion of protein increases calorie expenditure by 20–30%, more than twice as much as that of fat or carbohydrates.

In one study, young, healthy women followed diets that included protein as either 15% or 30% of total calories on two different days. On the day with more protein, their metabolic rate rose twice as much after meals. Second, protein promotes the synthesis of hormones that help suppress hunger and give you a full, pleased feeling.

Furthermore, keeping a sufficient protein intake helps guard against the two common side effects of weight loss: a decrease in metabolic rate and muscle mass loss.

Control your stress.

Stress can frequently halt weight loss. It promotes cortisol production in your body in addition to encouraging comfort eating and inciting food cravings. One term for cortisol is “stress hormone.” It aids in your body’s reaction to stress, but it may also lead to a buildup of belly fat. Furthermore, it seems that women are more susceptible to this impact. As a result, overproduction of cortisol may severely hinder weight reduction.

Even if it can feel like you have little control over the stress in your life, studies have shown that weight reduction can be aided by learning how to handle stress. A stress-reduction program including deep breathing and muscular relaxation helped 34 overweight and obese women lose an average of 9.7 pounds (4.4 kg) over the course of eight weeks.

Start the intermittent fasting.

Intermittent fasting has gained a lot of popularity. It entails fasting for extended periods of time—usually 16 to 48 hours—without eating.

Along with other health advantages, the practice has been linked to weight loss and the reduction of body fat. According to a review of much research, intermittent fasting resulted in 3-8% weight loss and a 3-7% reduction in waist circumference in only three to four weeks.

A kind of intermittent fasting known as “alternate day fasting” involves individuals eating as much as they like one day and relatively few calories the following. According to one study, eating this way protected against the loss of muscle mass more effectively than calorie restriction on a daily basis.

Sip tea, coffee, or water.

Certain drinks may help restart a weight reduction program, even though sugar-filled drinks cause weight gain. According to studies, a 17-ounce (500 ml) consumption of plain water may increase metabolism by 24–30% for 1.5 hours. Over time, this could result in weight reduction, particularly for those who drink water before meals since it might help them eat less.

The group that drank one serving of water before meals lost 44% more weight than the non-water group in a 12-week trial of older people on a diet. Tea and coffee might help you lose weight as well.

Caffeine, which is often included in these drinks, has been shown to enhance fat burning and elevate metabolic rate by as much as 13%. Nonetheless, it seems that slim people are more susceptible to these consequences. Furthermore, EGCG, or epigallocatechin gallate, an antioxidant contained in green tea, has been shown in one study to increase fat burning by 17%. Furthermore, studies indicate that drinking coffee or tea might amp up the benefits of exercise in terms of increasing metabolism and burning fat.(*)

Consume veggies at every meal.

The best food to lose weight is vegetables. The majority of veggies are rich in fiber, low in calories and carbohydrates, and packed with healthful elements.

Actually, research indicates that the most weight reduction occurs in diets high in vegetables. Sadly, a lot of individuals don’t consume enough of these foods that aid in weight reduction.

But it’s simple to serve cooked or raw greens, tomatoes, or other vegetables on the side at any meal, including breakfast.

One of the best strategies to lower the plateau in weight loss is to combine a healthy diet with frequent exercise. Other lifestyle modifications that help heart health include giving up drinking or smoking, keeping a body weight that is healthy, controlling stress, and maintaining a healthy weight.

For weight reduction, changing your diet to create a calorie deficit is essential, but exercise also has many other advantages that will help you maintain your weight loss gains.Exercise and nutrition may also help you gain muscle, lower your risk of heart disease, and enhance your mental well-being.

It is ideal to have a minimally processed, whole-food diet rich in fiber, lean protein, and healthy fats to support general health. Aim for at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-to-intense exercise. Exercise and eating go hand in hand, and combining the two will maximize health and quality of life, despite your desire to choose only one.

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Alexander, Heather. “Does Your Body Have a Set Point Weight and Can You Change It?” MD Anderson Cancer Center, 29 June 2020,

Gilmer, Marcus. “How to Break That Frustrating Weight-Loss Plateau.” Cleveland Clinic, 6 Jan. 2023, health.clevelandclinic.org/weight-loss-plateau

Kandola, Aaron. Possible Reasons Weight Loss Is Not Working. 30 Mar. 2019,

Spritzler, Franziska. “14 Simple Ways to Break Through a Weight Loss Plateau.” Healthline, 7 Feb. 2023,