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Reasons for the plateau effect when losing weight
Weight is subject to physiological fluctuations, it does not decrease constantly and linearly. If you continue to see the same weight displayed on the scale, weight loss has stopped and it means that the body has taken a break for restructuring. This is how it adapts to the changes that have occurred and it needs time for this.
The process of weight loss takes time and can be complex. As fat reserves are burned, fat cells don't disappear—they shrink and flatten. Due to the uneven nature of adipose tissue, the spatial arrangement of these cells shifts. Additionally, the number of capillaries decreases as the body adjusts. During this phase, your weight may remain stagnant, but you might notice a reduction in body measurements and overall volume.
Since this moment cannot be tracked on the scales, it is recommended to focus on body measurements rather than weight.
It is especially important to track the girths of different parts of the body if you’re focusing on strength training. Thanks to strength training, muscles grow, and muscle tissue, as you may know, is heavier than fat. Therefore, your weight may not only stand still, but even increase.
If that happens, there is no need to panic. Because if you measure the circumference of different parts of the body, you will understand that the target areas are decreasing, which means the weight loss process continues, even if the scale doesn’t show it.
What other reasons could there be for weight to remain stable?
Swelling in Beginner Fitness Enthusiasts
If you are starting to exercise from scratch or after a long break, swelling may appear in response to strength training. This is normal, and after a period of adaptation to physical activity, the swelling will subside. The main thing is to remain hydrated Although at first, this may also affect your weight.
Overly intense training
For the body, excessive physical activity is stressful, which provokes the production of stress hormones. While occasional bursts of stress can help the body adapt and overcome challenges, chronic stress disrupts metabolism, causing weight to plateau.
Strict diet
If you are on a low-calorie diet, after 3-4 weeks your weight loss will stop. The body perceives extremely low calorie content as starvation and will jump into action to prevent a tragic outcome.
It will begin to slow down the metabolism and accumulate fat even from the minimum calories that come with food.
Hidden Calories
A well-known behavioral fact: the longer you diet, the more indulgent you become and the more careless you become about your food. An extra spoonful of sugar or honey here, a cup of latte, a chocolate bar, a burger on the go – you may be consuming more calories than you think and don’t even realize it. As a result, your weight stays the same or increases, because 250-500 extra calories accumulate, which leads to a surplus (intake exceeds expenditure).
Lack of sleep
Why can your weight stay the same if you don’t get enough sleep? Because your body doesn’t have time to recover. You may be in a depressed mood, because lack of sleep prevents your nervous system from fully recovering. Your metabolism slows down. Your body begins to intensively produce ghrelin, a hormone that provokes appetite. And at the same time decrease the production of leptin, which is responsible for satiety. You will have an obsessive desire to “eat away stress.”
How to Continue Losing Weight When You're at a Weight Plateau
Introduce new types of training
Perhaps your body has adapted and adjusted to monotonous physical activity. It's time to switch to fundamentally new types of fitness training. Replace Pilates with dance training, and add strength training with flexibility or stretching.
Various physical activities will speed up your metabolism.
Focus on cardio
Cardio training will increase your endurance and strengthen your cardiovascular system. To see the effect, you need to train for at least 30 minutes three times per week.
Rest well
If your body doesn't have time to recover after intense workouts, this can lead to your weight stagnating. Be sure to give yourself 1-2 days to rest and recover after moderate fitness classes.
Honestly assess your diet for hidden calories
If your workouts haven't become less intense and your daily calorie intake hasn't increased, recalculate your calorie intake for your new weight. Create a calorie deficit based on the new figure and track your calories diligently.
The plateau effect is another step towards success
View the plateau effect as a natural and necessary part of your journey towards success. It’s not a setback but rather a stepping stone towards achieving your long-term goals. Stagnation is inevitable—the body cannot constantly progress upward. It needs time to rest, adapt, and solidify its progress.
You may experience several such periods of adaptation along the way. Remember, the ultimate goal isn’t just to lose weight but to reach and maintain your desired weight—a process that includes long-term stability, or a "plateau," as part of the journey.
The key is to stay motivated and resilient on your path. Keep moving forward, and you will succeed!
