3 Common Causes for a Weight Loss “Plateau”

You are cruising along losing weight and out of nowhere it happens- the dreaded plateau.  While we acknowledge that weight loss rarely follows a neat little linear path, going extended periods of time without any body change when you are doing your best to lose weight can be extremely frustrating.

I can recall several years ago when I was working with a fitness coach to lose weight.  He had some pretty simple methods and I was making AMAZING, jaw dropping progress and all of a sudden it just stopped.  I couldn’t believe it and looked forward to my next check in with him because I was certain that he was going to give me some ninja strategies to get things moving again.  Boy was I wrong.  After asking one or two questions, he gave me this advice…”I need you to go back to working your program without the extras or the shortcuts.”  Say whaaaaat?  I am paying for THIS.

After I got over myself, I realized that he was right.  I guess he had been coaching long enough to know exactly what was going on with me (although at the time I will admit it felt like a judgemental assumption).

I had NOT hit a plateau.  I had simply stopped working the program.

Have you ever done that?

My splurge meal was more like a day of splurge grazing.  My “push as hard as you can” stair intervals had turned into “back off when it gets uncomfortable” intervals and that was the real reason that my progress had stopped.

No plateau to see here people.  Keep moving.

Let me just tell you before you read more…

If you stopped following your program, even if just a bit, right before your stall in weight loss, you are NOT experiencing a plateau.  Go back to what you were doing to get the results rolling again.  That’s what happened to me by the way.

If however you are doing what was working and your progress(weight, measurements, pictures, and clothing fit- not just weight) has come to a halt, check out the most common reasons I have seen for weight loss plateaus and what you can do about it.

CAUSE #1: You have lost a significant amount of weight and you are still eating enough for your old body.

The best way that I can explain this is if you drove a Ford Explorer for years and then traded it in for a Volkswagen, you are going to need less gas to fill the tank.  If you pull into the gas station and insist on pumping the same amount of gas, you are going to have spillover.  The same applies to your body.  If you have lost a significant amount of weight and your progress stalls, simply eat a little less while keeping the same balance of protein, carbs, and fat.  Now don’t go slashing calories like a madwoman because that can backfire too.  Just opt for a little bit less than normal at each meal.

CAUSE #2: You are stressed and sleep deprived.

Stress and sleep are two things that have no caloric value but greatly influence how your body handles the food you eat.  Stress and sleep significantly affect the hormones that are responsible for fat storage and fat burning.  Skimping on sleep and experiencing high and/or prolonged stress can make your results come to a halt.  If you can, try getting to bed 30 minutes earlier for a few minutes and then try 30 minutes earlier than that.  Keep going until you are getting 7-9 hours each night.

OK I know you are probably thinking, “and who will do the fifty million things I need to do each day while I am asleep”.  I get it.  I will admit this is something that I have to work on constantly because getting enough sleep is not natural for me.  However I work on it because now that I am no longer in my twenties, when I skimp in this area, it shows.  It makes everything else (including weight loss) harder.

If you can’t get that much sleep (which sometimes you just can’t), be sure to include DAILY rejuvenation activities for at least 10 minutes total.  This could be a power nap, a leisure walk, getting outside for fresh air and sun or whatever makes you relax.  A little recharging goes a long way when it comes to managing your hormones for weight loss.

CAUSE #3: You need to dial in your starch management.

When you are working to change your body, it is more important to create a shift in behavior than it is to achieve “ideal” behavior.  At times you will have to take your game up a notch to continue to see change.  At the start of my weight loss journey, I was getting results eating sugar laden “meal replacement” bars and baked chips as part of my daily nutrition.  While it wasn’t ideal, it was a HUGE shift from my previous eating.  After a few months of results with that approach, it stopped working.  Eating more high fiber, lower sugar options (like fruit and veggies) and limiting the bars and chips was what it took to get my results going again.  While I still wasn’t eating an “ideal” diet, I made a shift in the amount of starch and sugar I was eating and that shift was enough to move the needle.

While weight loss and body transformation isn’t always fair, it doesn’t have to be frustrating.  If you are not getting the results you want, check your approach for the most common causes of a weight loss plateau to get the ball rolling again.

What did you think. Let me know in the comments below! And if you found this helpful or inspirational, be sure to share.