You’ve been building up momentum these past few months and shedding weight like a boxer the day before weigh-in. But now you’re hitting a weight loss plateau. Like a Viking running into their first oceanic rogue wave; a watery wall of doom!

This is a common problem that many people face when trying to lose weight. When you hit a weight loss plateau, it can be frustrating and demotivating. However, don’t give up just yet! There are several strategies you can use to break through your weight loss plateau and continue on your voyage towards your ideal weight. 

Learning the reasons why your weight loss may be plateauing will give you knowledge of where you may be getting stuck so you can move past it. In this article, you’ll learn the different issues that come up with a plateau and can then narrow down which may be affecting you most. 

Why Weight Loss Plateau

Metabolic Adaptation

When the body is in a calorie deficit for a longer period of time, there is a potential the metabolism will slow down. The body requires energy to carry out its daily functions, and this energy comes from the food we eat. When we eat more calories than we need, the excess energy is stored as fat. When we eat fewer calories than we need, the body is forced to use stored fat for energy.

However, the body has mechanisms to maintain energy balance and prevent weight loss from occurring too quickly. One of these mechanisms is a decrease in metabolic rate. The reason is because the body thinks it’s wilting away and is in starvation mode. So it does everything it can to hold onto the stored body fat. 

Think about it like the first colony on Iceland. When these people first got to Iceland they had to find a way to get food. Since they couldn’t store hunting and fishing goods for very long they had to raise crops. Once the crops were raised they could then store them in grain silos.  Imagine the level of importance these settlers had over those grain stores. During the winter they relied heavily on those grains stores. And if they were going through the grain stores too quickly they would have to slow down their consumption, right?

The same thing with the metabolic system. The body puts a high level of importance on stored body fat. And if body fat starts to go down the body will slow down the system to slow the loss of fat stores. Just like the settles slow consumption of the grain stores to keep them around longer.  The BMR refers to the basal metabolic rate. This is the rate at which the body burns calories at rest, this doesn’t take into account any exercise. 

What this means is that in an energy surplus, the body might have a BMR burn rate of 1,850 calories for a 190 pound 6 foot tall male. But when that man goes in a calorie deficit for months the body might slow the metabolism down to only burning 1,750 calories a day. This is because the metabolic rate slowed and also because that man’s body probably weighs less now too. Which leads us into the second point. 

Loss of Total Body Weight = Lower BMR

As previously mentioned, the BMR of someone is very individualized to them based on their gender, weight, height, muscle mass, bone density and more.  But what’s constant amongst us all is that the more we weigh the higher our BMR. The less we weigh the lower our BMR, relevant to our own body.  For example, a 6 foot tall man at 325 pounds has about a 2,462 BMR rate. This means, if he just lays in bed all day at 100% rest he will burn 2,462 calories to keep his body alive. 

Now, if that same man has lost 75 pounds over 12 months then his new BMR rate could be 2,122. 

This doesn’t seem like much but that’s 340 calories a DAY less. That’s 2,380 calories a week. That’s an entire other day of BMR, basically, that this person is burning less.  So if he was normally eating 2000 calories a day he was in a 462 calorie deficit daily. Now, 75 pounds less, he’s only in a 122 calories deficit daily.  This means, at 325 pounds he’s in a 3,234 calorie deficit each week.  Versus at 250 pounds he’s only in an 854 calorie deficit each week. Eating the same exact number of calories. This is a huge reason why weight loss plateaus as you lose weight. 

A Lack of Variation

If your diet and exercise routines have become too predictable or not challenging enough, your body may adapt and no longer respond to these stimuli, resulting in a plateau.

This is because the body is superb at adaption. The body will adapt the demands of stress placed upon it.  For example, if you bench 135 pounds and struggled hard to get 7 reps the body will then repair that damage and build muscle so it won’t struggle as much next time. It’ll get more efficient and effective at doing 7 reps.  But if you don’t push past 7, the body won’t have a reason to keep adapting or building muscle. So it’ll just really really efficient at getting 7 reps.  The same thing with weight loss doing your current exercise routine. If you’ve been walking 10,000 steps a day, working out 3 days a week strength training and occasionally doing light activity on Saturdays for months it’s time to change it up. 

The body will adapt to that exercise routine and get so efficient that it’ll use less calories in the process. It gets so good at using the least amount of calories as possible once it starts to adapt to that movement.  So if you’ve been doing the same workout routine for a few months it’s time to switch it up a bit. You don’t have to do a complete 180 but by bringing in some things and removing others you can stir up change in the body again. 

Hormonal Factors

Your hormones play an enormous role in every system in your body. Especially so when it comes to weight loss.  You can never really know how your hormone levels are unless you get them checked. Look up your local endocrinologist and make an appointment to get your hormones checked. 

Here are a few ways in which hormones can affect weight loss:

Insulin

Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels by facilitating the uptake of glucose into cells. When you eat carbohydrates, your body produces insulin to help move the glucose from your bloodstream into your cells for energy. However, if you eat too many carbohydrates or have insulin resistance, your body may produce too much insulin, which can cause your body to store fat instead of burning it for energy. This can make it difficult to lose weight.

Leptin 

Leptin is a hormone that is produced by fat cells and helps to regulate appetite and metabolism. When leptin levels are low, your body may produce more of the hunger hormone ghrelin, which can lead to overeating and weight gain. Additionally, if you are overweight or obese, your body may become resistant to leptin, which can make it more difficult to lose weight.

Cortisol

Cortisol is a stress hormone that is produced by the adrenal glands. When you are under stress, your body produces cortisol, which can cause an increase in appetite and lead to overeating. Additionally, cortisol can cause your body to store fat, particularly around your midsection.

Thyroid Hormones

Thyroid hormones play a crucial role in regulating metabolism. If your thyroid gland is underactive (hypothyroidism), your metabolism may slow down, making it more difficult to lose weight. 

Water Retention (Temporary)

Fluctuations in water retention can have a significant effect on weight loss. Water retention refers to the accumulation of excess fluid in the body’s tissues.

However, it’s important to note that water fluctuations are usually temporary, a few days maybe. This applies if you’re running into a temporary plateau but not if you’ve been in a weight loss plateau for a couple weeks. 

When the body retains water, it can mask the effects of weight loss, making it appear as though progress has stalled or even regressed. This is because the body’s total weight is made up of various components, including fat, muscle, bone, and water. For example, if someone loses a pound of fat but their body is retaining an extra pound of water, the overall weight on the scale may not change or even increase.

Water retention can occur for a variety of reasons, including hormonal changes, certain medications, high sodium intake, and dehydration. It can also occur as a result of intense exercise, which can cause muscles to retain water as they repair and grow. However, it’s important to note that fluctuations in water retention are generally temporary and not indicative of long-term weight loss progress. 

It’s also worth noting that using the scale as the sole measure of progress during weight loss can be misleading. Other measures such as body measurements, body fat percentage, and progress photos can provide a more accurate picture of progress. Additionally, focusing on overall health and well-being rather than just weight loss can help to ensure long-term success.

If you’re experiencing a weight loss plateau it can be frustrating. However, it’s quite common and there are multiple ways to break through. You learned that you metabolic system can slow as a result of prolonged calorie deficit. You also learned that as your body weight goes down so does your BMR. And you learn how your hormones can effect weight loss as well as water retention. 

So now that you know why you may be hitting a plateau in your weight loss it’s important to identify which are most likely happening to you. And it’s always wise to get your hormone levels checked regularly. 

Be sure to read our article on How To Work Through A Weight Loss Plateau next week!