Buzz
At some point during your weight loss journey, you may experience a plateau. Even if you're following your plan meticulously, the number on the scale may stop changing. Here's how to handle it.
The first step is to check if water retention might be causing the scale to stay the same. Lyle McDonald, nutritionist and author of the blog Body Recomposition, elaborates:
Many people assume that fat loss will happen in a nice, steady, and predictable manner week after week. While that can be true for some, it's often not the case for many others—and I’d argue this group might actually be the majority.
Instead, fat loss is often marked by periods of stalls and progress, sometimes called ‘stalls’ and ‘whooshes’ in online forums. I explored this topic in depth in
The Stubborn Fat Solution
, and I also highlighted it in the article
Of Whooshes and Squishy Fat
. The primary issue here is usually water retention, which can mask actual fat loss, leading you to believe your diet isn’t working, even though it actually is.
If you're maintaining a sensible caloric deficit and sticking to your plan, wait another week before adjusting your diet or exercise routine. If two weeks pass and there's no change, refer to the chart below:
As shown, avoid cutting calories unless you're losing less than one pound per week, provided the stall isn’t due to water retention. If your performance is declining, such as a drop in strength or stamina, consider increasing your calories by 10%. For further details, check out Lyle McDonald's article on this topic.
Image by Paul H.
