Regaining Momentum – Why We Plateau and How to Bounce Back
Let’s talk about the dreaded plateau. You know the one. You’ve been doing really well, feeling proud of yourself, the scales are moving, the clothes are looser, and then, bam, everything grinds to a halt. It’s that moment when your jeans have finally started to fit better, you’re strutting around feeling smug, and then suddenly the scales decide they’re on strike. The weight loss stops, motivation dips, and suddenly that initial buzz you felt has fizzled out.
Sound familiar? You are not alone. Plateaus are among the most common reasons people give up on a weight-loss programme. They are frustrating, disheartening and can make you question whether all the effort is worth it. But here’s the good news: plateaus are normal, they happen to everyone, and they do not mean you’ve failed. In fact, understanding why they occur can be the very thing that helps you push through and regain your momentum.
First and foremost, let’s find out if it really is a plateau. This might sound strange, but in my clinic, I often hear from patients who treat the scales as their holy grail of success or failure. The problem is, your scales aren’t very clever. They give you a number, that’s it. They don’t know if you need a poo, if you’re hormonal, retaining water, inflamed, or just wearing a heavier dressing gown.
Unless you’ve spent thousands on a fancy medical-grade set, even those high-street “smart” scales are not as accurate as they claim. They can be useful for trends, but not for truth.
That’s why I always encourage my patients to focus on body size instead. Before we start a weight loss journey, I get them to measure key areas of the body and log them on an Excel spreadsheet. This allows you to record both weight and inches weekly, which gives a far clearer picture of progress.
I often see patients who stay the same on the scales, or even gain a pound or two, but lose several inches. Remember, as we’ve discussed before, a pound of muscle and a pound of fat weigh the same, but muscle is smaller and denser. So, if you’re strength training or simply moving more, you may see the scales hold steady while your clothes fit better. That’s not a plateau, that’s progress.
Why do plateaus happen?
There are several reasons, some physical, some psychological, but all are important, and remember, you can have more than one reason.
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Metabolic adaptation - When you lose weight, your body gets clever. It adjusts your metabolism to conserve energy. This is sometimes called “adaptive thermogenesis,” which is a fancy way of saying your body tries to keep you alive by holding onto calories. Your smaller body also naturally needs fewer calories than before, which slows weight loss.
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Hormonal shifts - Remember our friends ghrelin and leptin? Ghrelin, your hunger hormone, often increases when you’ve been losing weight, while leptin, which helps you feel satisfied, can drop. This combination makes you hungrier and less satisfied, which can push you towards eating a little more. Add cortisol from stress or poor sleep into the mix, and your appetite can easily ramp up.
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Water, hormones and life - Sometimes what looks like a plateau isn’t really a plateau. Fluid retention, hormonal fluctuations, constipation, inflammation, even whether you’ve had a salty meal the day before can mask fat loss on the scales. As we have previously said, but always worth mentioning again and again, please do not pin your entire progress on the bathroom scales. They lie more often than we realise.
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Psychology and boredom - Let’s not forget the mindset part. At the start, everything feels exciting. You’re motivated, you’ve got a plan, you’re focused. But as time goes on, that enthusiasm can dip. Boredom creeps in. You start slipping back into old habits without noticing. One biscuit becomes two. Exercise sessions get skipped. Little things add up. When this happens it is important to do what you can to bring back that enthusiasm and passion – maybe revisit why you started, do a PT session to get more motivated, read up on diet – whatever it is that helps you focus and become passionate again.
How to break through a plateau
The good news is that plateaus are not permanent. With a few tweaks and a shift in mindset, you can get things moving again.
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Shake up your food choices - If you’ve been eating the same meals over and over, not only is your body used to it, but your brain is bored too. Try changing things around. Add in new sources of protein, swap your carbs, and play with herbs and spices. Sometimes just refreshing your meals is enough to reinstate your inspiration.
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Check your protein and fibre - These are your secret weapons. Protein helps preserve lean muscle (which keeps your metabolism ticking) and keeps you fuller for longer. Fibre not only helps with satiety but supports gut health, which can influence weight too. If your breakfast is still toast and jam, this could be one of the simplest yet most powerful tweaks.
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Move a little differently - Your body adapts to the same exercise routine. If you always walk the same route at the same pace, try hills, intervals, or add some resistance training. Building muscle is especially powerful because muscle burns more energy even at rest. Think of it as giving your metabolism a gentle nudge.
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Manage stress and sleep - Plateaus are not just about calories in and out. If your stress is high and your sleep is poor, cortisol will be higher, appetite will rise, and cravings will bite harder. Prioritising sleep and stress management can feel like a luxury, but for weight loss it is essential.
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Be honest with yourself - This one is tough, but sometimes necessary. Are you truly sticking to your plan, or have old habits been sneaking back in? A handful of nuts here, a glass of wine there, a skipped workout – it all adds up. Being kind but honest with yourself can make all the difference.
Reigniting your motivation
Sometimes, it’s not about the plateau itself, but about your mindset during it. Here are some ways to spark your enthusiasm again:
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Reconnect with your why – why did you start this in the first place? Write it down, say it out loud, pin it on the fridge if you need to.
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Set mini goals – instead of focusing on “I want to lose three stone,” focus on “I will walk three times this week” or “I will try two new protein-rich recipes.” Small goals build momentum.
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Celebrate non-scale victories – looser jeans, better sleep, fewer sugar cravings, feeling fitter – these all matter.
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Get support – whether from friends, family, or a nutritionist, accountability and encouragement help enormously.
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Reward yourself – not with food, but with something you’ll look forward to. A spa day, new workout gear, and even time to yourself with a good book.
When to embrace the pause
Sometimes, a plateau isn’t something that needs fixing at all, it’s simply a pause while your body catches up. Think of it as a little pit stop on your journey. Your body may just be taking a breather, adjusting to its new normal, and that’s really okay. Holding steady isn’t failure, it’s practice for maintenance, and that’s the real goal. If you can maintain now, you can maintain later, too.
So, if the scales aren’t moving, don’t panic. Take a step back, breathe, and look at the bigger picture. Are you sleeping better? Do your clothes fit differently? Has your energy improved? All of these are signs that things are still moving in the right direction.
Plateaus are part of the process; they happen to everyone. They’re not your programme failing, and they’re certainly not you failing. They’re simply a nudge to look at what’s working, what needs a little tweak, and maybe where you can add a bit more joy. It’s all part of this wonderful journey of change, bringing in the new you and hopefully learning to keep these habits.
Motivation will come and go, and that’s perfectly normal. None of us wakes up every morning thrilled about protein at breakfast or a brisk walk in the rain. That’s why habits matter so much. Once something becomes a habit, it no longer relies on motivation; it just happens because you miss it when it doesn’t. You notice how different you feel if you haven’t had that walk or that protein breakfast, and you may not like this old feeling.
If you haven’t already read Atomic Habits by James Clear, I highly recommend it. It’s one of those books that genuinely changes how you think about progress. The idea is simple: focus on tiny improvements, 1 percent at a time. Those small wins add up faster than you think, and before you know it, you’ve built a lifestyle that works effortlessly in the background.
So, instead of aiming for perfect, aim for consistent. Keep showing up, even on the boring days. Celebrate the small stuff. Because this isn’t about a quick fix, it’s about becoming the kind of person who naturally does the things that keep you well.
And speaking of keeping things going, in the next part of this series we’ll be talking about life after GLP-1 medication, focusing on how to maintain your results, rebuild trust with your body, and stay motivated for the long haul. This is where it all comes together: habits, mindset, and confidence that you can absolutely do this on your own. So for now, take a breath, smile, and remember, a plateau isn’t the end of progress. It’s just the pause before your next breakthrough.
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