What a Plateau Really Is
A plateau isn’t failure—it’s feedback. The body needs time to adapt, and sometimes the deficit you started with no longer creates progress.
Step 1: Check Consistency
Before changing anything, review your past 2–3 weeks. Are weekends, snacks, or unlogged meals creeping in? 85–90% consistency beats perfection.
Step 2: Audit Accuracy
Small measurement errors can erase a deficit. Re-weigh common foods, recheck labels, and be honest about “bites and tastes.”
Step 3: Move More
Add +2–3k daily steps, stand more, or take one 15–20 min walk after dinner. Often, this alone restarts progress.
Step 4: Lift (or Lift Better)
Add resistance training or tighten your effort with progressive overload. More muscle = higher maintenance calories.
Step 5: Maintenance Week
If you’ve been dieting for months, a 7–14 day break at maintenance can reset energy and hormones, improving adherence afterward.
Step 6: Adjust Calories (Last Resort)
If truly stuck, reduce average daily intake by ~100–150 kcal (often one snack’s worth). Smaller changes sustain long-term adherence.
Key Takeaways
Plateaus happen to everyone. The fix is almost always consistency, accuracy, or activity—not drastic cuts.