Cutting and bulking · 1 min read · Updated
Stuck on the scale? How to break a plateau
Most plateaus are water, tracking drift or less daily movement. Check these before you cut calories any further.
You've been dialed in for weeks and the scale won't budge. Before you slash calories, run through the usual suspects. Most plateaus aren't a broken metabolism.
Check these first
- Is it really a plateau? Give it 2 to 3 weeks of weekly averages, not a few bad mornings.
- Tracking drift: portions creep up, oils, sauces and bites don't get logged. Log everything for a week.
- Less daily movement: when you eat less, you tend to move less without noticing. Check your steps.
- Water: a new program, stress, poor sleep or more salt can hide fat loss for a while.
Then adjust a little
As you lose weight, you burn a bit less, so your maintenance drops too. Re-run the TDEE calculator with your new weight. Small moves work best: take 100 to 150 calories off your daily number, or add a couple of walks a week.
Know when to stop
If you're already near the calorie floor, don't go lower. Take 2 to 4 weeks at maintenance, keep lifting, and start again fresh.
Safety first: Tired all the time, dizzy, losing your period, or obsessing over food? Those are signs to eat more and talk to a doctor, not to cut further.