What to Do When Weight Loss Stops

If you are losing weight, at some point your progress will stop. Even if you do everything correctly, the number on the scale will stop moving. Here’s what to do in this case.

First, determine if it is possible that the number on the scale does not change due to the fact that you are holding water. Lyle MacDonald, nutritionist and author of the Body Recomposition blog, explains:

Many people expect weight loss to be a good weekly linear function that happens in a predictable way. And of course, for some it may be so. However, for an equally large number of people (and I’m probably inclined to argue that these people make up the majority), weight loss does not occur in a predictable linear fashion.

Rather, there are often stops and starts or, as it is often called on the Internet, breakdowns and whistles. I discussed this topic quite seriously in The Stubborn Fat Solution and quoted this passage in the article Of Whooshes and Squishy Fat . The main reason here is almost always water retention, which can mask true fat loss and make it appear as if a diet that is otherwise perfectly tuned (and working fine) is not.

If you are moderately calorie deficient and sticking to your protocol, give it another week before changing your diet or exercising. If two weeks or more have passed and the figure still does not change, refer to the following table:

As you can see, you should not be cutting calories unless you are losing less than one pound per week, provided your stall is not the result of water retention. You may also want to consider a 10% increase in calories if you lose performance, as measured by decreased strength, endurance, etc. For more information, check out Lyle MacDonald’s article on the topic below.

Diet Adjustment | Body reconstruction

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