A weight loss plateau is normal — as you get lighter, your body burns less, so the deficit that worked at the start slowly shrinks to nothing. The fix usually isn't drastic; it's a few adjustments. Here's how to start losing again.
Why plateaus happen
- A smaller body burns fewer calories, so your old calorie target is now closer to maintenance.
- "Calorie creep." Portions drift up and tracking gets looser over time.
- Water retention can hide real fat loss for weeks (especially with stress, salt or new training).
How to break it
- Recalculate your calories. Your target from 8kg ago is out of date — redo your maintenance calories and deficit.
- Tighten tracking for two weeks. Plateaus are often under-logging. Weigh and log accurately again (how accurate are calorie apps).
- Prioritise protein. It protects muscle (which keeps your burn up) and keeps you full (how much protein per day).
- Move more day-to-day (steps), rather than just slashing food.
- Check the scale isn't lying — weigh at the same time, and judge the weekly trend, not daily noise.
What not to do
Don't crash your calories to nothing — that costs you muscle and energy and isn't sustainable. Small, accurate adjustments beat extreme cuts.
See where the deficit slipped
forme keeps your calories and protein accurate from a quick scan and updates your target as your weight changes — so plateaus are easy to spot and fix.
The bottom line
Plateaus are normal physiology, not failure. Recalculate your calories, tighten tracking, keep protein high, and move more — then judge the weekly trend. This is general information, not medical or dietary advice.