Overcoming Weight Plateaus

Written by Melissa Gess, Mayo Clinic Dietetic Intern

Weight-plateaus are when the weight doesn’t change, usually after trying to lose weight. The initial loss of weight is when glycogen is burned for energy and releases water, hence loss of “water weight”. There is also the loss of fat and some muscle, leading to declines in metabolism, fewer calories burned, and less weight lost. This leads to the plateau, which is to be expected and does not mean the end of the weight loss journey. Ways to overcome this is to reevaluate foods eaten throughout the day through journaling/tracking, decrease caloric intake, and/or increase physical activity during the day.

Here are three articles from Mayo Clinic that discuss more on weight loss plateaus:

Getting past a weight-loss plateau - Mayo Clinic

The weight-loss plateau: What it means and how you can get past it - Mayo Clinic News Network

Mayo Clinic Minute: Why losing weight can slow your metabolism - Mayo Clinic News Network