Overcoming Weight-Loss Plateaus: Tips and Strategies

Table of Contents

1. 1. You’re Falling for Diet Foods
2. 2. You Are Eating Meals Too Fast
3. 3. Your Diet Lacks Fibre
4. 4. Your Hormones Aren’t Helping
5. 5. You’re Stressed
6. 6. You Need More Sleep
7. 7. You’re Not Moving Enough
8. 8. You’re Not Drinking Enough
9. 9. You’re Lacking Key Nutrients
10. 10. You Don’t Track What You Eat
11. 11. You’re Not Lifting Weights
12. 12. You Don’t Eat Enough
13. 13. You Keep Skipping Meals

With just seven weeks remaining until 2025, your aspirations to enter the New Year feeling your best may have been hindered by the frustrating weight-loss plateau.

Are the numbers on the scale suddenly stagnant, despite months of consistent progress? Factors like not consuming enough calories—and even skipping meals—might be contributing to this issue, according to a personal trainer.

Experts share tips on overcoming the diet plateau while attempting to lose weight Credit: Alamy Personal trainer and lifestyle and nutrition coach Chloe Thomas explains why you may be struggling to shed those final few pounds.

If you’re trying to lose those last couple of pounds, Chloe Thomas, a personal trainer and lifestyle and nutrition coach, informs Sun that two main factors could be at play.

One is ‘metabolic adaptation’, where prolonged periods of calorie restriction begin to have an impact.

Chloe elaborates: “Your metabolism slows in response to reduced caloric intake. This adaptation can make it challenging to continue losing weight or to maintain weight loss.”

Additionally, we each have a weight ‘set point’—and your body may resist significant deviations from it.

Chloe adds: “This set point reflects the weight at which your body operates most efficiently and maintains physiological stability without requiring extreme dietary measures or excessive exercise.”

Your set point is influenced by various factors, including your body composition, appetite regulation, and genetic predisposition.

Chloe states: “While your set-point weight may fluctuate slightly due to lifestyle changes or environmental factors, the body generally defends this weight range through mechanisms that control hunger, energy expenditure, and fat storage.”

If you're finding it hard to break through the plateau, we’ll explore 13 potential barriers and how to overcome them.

1. YOU'RE FALLING FOR DIET FOODS

Products labeled as ‘low fat’ or ‘diet’ may actually hinder your efforts to maintain a healthy weight Credit: Getty

You might think that these products will assist with weight loss.

However, Claire Hitchen, a BANT (British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine) registered nutritionist specializing in hormone health, tells Sun Health that items labeled as ‘low fat’ or ‘diet’ could actually complicate weight maintenance.

She explains: “When fat is removed from these food products, it is often replaced with added sugar or fillers.”

Claire emphasizes that quality fat is an essential component of a healthy diet.

“We need fats for energy and to absorb several crucial vitamins like vitamins A, D, E, and K, which are known as fat-soluble vitamins.”

“A diet lacking in healthy fats can negatively impact hormone production, which is detrimental to our hormones, weight management, and overall health.”

Additionally, Claire mentions that studies have linked additives and emulsifiers—often found in low-fat diet food products—to weight gain and other health issues.

Claire suggests: “Eliminate the ‘diet’ labels and focus on enjoying whole, minimally processed, nutrient-dense foods.”

“For instance, choose whole milk and yogurt instead of low-fat, non-fat, or skimmed options. They are more nutrient-rich and help you feel satisfied longer.”

2. YOU ARE EATING MEALS TOO FAST

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