Why Your Weight Is Stagnating

You work out regularly and count your calories carefully but your weight isn’t changing. How come? Here are some reasons that could explain why your weight is stagnating. Discover these tips and tricks for losing weight safely.

Why Your Weight Is Stagnating

Diet and exercise are important factors in your weight loss. However, eating little and doing a lot of exercise won’t be enough: the right foods, a well-thought-out calorie deficit and exercise will help you lose weight together. You think you’re doing everything right but your weight isn’t changing? Despite a strict diet plan and regular training? We’ve listed the different reasons that could be the cause.

–Metabolic adaptations… Yes. Weight loss… No.

The body is always looking for a balance in calorie management. If calorie intake drops, then metabolism will slow down. Basically, you burn fewer and fewer calories, until you burn as many calories as you consume. You then reach a weight loss plateau and your weight stagnates.

If you want to lose weight in the long term, you should plan a calorie deficit of 200 to 500 kcal maximum. If the deficit is greater, you risk having cravings and suffering from the yo-yo effect, the enemy of any effective weight loss, because your body will store more fat. Thanks to a calorie calculator, you can easily find out your daily calorie requirement and your calorie deficit. During your weight loss, it is important to regularly adjust your calorie intake.

-“I did some sport, I can treat myself” … Or not?

Often, the extra calories are the reason why the weight stagnates. It is common to overestimate the calories burned during physical effort. The fact that you do more sport during a diet is not an excuse to let yourself go too much. Pay attention to how many calories you really burn in order to consume between 300 and 500 fewer.

You should think about starting your diet with a logbook, in order to know exactly what your current diet is like and what points need to be changed. What foods do you eat daily that are calorie traps? What good attitudes do you already have? Keeping a logbook regularly will allow you to become aware of the changes you need to make in your diet to succeed in your weight loss. However, this does not mean spending every minute of your day counting your macros or calories. You can very well take stock every two weeks.

–Weight stagnation due to muscle growth

If you exercise while losing weight, you will quickly see changes in your body. Whether it’s cardio or strength training: muscle growth and fat burning progress through regular exercise.

Changes in body composition can lead to weight stagnation. However, love handles melt away as they should. Yes, but muscles work like power stations: they burn calories even at rest and the body becomes more defined and firmer despite weight stagnation.

For this to work, it is essential to adopt a diet rich in protein. Yes, more muscle means more protein.

Even if your weight gain is short-term, you don’t have to worry. Muscles are about 10% heavier than fat, are denser and are composed of 80% water.

–Irregular and poorly executed sports training

Sports and weight loss go hand in hand and we often forget that training must be adapted to the objectives. Excessive sporting exploits, too heavy weights and irregular sessions risk not being accompanied by long-term progress.

You must always find a half-measure. Regular training, well-chosen exercises, moderate intensity and variations in the training program ensure that your weight does not stagnate.

-Stress causes weight stagnation

Your weight may stagnate in the long term if your training is too intense and you don’t regenerate enough. If the muscles and autonomic nervous system don’t get enough rest and sleep to recover, the body produces additional stress hormones. The first symptoms can be fatigue, lack of energy and a feeling of weakness.

Cortisol in particular prevents sugar and fat from being transported to and burned by the muscles. As a result, nutrients are transported to the fat cells.

Muscles use the body’s proteins to convert amino acids into glucose and thus produce energy. For this reason, they gradually deconstruct themselves. Therefore, if the cortisol level increases continuously, you risk losing all your muscles.

–“Daily calorie intake…” what?

For effective weight loss (whether planned in the short or long term), you must first take stock of your daily calorie intake. It depends on each person, and our age, height, weight, and physical activity are different factors. This is why a calorie calculator will be very useful to start with.

As the weight loss process progresses, your weight drops, and so do your daily calorie needs. If your diet and nutritional habits are not adapted to these new requirements, the previously chosen calorie deficit will automatically be distorted. So be careful to regularly adapt your nutritional program or, if you need it, get advice from a professional.

Concretely, what should I do when my weight stagnates?

To overcome this plateau in your weight loss, it is important to take stock of: your diet, your sport and your weight.

What you should pay attention to: measure your weight about once a week or every two weeks. You should always weigh yourself at the same time of day, in order to have an objective average.

–Weigh yourself regularly to compare data

Establish a regular weigh-in (every week or 2 weeks) and always at the same time of day. One of the best times is in the morning on an empty stomach, before training. Thanks to these measurements, you will be able to create a curve of your progress over the desired period and thus adjust either your training or your diet.

-Vary the intensity of the exercises and the weights used

Varying in sport is like varying your diet: it can only do good! When you already have an established sports routine, it is possible that your body gets used to the exercises and no longer surpasses itself. Adjusting your training means providing more muscular stimuli.

We advise you to vary your training, exercises or add weights to certain exercises. Even if you only train 2 to 3 times a week. This way you challenge your body and it will react by burning more calories. For example, you could decide to increase the intensity of your training every 4 to 6 weeks. This way, you would be constantly progressing in sport, as in your diet.

And don’t forget to stick to your diet plan and adapt your caloric needs according to the training and its intensity.

–Define your caloric deficit at fixed intervals

To put an end to weight stagnation, it is important to adjust your diet plan regularly. Take stock of your weight every four weeks and adapt the caloric deficit according to your success, your training and your diet.

In this sense, a nutritional diary can only help you maintain the bar of your weight loss. As a reminder, your calorie deficit should not exceed more than 500 kcal. It is better to adapt your deficit little by little, starting with -100 kcal, then the following month -200 kcal, etc.

–Take time for yourself and recover

Do you feel rested? How is the quality of your sleep lately? Do you have digestive problems? All these questions are also to be taken into account in your weight loss. Your body tells you its state every day, in a clear way.

You can stagnate in your weight loss or gain, if you do not take the time to recover. Daily stress, if it is not evacuated, can also be harmful to your weight loss. It is therefore a question of taking care of yourself: meditation, massage, yoga, pilates, bubble bath… Anything is good to take to relax, unwind your muscles and offer your body a few hours of well-being.

Finally, know that weight stagnates recurrently and that this is a normal process. This is why your training and nutrition programs must be adapted and optimized. Maintain the same routine for at least a week, and then adapt them. Repeat the process and compare the results regularly. Even if your progress is not yet visible or is too long for your liking, stay the course. By being consistent and patient, you will see the results of your efforts. The most important:

• Eat plenty of protein and fiber.
• Change your daily caloric intake every week or two weeks.
• Forget drastic diets and eat healthy.
• Establish a regular weigh-in at the same time.
• Make time for breaks, recovery and sleep.

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I hope you now have the answer to why your weight is stagnating. Comment down below what you think of the reasons listed above. Do you agree? Or better yet, share with us your tips to smoothly get back on track on our fitness journey!

Looking forward to reading your comments, sending you love and positive energy!!!