Get Beyond Your Weight Loss Plateau

Answered By Dietitian, Juliette Kellow BSc RD

Q: I’ve lost a couple of stone with WLR and am just half a stone from my target. Now, all of a sudden I’ve stopped losing weight, and nothing I do seems to work. What can I do to get off this weight loss plateau?

A: Congratulations on your weight loss so far! What you’re experiencing is common – many successful slimmers find their weight remains static for several weeks. However, you’ll be pleased to hear that most people find the pounds suddenly start to shift again. Why this happens isn’t clear but it seems to be the body’s way of ‘catching up’ with its sudden change in size.

Although it’s disappointing when you don’t lose weight steadily, this is a crucial time for you. It’s at this point that many people give up, fail to reach their goal and pile the weight back on. In contrast, most people who get through this difficult patch go on to reach their goal, and then stay slim forever.

There’s never been a more important time for you to stay motivated so look back on your success to date, whether that’s checking out your WLR weight loss chart or comparing pictures of yourself before you started losing weight, with pictures now.

You might also find it motivating to measure your vital statistics – even though the scales don’t show a loss, you might still find you’re losing inches.

Finally, if you haven’t already done so, you should make sure you update your WLR Goals Chart with your current weight. As people lose weight, they need slightly fewer calories to continue losing weight at the same rate. This is because the lighter you are, the less energy you need each day to move around. Keep persevering and that last half stone will eventually shift. Good luck!