How To Break A Weight Loss Plateau

It’s very normal for people to go through stalls in progress when they are on a weight loss journey. This is called a weight loss plateau. Our bodies are smart and extremely adaptable, and so weight loss can sometimes slow down for up to 6-8 weeks.

There are several things you can do to help to break a plateau, which will correct your metabolism again and get you back on track. Just try not to panic, stick to your plan and make a few adjustments…


1  Increase exercise duration or change activity - e.g. instead of going to the gym, go for a walk, or vary the length or route of your walks.

2  Increase incidental activity - e.g. choose to take the stairs or park further away from work to fit in more exercise.

3  Eat less sugar - be aware of hidden sugar in low fat foods.

4  Drink less alcohol - alcohol is additional fuel for the body, that is especially unhelpful during a plateau.

5  Check your portions - it can be helpful to downsize your dinner plate and eat slower.

6  Increase raw food into you diet – e.g. green salads, sprouts, coleslaw.

7  Check that you are not having too many starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, peas or corn. Replace some of these with other vegetables like zucchini, spinach, broccoli, string beans, cauliflower, eggplant (but do not exclude starchy veggies completely).

8  Eat regularly - do not skip meals or snacks.


Remember to focus on the positives if you ever hit a weight loss plateau. This means that you’ve already begun to increase your fitness and energy levels! Weight loss is like climbing a big mountain. You can’t do it all in one go, you have to take it in stages, resting at times to catch your breath, recharge your energy and take off again. Hang in there!


Vicky Mazzone
One On One Diet Counselling