What is a plateau in weight loss?

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A plateau is when weight stops moving for several weeks despite continued effort, and it is a normal, near-universal phase, not proof your body is broken. The mechanics: as you lose weight, your smaller body burns fewer calories at rest and during movement, so the calorie deficit that worked 15 pounds ago quietly shrinks to zero; on top of that, the body defends weight loss with increased hunger hormones and subtle reductions in everyday movement, a metabolic adaptation that is real but modest, not the "starvation mode" of internet lore. Before changing anything, audit: portions drift back up, tracking gets looser, weekend calories creep in, and sometimes the fat is still moving but water retention (new exercise, stress, high-salt days, cycle timing) masks it for weeks, which is why plateaus are judged in 3-to-4-week windows, not days. The levers that break a true plateau, consistent with the CDC's gradual-loss guidance: recalculate your calorie target for your current weight, tighten tracking for 2 weeks to find the drift, add or progress strength training (muscle raises the resting burn, the plateau-proofing lever), raise everyday movement (steps beat heroic workouts), check protein intake and sleep (both move hunger), and consider whether the current weight is simply where this routine holds you, which may be a fine answer. When a plateau deserves a medical look: genuinely adherent for a month with zero movement, plus fatigue, cold intolerance, or constipation, get a thyroid check, and review medications with a clinician, since several common ones push weight up. The mindset that survives plateaus: maintenance is a success state, and the trend over months is the scoreboard, not any 2-week stall.

What is a plateau in weight loss?

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