Few things knock motivation like a flat patch. You are doing the same sensible things that seemed to be working, and the scales simply stop moving. It is easy to decide the whole effort is pointless, and that thought, more than the plateau itself, is what usually ends the attempt.
I cannot tell you why your own body has paused, and I would be wary of anyone who claims to without knowing you. For that, your GP is the right person. What I can help with is the thinking around a plateau: the frustration, the urge to give up, and how to stay steady while things are quiet.
Progress is rarely a straight line
Bodies are not machines with a fixed output. Weight goes up and down for all sorts of reasons, including fluid, sleep, stress and even the time of day you step on the scales. Over a longer stretch, steady habits tend to show, but the line in between is usually bumpy, with flat sections and the odd jump the wrong way.
When we expect a smooth downward slope, every pause feels like failure. When we expect bumps, a flat patch becomes just another part of the road. Same body, same numbers, a very different feeling.
It also helps to remember why you started. Most people did not begin because of a number. They wanted more energy, more confidence, or to feel at ease in their clothes. Those reasons have not gone anywhere during a flat patch, and they may still be improving quietly.
How frustration does the damage
Frustration is a strong emotion, and strong emotions look for a quick release. For many people that release is food, or the decision that ‘it is not working, so why bother’. Either way, the good habits that were quietly doing their job get dropped right when they most need to continue.
It helps to treat the scales as information rather than a judge. A number on a Tuesday morning tells you very little on its own. How you are sleeping, how your clothes feel, how often you eat on autopilot, how much you move: these are often better signs of whether your habits are holding.
Plateaus are also where old thinking creeps back. ‘I knew this would not work for me.’ ‘I am just one of those people.’ Notice these thoughts when they appear. They feel like facts, but they are predictions, and they usually come from the frustrated part of you, not the calm part.
- Weigh less often if the scales set your mood
- Track the habits you control, not only the number
- Expect flat stretches as part of the pattern
- See your GP if you are worried about your health
Something to try today
Write down three habits that you know are good for you and that you have kept going during this flat patch. They might be drinking more water, walking after dinner or eating at the table instead of in front of a screen. Next to each one, write a single word for how it makes you feel, apart from anything the scales say.
Put the list on the fridge or by the kettle. When frustration builds, read it before you decide anything. The aim is to remind yourself that the work is still happening, even when the evidence is slow to show.
Episodes to listen to
These two sessions both deal with the feeling of being stuck. They use very different images, so you may find one suits you more than the other.
Hypnosis To Lay the Foundation of Long Term Weight Loss
This session uses the image of bamboo, which spends a long time growing roots underground before anything shows above the surface. It treats the quiet stretches as foundation work, and helps you tell real hunger from cravings so your choices stay steady while you wait.
Good if you are impatient for change and want to trust the groundwork you are doing.
The Motorway on the Weight Loss Journey
Change is pictured as a long drive: steady progress in the slow lane, hold-ups when emotions get in the way, and service station stops where you rest without guilt. The idea is that the slow and stuck parts of the trip build the patience and pride that make the destination worth reaching.
Good if you are losing heart because progress feels slow or invisible.
Common questions
Why have I stopped losing weight when I am doing everything right?
Weight naturally moves up and down, and progress often comes in uneven steps with flat stretches in between. If a plateau goes on for a long time or you are concerned about your health, talk to your GP. In the meantime, focus on keeping the habits you know are good for you.
How do I stay motivated on a weight loss plateau?
Shift your attention from the scales to the habits you control, and notice other signs such as energy and how your clothes fit. Many people find it helps to see a plateau as part of normal progress rather than a sign of failure.
Should I cut back harder when I hit a plateau?
I would be cautious about that. Cutting back sharply out of frustration often leads to feeling deprived and then overeating. If you want advice on what you eat, your GP or a registered dietitian is the right person to ask.
Please read
Hypnosis works with habits, feelings and attention. It is not medical treatment and does not replace your GP. If you have, or think you may have, an eating disorder, or you are pregnant, diabetic or taking weight-loss medicine, please speak to your GP first. Beat, the UK eating disorder charity, is on 0808 801 0677. The podcast sessions are for adults: listen somewhere comfortable, never while driving.
Where to go from here
Listen on The Hypnotist Podcast
Every session above is free to hear on The Hypnotist Podcast, along with more than 200 other weight and eating episodes.
Is hypnosis right for you?
Take my free four minute suitability test. You get an honest answer about whether hypnotherapy is likely to help with your goals, and how.
Prefer to talk it through? Book a consultation call and use code SLIM at checkout for half price: £24.50 instead of £49 (or $29.50 outside the UK).
More on this topic: whether hypnosis works for weight loss.