What is weight loss plateaus and how can you break it?

Weight loss plateaus are very common and can occur for various reasons.

When you first reduce your energy intake, you usually lose weight pretty quickly, but that's often mainly water weight and doesn't last.

For some people a plateau occurs further down the line because once they've lost the initial motivation to stick to their calorie deficit, they find it too restrictive and give up.

As you managed to lose weight for years, it doesn't sound like this is the case for you, though.

Research suggests that people who lose weight become hungrier as a result, which may mean you're eating at maintenance rather than at an energy deficit.

While the concept of "starvation mode" (the idea that if you eat too little your body will hold on to its fat stores) does exist, it's not something you'd be experiencing and only occurs in extreme cases of malnourishment, experts previously explained to Insider.

However, you will likely have experienced some metabolic adaption — which means that as a smaller person, you require fewer calories than when you were larger.

This isn't something to be "fixed," it's simply a scientific fact.

When it comes to your training, the problem could be that you're trying to do too many different things. Make sure you're applying the principle of progressive overload, which means gradually challenging your body more by increasing the weights, reps, or sets — not doing this may be why your progress has stalled.

Weight loss ultimately comes down to being in an energy deficit, so it's likely that, even if you're eating "healthy" foods, you're just eating too much. Just make sure your calorie deficit is gentle, and therefore sustainable.

Striving for perfection doesn't lead to long-term success. The fact of the matter is that no one's weight loss goes in a perfect straight line, so it's important to stop striving for perfection.

It's important that we let go of this idea of perfection, [and] that we let go of the negative feelings associated with trying to do things perfectly.

People who are most successful with their weight loss efforts have a different outlook: rather than thinking of deviations to the plan as failures, they see them as learning opportunities.

The key to consistent weight loss (and subsequently keeping the weight off) is enjoying your lifestyle, and research proves this.

Did you enjoy your life when you were losing weight? Or have you gradually deviated from those healthy habits because they felt too much like hard work?

You're more likely to stick with habits that you want to achieve rather than those you feel you have to, because it feels more effortless.

Finally, It's important to remember that the number on the scale doesn't tell you your body composition, nor anything about your overall health.