Plateau for 3 weeks, what am I doing wrong?
I've been in a 500 cal deficit for 2 months. Lost 8 lbs the first 5 weeks and then... nothing. Scale hasn't moved in 3 weeks. Still eating 1800 cals, still working out. What gives?
Stats: F/28/5'6", SW: 168, CW: 160, GW: 140
3-week plateaus are very normal, especially for women. Water retention from your menstrual cycle can mask fat loss for 2-4 weeks. If you're confident in your tracking, just keep going.
Also: as you lose weight your TDEE drops. Your "500 cal deficit" at 168 lbs might only be a 300 cal deficit at 160.
Are you absolutely sure about that 1800 number? Common plateau culprits: cooking oils you're not logging, weekend meals you're underestimating, condiments adding up, etc.
Try taking measurements and progress photos in addition to the scale. You might be recomping — losing fat and gaining muscle if you're lifting. The scale won't show that.
From a physiological standpoint, fat loss is not linear. Your body retains water for various reasons (stress, sodium, exercise inflammation, hormones). Trust the process for another 1-2 weeks before making changes.
When this happens to me I do a 2-day diet break at maintenance calories. Seems to "reset" things. Might be psychological but the scale usually drops after.
@calorieQueen I track pretty carefully with PlateLens but you're right, I might be missing some cooking oil. I'll pay more attention to that. Thanks everyone — I'll stay the course for another 2 weeks.
The whoosh effect is real. You'll probably wake up one morning 3 lbs lighter. Bodies are weird.
I plateau every 4-5 weeks like clockwork. It's frustrating but always breaks eventually if the deficit is real. Hang in there!