7 Reasons You’ve Hit a Fat Loss Plateau (This List Might Surprise You)
You ever look at your scale and just want to, I don’t know, smash it with a hammer?
Not just once—but enough times that if someone walked in, they’d think R2D2 exploded? Or maybe you feel like, I don’t know, opening the nearest window and flinging it like a frisbee? Chuck it as hard as you can, with no regard for what or who may lie in its path? I have terrific news - you’re not alone! In fact, me and most of my clients have felt the same way.
Even better news?
A lot of the time, the number you’re seeing is just water weight. Or inflammation. Or—you guessed it—muscle gain.
Finally, the best news - if you’ve actually hit a fat loss plateau (which I define as the same average weight for 10-14 days despite hitting your calorie and step goals with 80% accuracy), I’m here to help.
So go ahead and set your poor, innocent scale back on the shelf.
Let’s break down the most common reasons fat loss stalls—and what to do next.
1. You’re kind of tracking—but not really.
You say you’re eating “about 1,800 calories.” But when we look closer… it’s more like 2,400. or 3,400.
Here’s the thing: most people underreport by 20–40%. Not because they’re lazy—because they forget the little stuff:
Bites while cooking
Licks and sips
Oils and dressings
Granola handfuls straight from the bag (you know the one)
These don’t seem like much—but they add up fast. And when fat loss stalls, they’re usually the culprit.
The fix?
Track everything—just for a week. Not forever. Just enough to reset your radar. You’ll be surprised what you find. And more importantly, you’ll know exactly what to tweak.
"UGHHH—but John… I hate tracking."
Totally get it. Not everyone wants to weigh their peanut butter.
If you’re not tracking food, I’d recommend tracking your weight more often—daily or every other day instead of once or twice a week. It helps you spot trends instead of reacting to random blips.
And just know—less structure = more patience.
You can be flexible. It just might take a little longer to see results. No judgment either way. I’m not here to tell you what to do—just to help you get where you want to go!
2. You’re overestimating your movement.
Your watch says “Active.” But your step count says… yikes.
Let’s be honest: standing at a desk isn’t the same as walking 8K steps. Neither is doing a single 45-minute workout and then sitting the rest of the day. Fat loss doesn’t just come from workouts. It comes from your total daily movement—especially the stuff outside the gym (aka NEAT: non-exercise activity thermogenesis).
If you’re not hitting at least 7,000–10,000 steps a day? You’re probably burning way fewer calories than you think.
The fix?
Don’t obsess—just build it in:
10-minute walks after meals
Walking meetings or calls
Park farther away
Evening “clear your head” stroll
It adds up fast—and can mean the difference between spinning your wheels and steady progress.
3. Your weekends are wrecking your weekdays.
“I’m so good Monday through Thursday…” Famous last words!
If you’re locked in all week and then go off the rails Friday to Sunday? You can easily erase your deficit—or swing into a surplus. Even just a few drinks, takeout meals, or “it’s the weekend” snacks can add up to thousands of extra calories.
And the scale? It won’t be impressed by your weekday effort.
The fix?
Stop aiming for perfection. Aim for engagement—even on weekends.
Plan ahead for meals out
Keep a few non-negotiables (steps, protein, hydration)
Give yourself a flexible calorie range—not a free-for-all
Build in treats you actually enjoy so you’re not white-knuckling it
A little structure beats the all-or-nothing spiral every time.
4. You’re not eating enough protein.
You’re eating “pretty healthy”—but still always hungry. You’re working out—but not seeing any real definition.
Yeah. That’s a protein problem!
Protein does three things fat loss depends on:
Keeps you full
Preserves muscls
Boosts your metabolism (slightly, but still)
If you’re under-eating protein, you’ll likely feel hungrier, look softer, and lose more muscle than fat.
The fix?
Aim for 0.8–1g of protein per pound of goal bodyweight. For most people, that’s 100–180g per day. And yes, it takes effort—but it’s worth it.
Start by front-loading it:
30–40g at breakfast
Another 30–40g at lunch
Fill in the gaps with dinner and snacks
Get this right, and everything else gets easier—less hunger, better recovery, more visible results.
5. You’re losing fat… but gaining water.
Wait—how am I doing everything right and the scale’s going up?
Short answer: your body’s holding water. This happens all the time, especially when:
You’re stressed
You’re sore from lifting
You didn’t sleep well
You traveled
Your cycle’s shifting
You ate more carbs or sodium than usual
None of that means you’ve gained fat. It just means your body is temporarily holding onto water—and masking real progress underneath.
The fix?
Zoom out. Track trends over weeks, not days. Use more than just the scale:
Progress photos
Clothes fit
Energy, strength, digestion
That weird but sweet moment when someone says, “Hey, are you losing weight?”
Fat loss is happening—you just need better lenses to see it.
6. You’re too focused on the scale.
Look, I get it. The scale is loud. It’s right there, yelling numbers at you every morning. But here’s the truth: fat loss ≠ weight loss.
The scale can fluctuate for a dozen reasons that have nothing to do with fat:
Water retention
Hormonal shifts
Muscle gain
Food volume
Inflammation from a hard workout
If you’re only measuring progress by what the scale says, you’ll always feel behind—even when you’re not!
The fix?
Zoom out and diversify your data:
Track weekly weight averages (not daily highs and lows)
Take photos every 2–4 weeks
Pay attention to clothes, strength, energy, mood
The number on the scale is just one piece of the puzzle. Don’t let it tell the whole story.
7. You’re just being human.
You’ve had a stressful week. You’re tired. The kids are sick. Work’s nuts. You missed a workout. Ordered takeout. Skipped tracking.
Cool. You’re not broken. You’re alive! Or, as Dr. Frankenstein would scream, “IT’S ALIVE!”
Fat loss isn’t linear. It never has been. And progress doesn’t disappear because you had a few off days. The problem isn’t that life gets in the way. The problem is how you frame the setback.
The fix?
Drop the all-or-nothing mindset. Your job isn’t to be perfect. It’s to stay engaged. Even when it’s messy. Especially when it’s hard.
Momentum comes from showing up on the hard days—not just the easy ones.
So… what now?
Maybe you’re doing better than you think., the scale’s just being dramatic, and it’s not time to overhaul everything—just time to adjust a few small dials.
One of the most valuable things my clients get from coaching?
Reassurance. Clarity. Momentum.
They stop second-guessing themselves. They learn how to make smart, simple adjustments—enough to keep losing fat without hating their life.
And when they hit a plateau? It doesn’t knock them down.
They’ve got the tools to spot it, adjust, and smash it like Rocky smashed Drago to end the Cold War.
🥧 Healthy for the Holidays – Now Open
If you’re tired of spinning your wheels—and want a proven system to lose fat and stay consistent before the holiday madness hits?
This is your chance to finish the year strong.
Healthy for the Holidays is a 12-week coaching experience designed to help high-performing adults lose 10–20 pounds, stay in control, and feel damn good heading into the new year.
Here’s what you get:
🎁 $300 off your first 3 months
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🎁 Free 1-on-1 Strategy Call (first 5 sign-ups)
🎁 Full money-back guarantee if you’re not feeling better, leaner, and more in control by Week 4
We start August 15. There are only 5 spots and 2 have already been snatched up. 3 left and they’re selling like hot cakes (not really, but I just really wanted to type that. It was worth it).
Let’s make this the year you don’t start over—because you never stopped.
Best,
John
P.S. I tried to buy a souvenir in Lake of the Ozarks last week. Not only did Kelly shut it down without hesitation, she also had the nerve to question my taste.
3 Steps You Can Take
Apply for coaching - If you’re ready to start, you can fill out a coaching application here (it takes 90 seconds or less). Best case, you change your life. Worst case, I’ll help you draw up a road map to get closer to your goals.
Sign up for my newsletter - If you’d like to hear more, sign up for my mailing list here.
Keep learning - You can check out my other articles here. Nobody asked me to, but I’ve spent a ton of time researching everything from artificial sweeteners to saturated fat to testosterone and more, so you don’t have to.
