You've been consistent for weeks and suddenly the scale won't budge. Before you slash calories further, it's worth understanding what a plateau really is.
Is it actually a plateau?
Daily weight can swing 1-2kg from water, salt, carbohydrate intake, hormones and digestion. A true plateau is no change in your 7-day average weight for 2-3 weeks. Mealify's dashboard runs a trend analysis on your weight logs and flags a plateau only when the data supports it.
Why plateaus happen
- Your TDEE has dropped. A lighter body burns fewer calories at rest and during movement.
- NEAT falls. Dieting subtly reduces fidgeting and everyday movement.
- Portion creep. Logging becomes less careful over time — the extra spoon of peanut butter, the unweighed oil.
- Water masking fat loss. Stress and hard training can temporarily retain water.
What to do
- Audit your logging for one week. Weigh everything, including cooking oils and sauces.
- Increase steps. Adding 2,000-3,000 steps a day can burn 100-150 kcal.
- Adjust intake modestly. Reduce by 100-200 kcal — not 500.
- Keep protein high (1.6g/kg+) to protect muscle.
- Consider a diet break. 1-2 weeks at maintenance can improve adherence and energy.
Mealify will suggest a specific calorie adjustment once it detects a sustained plateau, based on your own learned TDEE.