You’ve been doing everything right—eating in a calorie deficit, staying consistent with your workouts, and tracking your progress diligently. Yet suddenly, the scale refuses to budge, or worse, it starts creeping upward despite your best efforts.
If this sounds familiar, you’re experiencing one of the most frustrating aspects of weight loss: the dreaded plateau.
While seeing the numbers on the scale increase can feel disheartening and make you question everything you’re doing, this temporary setback is actually a normal part of the weight loss journey that nearly everyone encounters.
Understanding why your body holds onto water and sometimes gains weight during these stagnant periods can help you stay motivated and make the right adjustments to continue progressing toward your goals.
What Is a Weight Loss Plateau?
A weight loss plateau happens when your body stops losing weight even though you’re still dieting and exercising. This can last for weeks or even months. During this time, some people actually see the scale go up instead of down. This can feel really frustrating, but it’s completely normal.
It’s important that you do not make one of these mistakes when dealing with plateaus.
Your body is smart. When you lose weight, it tries to protect itself by slowing down your metabolism. Think of it like your phone going into battery-saving mode. Your body burns fewer calories to hold onto energy, making weight loss harder.
Common Causes of Water Retention During Plateaus
Your Exercise Routine
When you work out hard, your muscles get tiny tears. This is actually good — it’s how muscles grow stronger. But your body sends extra fluid to these muscles to help them heal. This can make you weigh more for a few days after tough workouts.
If you just started a new exercise program or made your workouts harder, your muscles might hold onto extra water. This is temporary and will go away as your body gets used to the new routine.
Stress and Cortisol
Stress makes your body produce a hormone called cortisol. High cortisol levels tell your body to hold onto water and store more fat, especially around your belly. This is your body’s old survival system kicking in.
When you’re stressed about not losing weight, you create more stress. It becomes a cycle that makes the problem worse. Work stress, poor sleep, and even dieting too hard can all raise cortisol levels.
Salt and Carb Intake
Eating salty foods makes your body hold water. Just one high-sodium meal can make you gain 2-3 pounds overnight. Restaurant meals, processed foods, and even healthy foods like cottage cheese can be surprisingly high in salt.
Carbohydrates also cause water retention. For every gram of carbs your body stores, it holds onto 3-4 grams of water. If you had pasta, bread, or rice recently, you might see a temporary jump on the scale.
Why You Might Actually Gain Weight During a Plateau
Muscle Growth vs. Fat Loss
Muscle weighs more than fat in the same amount of space. If you’re strength training, you might be gaining muscle while losing fat. The scale might stay the same or even go up, but your body is actually getting healthier and more toned.
This is why taking measurements and progress photos works better than just watching the scale. Your clothes might fit better even when the scale doesn’t move.
Hormonal Changes
Your hormones control a lot about weight and water retention. Women especially deal with this during their monthly cycle. You might gain 3-5 pounds of water weight before your period. This is normal and will drop off afterward.
Other hormones like thyroid hormones and insulin also affect your weight. If you’ve been dieting for a long time, these hormones might need time to balance out again.
Hidden Calorie Creep
Over time, we get less careful about measuring food. That tablespoon of peanut butter becomes a heaping spoonful. Those “few” chips turn into half a bag. These extra calories add up without us noticing.
You might also be eating more than you think because your body has gotten better at burning calories. As you lose weight, you need fewer calories to maintain your body. What worked before might not work now.
How to Break Through a Plateau
Track Your Food Accurately
When it seems impossible to lose any weight, start measuring and weighing your food again. Write down everything you eat, including cooking oils, condiments, and drinks. Many people find they’re eating 200-500 more calories than they thought.
Use a food scale instead of measuring cups when possible. A “medium” apple can vary by 50 calories depending on its actual size. These differences matter when you’re trying to break a plateau.
Adjust Your Approach
Try changing your exercise routine. If you only do cardio, add some strength training. If you always do the same workouts, try something new. Your body adapts to routine, so mixing things up can help.
Consider taking a diet break. Eat at maintenance calories (not losing or gaining) for 1-2 weeks. This can help reset your hormones and lower stress. Many people start losing weight again after a planned break.
Focus on Non-Scale Victories
Take body measurements once a week. Measure your waist, hips, thighs, and arms. Often these numbers change when the scale doesn’t.
Notice other improvements like better sleep, more energy, or clothes fitting differently. Can you walk up stairs without getting winded? Are you lifting heavier weights? These victories matter just as much as the number on the scale.
When to Worry (And When Not To)
Normal Fluctuations
Daily weight changes of 1-5 pounds are totally normal. Your weight depends on many things: when you last ate, when you last went to the bathroom, how much water you drank, and more.
Plateaus lasting 2-3 weeks are also normal. Your body sometimes needs time to adjust before dropping weight again. Many people see no change for weeks, then suddenly lose several pounds at once.
Signs to Check With Your Doctor
See your doctor if you experience sudden weight gain (10+ pounds in a week), swelling in your legs or face, or extreme fatigue with weight gain. These could signal medical issues that need attention.
Also check with your doctor if you’ve been stuck for more than 6-8 weeks despite doing everything right. Sometimes thyroid problems or other medical conditions can cause stubborn plateaus.
Tips for Managing Water Weight
Gaining weight or retaining water makes an easy excuse to give up on your diet. The plateaus and the additional weight are real, but easy to get over and recover from.
Stay Hydrated
It sounds backwards, but drinking more water helps reduce water retention. When you’re dehydrated, your body holds onto every drop it can get. Aim for at least 8 glasses of water per day.
Reduce Sodium Gradually
Cut back on processed foods and restaurant meals. Cook at home more often so you can control the salt. But don’t cut out all salt suddenly — this can also cause problems. Make gradual changes.
Get Enough Sleep
Poor sleep raises cortisol and makes your body hold water. Aim for 7-9 hours per night. Going to bed at the same time each night helps your body regulate hormones better.
Final Thoughts
Weight loss isn’t a straight line down. It’s more like a zigzag pattern with ups, downs, and flat spots. Gaining weight or retaining water during a plateau doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong.
Trust the process and keep going. If you’re eating in a calorie deficit and staying active, the weight will eventually come off. Your body just needs time to adjust and feel safe letting go of the extra weight.
Remember that the scale only tells part of the story. Focus on building healthy habits that you can maintain for life. The weight loss will follow, even if it takes longer than you’d like.