Started at 211 in Jan, now 182. I log everything, average 1,650 cal, 120g protein, 3 lifts + 2 runs per week. For 21 days my morning weight has been 181.6-182.4. Waist down another half inch though. Sleep 6.5 hrs, stress high at work. Recent labs: A1c 5.4, TSH 1.8, ferritin 28 (low-ish).
Did anyone’s plateau break after changing something non-obvious like meal timing, steps, or a refeed? Curious if I should wait it out or tweak.
Waist down half an inch with a flat scale usually means recomp or water hiding fat loss. I’d trust the tape for another 2-3 weeks.
Ferritin 28 would flatten me. Are you wiped all the time, or is that just my low-iron bias?
I had ferritin around 30 and my lifts tanked. Getting it sorted helped energy, but the scale didn't move until I changed calories.
For me the plateau was logging error. I weighed oils and dressings for a week and found ~200 extra calories a day.
Weighing oils for a week is such a boring fix, but it works. Did you keep weighing after?
Only a week. Same spoon every time now.
The sleep and stress angle matters. When I slept six hours, the scale sat still for a month. A 20-minute walk after dinner got it moving.
A walk after dinner beats another hard run when stress is high. Hard cardio just made me hungrier.
I wouldn’t blame cortisol unless you’re seeing big water swings too. This could just be the whoosh effect.
Whoosh happneed to me after a higher-carb weekend. Down 3 lbs Tuesday, flat again by Friday.
Carbs or just more calories on that weekend?
I’ve tracked 18 months and plateaus at the same weight rae almost always water or digestion for me. New squat volume, salty takeout, or low fiber all show up as 2-4 lb swings. What helped was comparing weekly averages instead of daily lows.
Your 1,650 average and waist trend sound reasonable, so I’d change one thing for two weeks and keep the rest boring. Also, your ferritin number stood out—mine was similar when my training felt awful.
Not saying it explains the scale, but it’s the kind of thing I’d want on my radar.
I’ve wondered that too. My higher-carb weekends usually come with more salt and more total food. Scale drops Tuesday, then creeps back. Waist keeps shrinking, so I’m trying to ignore the daily number.
Same spoon, same scale, same stall. Bodies are weird.
The after-dinner walk is my best trick. Not for burning much, just for winding down. When I sleep better, my morning weight is less random. Also, waist measurement keeps me sane when the scale pouts.
I track weekly averages, not single days. Three weeks flat with waist down sounds like recomposition or water masking fat loss. I’d keep protein steady, keep walks, and change nothing drastic for another two weeks.
Toddler woke me at 5, so today’s weigh-in meant nothing. I did ten minutes of stretching and called it a win. My jeans fit better, and that’s the metric I trust this week.
@nathan417 said:
Three weeks flat with waist down sounds like recomposition or water masking fat loss.
Whoosh effect sounds like a ghost that steals my scale batteries. I’ll take the waist win and wait for the whoosh. If it doesn’t come, I’m blaming the spoon.
Same. Hard cardio makes me ravenous and then I snack at night. A slow walk after dinner keeps my appetite normal and my head clear. Stuck scale but looser waistband is still progress.
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