The Stages of Weight Loss and How to Get Through Them

Weight loss is very hard, not only physically but emotionally as well. If anything, mental discipline is what sets apart those who succeed and those who don’t. Anyone that has made significant changes in their physique one or multiple times is aware that there are stages in the weight loss process both physically as well as emotionally. Understanding these stages and knowing how to get through them will make long-term success much more likely. 

So let’s get right into what these stages are and what you can do!

Stage 1: Honeymoon Phase!

This is typically the most enjoyable phase of the process during the first 4-6 weeks. Especially if you have never done an exercise program or diet before, you will see rapid changes at the start. Your body won’t be used to either the drop in calories or the increase in exercise and it will rapidly drop weight mostly from water and carbs being burned.

This can be very motivating so it is nice it happens right at the start. The hardest part of this phase is simply having a new routine that hasn’t become a habit yet. But hopefully the quick results will help you push through it. And if you stick with it for the first 4-6 weeks it should become a habit and that will help you through the next few phases.

Stage 2: Adaptation Phase

Unfortunately, the honeymoon phase is short-lived and your body will eventually catch up to your new routine. The body naturally adapts which is a good and natural process. It doesn’t care about losing weight. If anything, it wants to retain weight and fat for survival. So weight loss and bodybuilding is really tricking your body into adapting in the way you want it to. 

Your body will start to become more efficient at burning calories and won’t burn as much during the workouts in order to retain energy. One good thing is that though you will lose weight slower, it will be more fat loss than weight loss. This is what will actually affect the way you look more and is what the real goal should be. So it is important to recognize that the weight loss will become slower and steadier in this stage and this is where you would want to stay. A healthy number would be to lose 1-3 pounds a week to ensure that it is coming from fat and not from simply dehydration. So stick with it through this stage and try to stay here and see steady changes.

Stage 3: Plateau Phase

This is the phase that everyone hates and what causes most people to quit. Your body will continue to adapt until the changes may just stop all together. This is common at about 3 months in. This is more likely to happen if your diet is more extreme or restrictive and your body has just finally caught up to it. Also, if you have never changed anything in your exercise routine up to this point then it is also more likely to happen. 

However, a weight loss plateau can be deceiving because weight loss doesn’t alway equal fat loss. If you are strength training like you should be, you will also start to gain muscle around this stage. Muscle weighs even more than fat so it’s possible to even start gaining some weight. It is important to realize this and to look more at the mirror than the scale. If you are able to, measure your body fat percentage with either a machine or skinfold calipers. 

At this stage, measure things other than your bodyweight like the amount of weight or reps you are doing in your exercise program, your body fat percentage, or simply your progress pictures of yourself. However, anyone that has been in the fitness game for a long time knows you eventually will have to switch things up not only to see continued changes in your body but also to keep things interesting and motivating for you psychologically. And this is what leads us to the readjustment phase.

Stage 4: Readjustment Phase

Once you realize you are in the plateau stage, it is time to readjust, assessing where you are at and what you can change. What we are doing in this phase is essentially restarting the process to try and re-enter the honeymoon/ adaptation phase so that we can start seeing changes again. To do this, you will have to do something in your routine that your body hasn’t already adapted and gotten used to. 

If your only form of cardio is a stationary bike, try running or swimming. If you only lift in the 12-15 rep range, start lifting heavier for 6-8 reps. Even if you don’t change what exercises you are doing in the gym, you can always manipulate weight, rep count, and rest time. Resting less and increasing reps can increase intensity and fat-burning during the workout. We also invite you to reach this article on intensity techniques you can implement to help to break a workout plateau. Intensity techniques such as drop sets and supersets can shock the body and create change. 

You will see that those who are experienced fitness enthusiasts are always changing something in their routine to ensure results. At the very least, you should see either your strength or your endurance go up. So if your weights or the amount of reps you can do on a certain weight aren’t increasing, you may need to try and push yourself more or mix something up. 

In order to lose weight quickly you have to keep your body guessing. However, in the long run, the best thing is to have a balanced diet that isn’t too low in calories, build muscle, and perform moderate cardio. 

Keep in mind that not everyone will experience these phases in the same ways or to the same extent. Every body is different so it is important to experiment with what works for you or to work with a trainer who can help you find a healthy and sustainable way to lose weight. Our hope is that this article gives you the insight to know that you are not alone if you adapt or plateau in your routine, that it is normal, and that we all go through it. So readjust and get back on the horse. But more important than anything is to stay consistent in your efforts because giving up just means that all of the work leading up to that point would have been in vain. Your ideal body will take years, not weeks, and the sooner you understand that, the better off you will be.