I’m not a magician, but I can pretty much tell you how this usually goes:
Week one – you feel better almost immediately.
Week two – your clothes start fitting differently.
By the 30-day mark?
The scale is moving.
Maybe 5 pounds. Maybe 10. Maybe more, depending on where you started.
And it feels GOOD.
And then….
It stops.
Not because you did something wrong.
Not because the program stopped working.
Not because your body is broken.
It’s called a plateau – and it is one of the most misunderstood moments in the entire fitness journey.
Here’s what’s actually happening:
When you lose weight, your body requires less energy to run itself.
Less weight to carry = fewer calories needed to move through your day.
Walking around. Carrying groceries. Even breathing.
All of it costs your body a little less than it used to.
So the formula that got you the first 10 pounds?
It’s not automatically the formula that gets you the next 10.
Most people take this to be some sort of human error, or failure on their behalf.
It’s not.
The most important thing to understand is that a plateau is not a stop sign.
It’s feedback…. important feedback that will help you take the proper next steps to keep seeing results.
How?
Adjust.
What worked six weeks ago may need to evolve. Progressing your workout program. A tweak to your nutrition. A closer look at what’s actually going in and going out.
It’s not that “it’s not working anymore”, it just needs an update.
Get real about your numbers.
Research consistently shows that most people overestimate how much they’re moving and underestimate how much they’re eating.
I know, I know…. eye roll. π
But it’s true.
Tracking your workouts, your meals, and your water intake isn’t being obsessive.
It’s having awareness of what you’re actually doing vs what you think you’re doing.
Awareness leads to progress.
Every time.
Get stronger.
This is the one most people skip – and that drives me fkn crazy, because of how important it is.
Endless miles on the treadmill or elliptical might move the scale early on.
But it is not a long-term strategy.
Building strength is.
The more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns – even at rest.
When in doubt?
Choose the dumbbells over the treadmill.
Every. Single. Time.
A plateau doesn’t mean you’ve failed.
It means your body caught up to what you’ve been doing.
That’s not a reason to quit.
Your body can do it.
Your mindset just has to believe it’s still worth showing up for.
– Coach Michelle
