02/25/26

#241 How to Break a Weight Loss Plateau in Midlife

Weight Loss Plateau? Here’s What To Do (Especially for Midlife/Mature Women)

If your weight loss has stalled, you are not broken.

You are not failing.

And you definitely do not need a drastic new diet.

Weight loss is never linear. Some weeks you lose. Some weeks you don’t. That’s normal.

But sometimes weight loss grinds to a halt — and that’s when frustration kicks in.

Let’s talk about what’s really happening.

Why Plateaus Happen

Your body’s primary job is survival.

When you lose weight, it doesn’t celebrate. It adapts.

• It becomes more efficient.
• It burns fewer calories.
• It increases hunger signals.
• It tries to protect stored energy (body fat).

This is especially relevant in midlife when:

• Muscle mass naturally declines
• Hormones shift
• Sleep may worsen
• Stress increases

Your body is not sabotaging you. It’s doing its job.

The 10% Guideline I Use With Clients

Over 25 years of consultations, I’ve found this works beautifully:

Most women will comfortably lose about 10% of their start weight over 12 weeks without getting stuck.

Examples:

• 100kg → 10kg
• 80kg → 8kg
• 60kg → 6kg

After that, I encourage a one-month maintenance phase.

Yes, clients resist it.

But it works.

Maintenance teaches you how to stabilise and allows your body to start to settle into a new set point before losing the next 10%.

Stuck Before 10%? Check These 8 Things

Before you cut calories or double your cardio, review these.

1. Portion Sizes

Portions drift.

What you could eat at 100kg is not the same as what you need at 80kg.

Small recalibrations often restart progress.

2. Hidden Calories

Common plateau culprits:

• Multiple coffees with milk
• Cooking oils
• Dressings
• Mindless snacks
• Weekend wine creep

Small extras add up when you’re in a deficit.

3. Protein Intake

Protein helps:

• Preserve muscle
• Support metabolism
• Improve satiety
• Signal nutritional adequacy

Ensure you’re including protein at every meal.

4. Meal Timing

We metabolise food more efficiently earlier in the day.

Try:

• Front-loading calories
• Finishing eating by 7–8 pm
• Allowing a 14-hour overnight break

5. Hydration

Dehydration often mimics hunger.

Water supports every metabolic process. When clients increase water intake, fat loss often resumes surprisingly quickly.

6. Sleep

Poor sleep raises hunger hormones and cortisol.

You can’t out-train sleep deprivation.

7. Stress

Chronic stress keeps cortisol elevated.

If your body doesn’t feel safe, it won’t prioritise fat loss.

8. Movement Quality

Don’t respond to a plateau by thrashing yourself with cardio.

Instead:

• Check daily steps
• Get outside in nature for natural light exposure
• Increase strength training

Muscle is your metabolic ally in midlife.

The Bottom Line

Plateaus don’t require extremes.

They require intelligent adjustments. Often just little tweaks.

Often it’s just two or three small tweaks that nudge your body back into fat-burning mode.

If you need support breaking through a plateau, I’m currently taking nutrition clients online and in person, and I’m opening a new clinic in Waihi.

Have a happy, healthy week.