[Health Column] Essential Information You Must Know to Overcome a Diet Plateau

 

Hello! I am Kim Ji-hee, the Chief Director of Gangnam Garosero Korean Medicine Clinic. ✨

 

“I lost weight well for the first month, but lately the number on the scale isn't budging at all. Even though I've reduced my food intake even more.”

 

This is a story I often hear in the clinic. When people start a diet, their weight drops smoothly for the first two to four weeks, but then at some point, the numbers just stop. Commonly Diet plateau This period, often called [name], is something anyone who has tried dieting goes through at least once. 😥

 

The most common explanation heard at this time is that it is because "your basal metabolic rate has dropped." Upon hearing this, many people resolve to eat less.

 

However, problems arise if you understand and respond to a plateau in such a simplistic way. If you reduce your food intake further when you are already eating sufficiently little, it becomes difficult to sustain for long, and Muscle loss, chronic fatigue, and binge eating It can easily lead to this. You work hard, but the result is a rebound effect, leaving you with nothing but self-blame thinking, "Why can't I do better than this?"

 

A plateau is not a time that comes due to a lack of willpower. 🙅‍♀️ It could be a natural reaction caused by changes in your body.

 

Today, based on recent research and clinical experience, I will examine whether basal metabolic rate is truly the sole cause of a plateau, and discuss how to wisely overcome it. 🌿

 

 

1️⃣ Is a diet plateau really due to a drop in basal metabolic rate?

Losing weight reduces the energy required, but it does not mean that your metabolism is compromised.

A body weighing 80kg and a body weighing 70kg use different amounts of energy even when performing the same daily activities. As the body becomes lighter, the energy consumed during movement and the basic energy required decrease.

 

In the U.S. NIH weight change model as well, energy consumption changes as weight decreases, so The rate of weight loss may gradually slow down. He explains.

 

In addition to this, energy consumption decreases more than expected from changes in body composition alone. Adaptive heat generation This phenomenon also occurs. Such changes were observed in a systematic review analyzing 33 studies and 2,528 participants, but the magnitude varied from study to study, and the effect was smaller in more rigorously designed studies.

 

That is why I do not say that “dieting ruins your metabolism.” It is more accurate to understand it as simply that as you lose weight, energy consumption naturally decreases, and in some cases, the body may adapt by reducing consumption even further.

 

 

2️⃣ Causes of plateaus seen more frequently in the clinic

Reduced activity and changes in appetite are much more likely to cause a plateau than basal metabolic rate.

🔸 First is a decrease in activity level. As a diet drags on, small changes such as walking less, sitting longer, and taking the elevator instead of the stairs accumulate. Non-exercise activity energy (NEAT) If [it] decreases, total consumption does not increase significantly even if you exercise hard.

 

🔸 Second is a change in appetite. Long-term dieting changes hunger itself. If you gradually increase your snacks, drinks, and alcohol, or if you eat less on weekdays and binge eat on weekends... The total weekly intake does not decrease as much as expected.

 

In fact, when only dietary intervention was conducted, a compensatory response involving a reduction in daily activities was observed in a significant number of participants, and research has confirmed that appetite increased in proportion to weight loss. It is not a lack of effort, The process of the body moving to regain balance It amounts to that. 🔍

 

 

3️⃣ What should you look at instead of the numbers on the scale during a plateau?

You must check your food intake, movement, body composition, and appetite together at the point where your weight has stabilized to see the next direction.

During a plateau, look at changes in your body before the number on the scale. Even if your weight remains the same, your body fat may be decreasing; conversely, you might be losing muscle, or your appetite and sleep could be deteriorating.

 

Amount eaten	Actual meal portions, the difference in intake between weekdays and weekends, and whether alcohol and beverage consumption has increased
movement	Sleep duration and daily activity level, sitting time, amount of walking
Body composition	Whether muscle mass is being maintained, and changes in body fat percentage and waist circumference
Appetite and condition	Check if your appetite has increased or if binge eating has become frequent, or if fatigue has accumulated.

 

If you check these four things together, it becomes quite clear whether you need to reduce them further or if you need to address your activity and appetite first.

 

At Gangnam Garosero Korean Medicine Clinic, rather than just focusing on reducing the number on the scale, we first examine 'why your weight has stalled at this point.' We assess your appetite, digestive status, sleep, activity level, and body composition to determine your next weight loss strategy.

 

 

 

💬 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1. When does a diet plateau usually occur?

Although there are individual differences, it is common for weight to drop rapidly during the first 2 to 4 weeks, after which the rate of loss slows down. This is because the energy required by the body decreases as weight is lost.

 

Q2. If I hit a plateau, should I reduce my food intake even further?

I do not recommend reducing your intake unconditionally. If you are already eating lightly and cut back further, it can lead to muscle loss, fatigue, and binge eating. The priority is to first assess your actual intake, activity levels, and sleep.

 

Q3. Does dieting ruin your basal metabolic rate?

It is difficult to view it as "ruining" your health. You should understand it simply as energy consumption naturally decreasing as you lose weight, and in some cases, the body adapting to further reduce consumption. The magnitude of this effect also varies depending on the study.

 

Q4. Why am I not losing weight even though I exercise hard?

It is possible that your non-exercise daily activity (NEAT) has decreased. If small movements such as walking, sitting time, and housework decrease, the increased energy expenditure from exercise can be offset.

 

Q5. If my weight stays the same, is the diet ineffective?

That is not the case. Your body fat may be decreasing even if your weight remains the same. Please check your body fat percentage and waist circumference along with your weight.

 

Q6. How do Korean medicine clinics manage plateaus?

First, we identify the cause of the stagnation in weight gain. After comprehensively assessing appetite, digestive status, sleep, activity level, and body composition, we re-establish the direction of diet and activity adjustments and the treatment plan tailored to your current physical condition.

 

 

🎯 Conclusion: Not starving myself more, but re-evaluating my body right now.

🔸 Dieting is not a battle of 'how much you eat.' Initially, weight may drop simply by reducing food intake, but over time, your entire body changes, including your energy needs, activity levels, and appetite.

 

🔸 Therefore, simply repeating the same methods as at the beginning may make changes feel slow. The NIH also [for] weight loss and maintenance Sustainable eating patterns and physical activity It emphasizes maintaining it together.

 

🔸 The goal is not a one-time weight loss diet, but to build a body that can be maintained for a lifetime. Since the same method does not produce the same results for everyone, I recommend checking if this direction is suitable for your current body condition. 🤝

 

A plateau is not a sign of failure, but an opportunity to take another look at your body. Please do not be impatient, and I hope you adjust one step at a time in accordance with your body's changes.

 

📚 The medical content of this column was written with reference to Hall KD et al. (Lancet, 2011), Nunes CL et al. (Br J Nutr, 2022), Silva AM et al. (Br J Nutr, 2018), Polidori D et al. (Obesity, 2016), and weight management data from the National Institute on Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).

 

 

Gangnam Garoseo Korean Medicine Clinic

Chief Director Kim Ji-hee

Over 10 years of experience in diet and lifting
Current Chief Director of Gangnam Garoseo Korean Medicine Clinic

Society Activities
- Regular member of the Korean Society of Convergence Medicine
- Regular member of the Korean Society of Spine and Joint Medicine
- Regular member of the Korean Society of Oriental Medicine for Obesity
- Regular member of the Korean Society of Scalp and Hair Loss
- Regular member of the Korean Society for Integrative Cancer

<Academic Activities>
- Completed the Oriental Medicine Obesity Specialist Course
- Completed the Oriental Medicine Spine and Joint Specialist Course
- Completed Peripheral Nerve Pharmacopuncture Medicine at the Korean Society for Rare and Intractable Diseases

Live appearance on EBC [Yeouibogam] 'Hyperhidrosis, Panic Disorder' episode