Plateau Into Progress!

With Leah's wedding just six months away, the Sydney-based bride decided it was time to get serious about her fat loss goals. Nothing motivates like a deadline, and Leah was no exception. She committed to crushing her gym workouts and meticulously tracking her food intake, which had proven effective for her in the past.

However, after an initial period of weight loss, Leah hit a frustrating plateau—the scale refused to budge for nearly six weeks. This is when she reached out to TFP.

This stall might seem alarming, but it’s actually quite common. Many people panic when their progress slows and assume something is wrong. In reality, plateaus are a normal part of long-term, sustainable weight loss. The body sometimes needs time to adjust to changes and recalibrate to a new weight, a concept known as set point theory.

Despite the frustration of seeing the scale stuck, Leah’s story is one of patience and perseverance. When progress isn’t moving as expected, it’s important not to give up. Leah’s determination paid off, demonstrating that sticking with it can lead to great rewards.

So what helped Leah break through her plateau? A combination of patience, a well-crafted plan by her coach at TFP, and a few strategic adjustments led to her success.

Don’t Rely on Activity Trackers

One of the key lessons Leah learned was not to depend too heavily on activity trackers. Many people, like Leah, use these devices to gauge how much they can eat while still maintaining a calorie deficit.

However, activity trackers are often inaccurate. A study in the Journal of Personalised Medicine found that the energy expenditure numbers from various wrist-worn devices were off by 27.4% to 93%. For instance, while the Fitbit Surge was the most “accurate,” it still overestimated calories burned by an average of 27.4%. The Apple Watch was even less reliable, overestimating by 40%.

This discrepancy is significant because fat loss relies on consuming fewer calories than you burn. If your tracker suggests you’ve burned more calories than you actually have, you might end up overeating. For example, if your Fitbit says you burned 650 calories during a workout, but you only burned about 435, you might mistakenly consume an extra 150 calories.

Most fat-loss calorie equations already account for your activity, so adding calories based on tracker data can lead to overeating. Activity trackers can be useful for tracking movement trends rather than precise calorie counts. Leah’s coach advised her to use the tracker mainly as a “movement metric” to monitor overall activity levels rather than calorie consumption.

Embrace Self-Honesty

Another important shift for Leah was mental clarity. With her coach’s guidance, she took a hard look at her habits and realised she hadn’t been entirely honest with herself.

“I was making excuses about my diet, justifying unhealthy eating as ‘occasional’ or ‘special,’” Leah admitted. “I realised I was eating out of boredom and taking the easy way out. My fiancé and I worked together to stay accountable. We cut down on eating out and recreated meal prep routines that suited our new work-from-home lifestyle.”

The Results

Leah’s efforts paid off. She regained her confidence, with more energy, increased strength, and a leaner physique. “I feel great—I have more energy, my clothes fit better, and I feel more confident. Plus, I can’t help but notice how much better I look.”

Interested in learning more about how personalised coaching can help you achieve your goals? Explore our coaching program here.

Yours in health,

Coach Kimmi