5 Strategies to Restart Fat Loss When You’re Stuck

If you read this three months ago, you wouldn’t have wasted three months stuck at the same weight. If you skip it now, you’ll waste another three.

The truth about being stuck is this—your own brain is tricking you into making choices that prevent further fat loss.

You might be eating clean, working out, and doing everything "right," yet the scale refuses to budge. It’s frustrating, and I get it. I’ve worked with over 80 individuals who have faced this exact problem.

So, here are five powerful strategies that have helped my clients break through plateaus and restart fat loss. Read all five so you can connect the dots and apply them effectively.

1. Add Something New

If your body fat is 40%, reducing it to 30% is much easier than going from 30% to 25%. Think of body fat like a savings account. When your account is full, spending is easy. But once it starts running low, you feel hesitant.

What worked in the early stages of fat loss won’t always work later. When you're stuck, the best approach is to introduce something new. This could be:

• Adding 30 minutes of cardio to your routine.

• Incorporating high-intensity interval training (HIIT) for an extra metabolic push.

• Taking the stairs instead of an elevator to create more energy expenditure.

The key is to keep everything else the same—your diet, workouts, and routine. As you burn more energy, your body will naturally crave more food. Don’t give in to those cravings. Stick to your plan, and you will see progress.

2. Don't Let Your Body Trick You

Your body does not want to burn fat. Fat is stored energy, and your body would rather trick you into eating than use its own reserves.

Here’s how your body deceives you:

• Cravings – You suddenly feel like you “need” something sweet.

• Laziness – You start skipping workouts.

• Headaches or mood swings – You feel uncomfortable and blame hunger.

I had a client who wanted abs. She started strong but got stuck at 36% body fat. After a month, no weight loss. She was frustrated, and I was confused. So I micro-managed her daily routine—tracking every meal, blood sugar level, and food picture.

By the second month, she started losing weight. A few months later, she had abs. Then she admitted something. In the first month, she had been drinking milk and orange juice—thinking she needed calcium and vitamin C.

Her brain tricked her. In reality, she knew these were slowing her fat loss. When she stopped, progress resumed.

The lesson? Stick to the plan. Don’t make excuses. If you feel a craving, recognize it as a trick and push through.

3. Skip a Meal

Fat loss is about energy balance. The easiest way to create an energy deficit? Eat less.

Try this when you're stuck:

• Fast for a day – Your body can handle it.

• Have just one meal a day – Nothing bad will happen.

I’ve seen people fast for 30 days. One of my clients fasted for 17 days. I didn’t tell him to, but when he said he wanted to try, I didn’t stop him.

I’m not suggesting extreme fasting, but skipping a meal won’t kill you. Your body is designed to handle scarcity. If you think you “need” to eat because of a headache or low energy, that’s just another trick your body is playing.

Fasting also helps break emotional attachments to food. When you prove to yourself that you can go without food, you gain control. That control is what helps you break through your plateau.

4. Go All In

Most people think they’re following their plan at 100%. The truth? They’re at 70%.

If you lost weight initially without fully committing, great. But now, that 70% effort isn’t working anymore.

• You don’t need a new diet plan.

• You don’t need a new workout.

• You need full commitment to what you already know.

Try following your plan exactly as designed—every meal, every workout, every detail. No shortcuts, no "small bites" of extra food. This alone might be the difference between being stuck and making progress.

5. Have Patience

You will always experience waves of frustration and clarity. That’s life.

• If you’re frustrated, don’t quit.

• If the scale isn’t moving, stick to the plan.

• If you feel like nothing is working, stay patient.

Most people give up right before they see results. Fat loss is not a straight line—it’s a series of ups and downs. The key is to stay consistent through the rough patches.

Final Thoughts

If you're stuck, apply these five strategies:

1. Add something new – More movement, but keep diet the same.

2. Don’t let your body trick you – Recognize and resist cravings.

3. Skip a meal – Reset your energy balance.

4. Go all in – Fully commit to your plan.

5. Be patient – Fat loss takes time.

You don’t need magic. You just need action. Restart today.

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