Navigating weight loss plateaus while using Wegovy

Losing weight isn’t always straightforward. Factors like age, genetics, metabolism, and lifestyle mean that weight loss doesn’t follow a smooth, linear path. Weight loss can occur at different rates for each person, and there’s no one-size-fits-all technique to guarantee when you’ll reach your target.

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Craig Marsh, Clinical Reviewer

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Medically reviewed by

Mr Craig Marsh

Clinical Reviewer

on Oct 25, 2024.

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Last updated on Oct 24, 2024.

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Summary:
It’s common to experience plateaus during a weight loss plan, but there are several things to try that might help you out of it.
Adjust your diet to consume fewer calories from carbohydrates and fats, and instead choose protein and fiber-rich foods which will keep you feeling fuller.
Working harder isn’t always the answer — better sleep, drinking more water, and managing stress can all help you reach a healthy weight.
If you’re not on the highest Wegovy dose, moving up might get you back on track.

What are weight loss plateaus?

A weight loss plateau occurs when you stop losing weight for a period of time, and it can happen for a number of reasons.

Using treatments like Wegovy can help bring your weight down to a healthy level, but at some point, you might notice that things aren’t changing as quickly as before. So what should you do during a plateau?

It’s common for the rate of weight loss to slow once you’ve been on treatment for a while. In this section, we’ll explore adjusting your diet, increasing your activity levels, and changing your overall approach to help get your weight loss journey back on track.

Strategies to maintain momentum when using Wegovy

Re-evaluate your weight loss diet

When you start using Wegovy, you’ll be advised to make dietary changes to create a calorie deficit—widely considered the most important factor for weight loss. Moving forward, it’s important to be realistic and moderate with your diet. Moderation means balancing the quality of the food you eat with the amount you eat. Increasing your exercise will also be recommended, as both approaches can enhance how well Wegovy works.

If your weight loss has stalled, it might be time to take a closer look at your food choices. Rather than solely focusing on reducing calories, consider the nutritional quality of your diet. While the injections will help reduce the urge to overeat, concentrating only on a calorie deficit might cause you to miss out on vital nutrients—and could leave you feeling tired and lethargic if you’re not fueling your body properly.

For example, protein can be a good place to start. Clinical trials studying patients on a high-protein diet for 6–12 months showed improvements in both weight loss and weight maintenance. Eating more protein also led to greater feelings of satiety, boosted metabolism, and increased amino acid levels in the blood.

Being selective about the protein you choose can keep you feeling full while providing the nutrition you need to stay energized. This is important for weight loss, as lasting motivation is key. Eating well can serve as the backbone of your weight loss plan, helping you avoid snacking on unhealthy foods.

Aim for lean proteins such as beans, eggs, legumes, and fish. Oily fish like mackerel and salmon not only meet your protein needs but also add omega-3 fatty acids to your diet, which support brain function and reduce inflammation.

Fiber is another important aspect to consider. Like protein, it helps you feel fuller for longer and slows digestion, which helps prevent blood sugar spikes. Slower digestion means your body has more time to absorb nutrients from your food.

If you feel like you’re experiencing a plateau, looking at your protein and fiber intake could help you eat fewer calories while still feeling satisfied after meals. Creating even more of a calorie deficit than usual could be the change needed to get your consistent weight loss back on course.

Increase your physical exercise

Understanding how weight loss affects your metabolism can also help you break through a plateau. When you first start your weight loss plan, your metabolism might speed up as you become more active. The rate at which you burn calories at rest can increase when you move more and eat less.

However, this process can slow down over time. As you lose weight, your metabolism stabilizes to maintain your energy levels. This effect is compounded if you’re not building muscle as you lose weight – muscle loss can slow your metabolism, meaning you might lose both muscle and fat.

One way to counteract this is to exercise more or increase the intensity of your workouts. Adding weight or resistance training to your routine can help build muscle mass, which in turn can reverse the slowdown in your metabolism. Strength training can also improve your resting metabolic rate (RMR), meaning the more muscular you become, the more calories you burn at rest.

Aim for strength training at least twice a week, and try to complete 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week.

Adjust your lifestyle for the best results

Using Wegovy won’t suddenly make you want to use the gym four times a week. Weight training, like cardiovascular exercise, has numerous benefits. As well as impacting your metabolism, it can improve your moods and help you sleep better. But it’s not for everyone.

In fact, you’re much more likely to return to an exercise you like doing, especially if it’s with other people. Losing weight can be hard work, so forcing yourself to endure workouts you’re not enjoying might actually be counterproductive. It might be helpful, then, to know that not all of the lifestyle changes that can pull you out of a plateau involve lacing up your running shoes.

Sleep and hydration

It can be easy to fall short of your hydration needs each day when you’re trying to lose weight, especially if you’re exercising regularly. If it gets to the point where you start to feel dehydrated, you can start to retain water, leaving you feeling bloated.

Studies have shown a relationship between weight loss and water intake, so making sure you’re drinking enough could help you when the scales won’t seem to budge. Water is thought to play a role in metabolism and energy expenditure, and it’s common to mistake thirst for hunger.

Sleep is another factor you can control. Quality, restful sleep helps to regulate various hormones that could potentially contribute to a plateau. Two of these are leptin and ghrelin. These play a crucial role in appetite and fullness, and disrupting their function by missing out on sleep can upset your usual eating rhythms.

Staying up late can also create windows for snacking, which can of course mean reaching for unhealthy foods. And if you’re exercising more as part of your plan, getting at least eight hours sleep a night will make a huge difference for your motivation and energy levels when you next work out.

Positivity and patience

Plateaus can be frustrating, and it’s easy to feel demotivated when your weight loss stalls. It’s understandable to feel fed up when you’re working hard but not seeing the expected results.

However, it’s important to remember that the changes you’ve made are meant to be long-term. Losing weight isn’t a quick fix—the journey to your target can test your willpower.

Staying positive can be key to breaking through a plateau. Stress is known to contribute to weight fluctuations, so if you let stress get the better of you, you might fall back into old habits like overeating or turning to unhealthy comfort foods.

What other options are there to combat a weight loss plateau?

If you feel like changes to your lifestyle and routine aren’t helping you out of a plateau, speak to a doctor about whether you need to change the amount of Wegovy you take.

You usually change pens each month (starting with the lowest) until you reach a maintenance dose you’re comfortable with, but this won’t always be the same for everyone. You might have chosen to stick with the 1mg or 1.7mg pen as it’s working well for your weight loss goals. But if you find your weight loss has slowed down or stopped altogether, it could be time to move up to the next dose.

You can also discuss other weight loss treatments with a doctor. If you feel that Wegovy isn’t helping you lose weight at a rate you’re comfortable with, there may be other medications better suited to your needs.

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Disclaimer: The information provided on this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any questions or concerns about your health, please talk to a doctor.