Down 37 lbs but stuck at 182 for 5 weeks

Weekend math is boring but brutal. If Sat/Sun really adds 1,600 over weekday, that’s ~230/day average. Could be enough to stall at your size.

Not necessarily. I stalled 6 weeks at 174 after 40 lbs. Waist finally dropped 0.75 inch before scale moved. Are you measuring same spot/time?

Same spot. Waist down 0.5, scale flat. Tape beats daily weight.

Your weekday 1,900 might be lower than you think if you’re not logging oils, bites, creamer. I’d do two weeks of exact weekend logging first.

I’d also check sodium and carbs Friday-Sunday. A 2-3 lb water swing can hide fat loss for 10 days.

Wait, glucose 104 and LDL 129 are going the right way. That matters more than five flat weeks. What did your doctor say about the trend?

Five weeks isn’t a plateau yet. I’d look at monthly averages, not this week. My 7-day average lagged 3 weeks behind my deficit.

The Saturday/Sunday estimate is probably the key. I did the same thing at 185: 1,850 Mon-Fri, then 2,600+ weekends with restaurant food. When I tracked every weekend for a month, my true average was only a 150-cal deficit, not 500. The scale didn’t lie, my weekly math did. Try a two-week block where you eat the same average every day, not just weekdays. If weight still flat and waist flat, then maybe it’s time to adjust activity or intake with your clinician.

Not sure the flat same-average-every-day approach is necessary. Higher weekends and lower weekdays works better for plenty of people — food, sleep, training, whatever you're tracking. But you need the real weekend number, not "probably."

Probably closer to 2,700 is doing more than you think.

What are your lifts doing? If squat/bench are up while weight is flat, that’s a decent sign. I’d track waist, progress photos, and a 7-day weight average.

I’d pump the brakes on calling it metabolic adaptation. At 182 and 5'9, a true stall usually means intake crept up or output dropped. Walking 8k is good, but if your step count was higher earlier, that’s a few hundred calories gone. Also, five weeks with improving glucose and LDL looks like a body recomposition phase, especially if you’re lifting. Pick three data points: average weight, waist, and a weekly lift. Give it three more weeks. If all three are flat, then change one variable, not five.

Five weeks at the same weight and a stuck 38.5 waist looks like a real stall, not just weekend damage.

Your weekends only average your week to about 2,130 a day, so you’re not fully undoing it, but that gap can absolutely flatten five weeks. I’d track a rolling seven-day calorie average and weigh daily just to see the Tuesday-to-Wednesday water spikes, not to judge any single morning.

Under six hours of sleep and my waist holds water for a week.

Heavy lifting can hide fat loss for weeks because your muscles hold water while repairing. When I added squats three times a week, my scale sat still for about six weeks and my belt still went in one notch. Are your lifts still progressing? If yes, I’d trust the waist and gym numbers over the scale right now.

Waist stuck at 38.5 while the scale won’t budge screams gut water/transit to me. Are you actually regular? I stalled at 179 for a month, then realized I was only going every other day and eating 4,000mg sodium most days. Added 35g fiber and a 20-minute walk after dinner; my waist dropped 0.75 inch in 10 days, then the scale followed. Track navel waist same time, morning, not after training.

Measure yor neck and upper thigh too. My waist plays dead while my thigh drops.

Five weeks flat after 37 down isn’t a plateau, it’s your body arguing. I’d check if you’re eating back exercise calories.

Five weeks is usually where my body wants a maintenance break, not another cut. I went 212 to 178, then sat at 178 for six weeks. Instead of dropping to 1,700, I ate 2,300-2,400 for 10 days, kept lifting, then went back to 1,900. Lost 4 lbs over the next three weeks. Also weigh weekly average, not single days. Are you eating back your lifting calories or logging oils/sauces?

The 2,700 weekends are basically a 1,600-calorie weekly add, so your true daily average is closer to 2,130, not 1,900 — that's not necessarily 'undoing' it, but it can absolutely stall the scale for a month. I only broke my own 5-week flat when I tracked Sat/Sun the same way and saw the sodium/alcohol bump. What's the weekend breakdown, not just calories — restaurat meals, drinks, late carbs?

Yep—my Saturday nachos alone used to hide two pounds of water till Wednesday.

My scale sat at 176 for six weeks and I was ready to blame food, but my sleep was 5h40 and resting HR was up 6 bpm from work stress. I started logging bedtime and HR with my morning weight, and that flat stretch made sense — I was holding water and recovering like crap. How's your sleep and stress load right now?

Honestly, change one variable for 10 days instead of white-knuckling the same plan.

Café owner here. My 5-week stall at 179 broke when I counted the “quality control” bites: half a scone, spoon of ganache, end of a smoothie. That was 300–500/day and never hit my log. I didn’t ban them—just put them on a saucer and logged them. Also, are you measuring your waist at the same time/day? After a salty shift mine swings 0.75". If glucose/LDL are improving, I’d average 7 days instead of trusting daily. What’s yor protein look like on café days?

Three-year vet here. At 182 with 3 lifting days, the scale can nap while you recomp. Instead of the scale, what are your lifts doing? If your squat/bench/row numbers or rep counts are still creeping up, that’s a win, not a stall. Also, where exactly are you taping your waist? I spent months measuring at my navel, then tried midway between lowest rib and iliac crest—different trend entirely. Same time, after exhale, no sucking in. That said, if lifts are flat and waist is truly frozen for 5 weeks, I’d look at weekly average intake rather than weekday. What’s your 7-day average?

I’m the spreadsheet person here. Your 5 weekdays at 1,900 + 2 weekend days at 2,700 averages to ~2,130/day, not 1,900. When I stalled after ~35 lb, I recalculated at my current weight and my old weekday target was basically maintenance. I didn’t do anything drastic; I just logged 10-day rolling averages for weight, waist, and intake. That 2,130 average explained my flat scale better than any single weekend. What does your 7-day average intake look like with weekends included—and are your weekly average steps and lifting volume still the same as when you were losing?

Not to pile on, but are you tracking liquids and oils? I weigh food too, yet stalled for a month because I wasn’t logging the olive oil I cooked with, my coffee creamer, or the bites I ate while making lunches. Once I added those, my weekday “1,900” was closer to 2,350. Also, do you measure waist same day/time, after exhale, no sucking in? Mine can swing 0.75" just from bloat. What does your 7-day average weight look like vs single daily weigh-ins?

Between insurance calls at the pharmacy, I’ve had time to obsess over my own spreadsheets—so here’s my thought: after 37 lbs, your maintenance is lower than it was at 219. Your weekdays at 1,900 and weekends around 2,700 average out near 2,130. That might be close to what you burn now, especially with lifting and walks. Have you recalculated your weekly average intake and TDEE since the loss? I had to trim about 150/day after my first 30 lbs, and the scale moved again within two weeks. Not saying that’s your magic number—just something I’d check before calling it a true plateau.

Two kids, snack drawer, witching hour here. What’s your weekend composition? My 6-week stall at 181 was 2,700 mostly from restaurant chips, margaritas, and late pizza. Same average as home food, but my Tuesday waist was +1.5 in from sodium/alcohol. I cut to one restaurant meal, kept Sunday at home, and

I’m the grocery-receipt/tape-measure nerd here. What broke my 5-week “stall” was weekend restaurant sodium: +3–4 lb water by Monday, gone by Wednesday. Comparing Monday to Friday made it look like zero progress. Now I compare Tue-to-Tue and measure waist first thing, fasted, at the same spot (navel, not narrowest) before coffee/water. That alone shifted my 38.5 reading by almost half an inch. Are you measuring

Five weeks flat at 182 with 1,900 weekdays and ~2,700 weekends is ~2,130/day average. That’s maintenance territory or a tiny deficit. Do you track a 7-day rolling average, or just the daily number? My “plateau” vanished when I switched from weekday/weekend targets to a flat weekly budget—same calories, less water-weight noise. Also: are your lifts still adding weight or reps? If yes, you may be recomposing, not stalled.

Plateau math check: 1,900×5 + 2,700×2 = ~2,130/day average. At 182 after a 37-lb drop, that might be maintenance—not a stall. The scale and tape both flat says your weekly deficit is roughly zero, not that your metabolism broke. Pick one lever: trim the 7-day average by 150–200, or add 2k steps daily, not more weekend punishment. Also weigh/measure waist same time, same spot, after exhale. What’s your 7-day average step count? Weekday 8k is great, but if Sat/Sun are 2k, the weekly output is lower than it looks.

Kid-leftover bites were my hidden stall. I weighed my plate but not the crusts, spoon licks, and “one more bite” while cleaning up. When I tracked it for a week, it was 200–300 extra most days. I started plating my own dinner first, then packing leftovers before I sit down—boring but it got the scale moving again. Are you logging the bites/leftovers, or just what goes on your plate? Also, is your lifting load going up? If not, that can mask fat loss on the scale for a bit.

Waist is a lagging metric. Are you measuring at the same landmark, same time, after exhale? I switched from narrowest point to navel and my “stall” resolved instantly. Also check your 7-day average weight, not daily. If lifts are still progressing, 5 weeks flat is often water/recomp noise, not fat-loss failure. What’s your average weight for the last 3 weeks vs the prior 3?

Systems check: are you using a 7-day average or just daily weigh-ins? I had a 4-week flat scale while my waist dropped an inch — scale was the lagging indicator. Also measure waist same time, after exhale, same tape tension, not after lifting. And sleep/stress: bad sleep can hold water and appetite. If both weekly average weight and waist are truly flat for 5 weeks, audit the inputs before changing the algorithm.

First—37 lbs is huge, and those glucose/LDL changes are real wins. New angle: are your lifts actually progressing, or are you just showing up? When I stalled for 5 weeks, my steps and food were fine but my sleep was 5.5–6 hrs and I was lifting the same weights. I added one rest day, aimed for 7 hrs, and pushed 1–2 reps or a tiny load increase weekly. Scale moved 2 weeks later. What’s your average sleep, and have you added weight/reps on your main lifts lately?

dorm fridge plateau is real—my cottage cheese and I are in a situationship. 37 lbs is huge!

Honestly, Road warrior check-in: my five-week “plateau” was mostly travel NEAT. At home I’d hit 8k easily, but on airport/hotel days I’d sit in lounges, Ubers

night shifter here. I’d bet the weekends. “Probably 2,700” usually means not logged. I did the same—drinks, sauces, bites Thursday-Sunday erased my weekday deficit. Log Sat/Sun exactly for 2 weeks, same as weekdays. Also check sleep after night shifts. Mine was trash and the scale froze until I got consistent 7 hours. Not sexy, just the missing variable.

Quick math check: 1,900×5 + 2,700×2 = 14,900/wk, ~2,130/day. After a 37-lb drop, that can be closer to maintenance than it looks, especially if weekend sodium/carbs leave you holding water Monday. I’d track weekly average weight and waist at the same spot/time for 2 weeks. How’s sleep and stress? When mine tank, my waist stalls first even if calories are tight. I’m a recomp guy—protein and lifting 4x—and I’d rather add a 15-min walk after dinner than cut another 200, unless the weekly average is truly flat.

Cheap dorm test: make Sat/Sun portions look like weekdays. I’m a broke student, so I pre-log the sneaky stuff—cooking oil, sauces, PB, cereal handfuls—because my “probably 2700” weekends were closer to 3400 once counted. Also, are you weighing Monday after a high-sodium weekend? Water can hide real loss and mae the tape look stuck. Try a 10-day boring-menu experiment: same cheap protein breakfast/lunch (eggs, tuna, Greek yogurt), vary only dinner, and compare the full trend. If nothing moves, it’s data, not failure.

Kind of a boring math check, but it helped me: your weekly average is about 2,130/day (1,900×5 + 2,700×2 = 14,900 ÷ 7). Aftr 37 lbs, that might be close to your current maintenance, especially if weekend tracking is looser. I’d be curious: are the 2,700 days fully weighed/logged, or more estimate-y? Also, has your waist moved at all in those 5 weeks, even 0.25 inch, or literally frozen? If waist is slowly dropping, that changes the picture. Either way, those glucose/LDL shifts are not nothing.

Travel hack: I weigh Tue/Fri, never Monday. Weekend airport/hotel food is a sodium bomb, so Monday scale lies +2-3 lbs of water. My 5-week stall broke when Friday finally showed a drop. Have you tried a mid-week weigh-in? Also, do you chug water on travel days? I down a liter before every flight—sounds dumb but it helps.

Been there—my 5-week plateau was weekend bloat; waist moved before scale, in my n=1.

My spreadsheet sys the 7-day avg catches weekend creep

Cafe owner here—the “just one bite” pastry tax is real. You’re still winning, hang in there.

Hey, small-town pharmacy tech here. One thing nobody’s asked: what are your lifts doing? If your squat/bench reps are still creeping up while the scale and waist hold, that can be a recomp phase, especially after 37 lbs. I stalled at 181 for six weeks, navel tape didn’t budge, but my upper-arm and thigh measurements dropped almost an inch. Also—same scale, same spot, same time? Mine read 1.4 lbs heavy after I moved it off the tile. You’re not crazy; 5 weeks is annoying but not automatically a fat plateau. What’s your waist at the narrowest point vs navel?

Daily weigher here. I’d stop comparing single days and look at your 7-day average now vs five weeks ago. Mine looked dead flat, but the monthly average was down ~1.8 lb while lifting 3x/week—water/glycogen can mask fat loss. Concrete check: same waist spot, same time, after exhale, before food. Also, has your lifting volume gone up lately? If yes, that can hold the scale hostage while the trend line still inches down. What does your weekly average say?

There was a long thread here last spring about weekend creep. Mine was 500ish over what I logged—oils, bites, two drinks—and fixing just that unstuck a six-week scale freeze. Also: is your 38.5 waist taken at the same spot, time, and after a normal exhale? I’d been measuring at navel one week and true waist the next, which made it look stuck. Scale and waist both use 7-day averages in my experience; one big Saturday can hide two weeks of fat loss.

Hi, I’m brand new here (only week one myself), so take this with a grain of salt. One thing I didn’t see mentioned: has your lifting changed in those 5 weeks? When I’ve started or increased lifting before, my scale froze for weeks even while clothes fit differently—water/inflammation frm muscle repair can mask fat loss. Maybe check progress photos, how your shirts fit, and whether your lifts are trending up. Also, are you measuring your waist at the same time of day, same spot, after a normal exhale? I’m still learning, but that helped me not panic. Wishing you luck!

late-night gamer here. one thing i’d check: sleep and weigh-in timing. when i was up till 3am doing soda swaps, my scale sat at the same number for like 6 weeks even with logged food. started logging sleep + weighing aftr same bathroom/empty stomach window, and the stall broke in 10 days. also tape waist first thing before eating, relaxed exhale. are you comparing same conditions? what’s your average sleep looking like?

As a 4x/week lifter, I’d zoom in on waist measurement consistency before changing calories. I swore I was stuck at 38 for weeks, then realized I was measuring after coffee/food, mid-bloat. Switched to first thing, fasted, same spot, exhale, 3-day average — it was trending down 0.1–0.2 in/week. With a 37-lb drop and lifting, scale can sit flat while you recomp. Are your main lifts holding/up and sleep stable? If yes, I’d track waist + photos for 3 weeks before touching anything. What’s your waist average vs 5 weeks ago?

Been there—my weekends always hid a few “mystery” bites I swore didn’t count. Hang in, friend!

One thing I didn’t see mentioned: are you using a 7-day weight average or just single weigh-ins? I stalled at 181 for six weeks, but my waist finally moved 0.75" when I started measuring at the same spot, first thing, after a full exhale, before coffee. Also, if your lifting volume went up, you can hold 2–3 lb of water and mask fat loss. What are your squats/deadlifts doing? If those are climbing while your waist holds, it may not be a true plateau yet.