Down 78 pounds since January and the scale won't move

78 lbs is awesome, and a September stall after that much loss is so common it’s almost a cliché. The thing that finally broke mine was realizing my old deficit had basically become maintenance at my new weight. I recalculated my calories at current weight, went back to weighing food for a week—my eyeballing had definitely crept—and added a 20-minute afternoon walk. Scale moved about 10 days later. Have you run your current numbers or tried a week of stricter weighing? Also, are your measurements or cloths changing at all? Sometimes the scale is the last thing to catch up.

Honestly, cafe owner here — I stalled hard around month eight too. The sneaky part for me wasn’t meals, it was the cafe tastes: a spoon of frosting, crust trims, a sip of new syrup, “just one bite” of a pastry. I started logging every taste as a mini item, which felt silly, but it added up to 150–250 extra calories most days. Also, are you checking measurements or how clothes fit? I lost inches while the scale sat still. You’re not doing anything wrong — plateaus are so demoralizing. Maybe track tastes for one week and see.

Three-year vet here. This exact “same food, same walks, scale froze” thing pops up every fall — there was a good thread last year about it. One concrete thing I’d check: have you recalculated your maintenance calories since losing 78 lbs? Your body is hauling a lot less weight now, so the same plate that gave you a deficit in January might be closer to maintenance in September. I’d also look at your weekly average instead of daily bounces, and take waist/hip measurements. Quick question: when you say same food, is that the same meals or the same calorie number? If portions crept up at all, that’s usually where it shows first.

I’m the spreadsheet person: daily weights are noisy garbage; my 14-day EMA is the only line I trust. I had a five

tbh first off, 78 lbs is wild. I’m a broke dorm kid so my scale is a $15 drugstore special that I step on three times and average like it’s a lab experiment. September stall here too. What actually nudged things for me wasn’t a big change — it was re-weighing my “cheap protein” staples. My “tablespoon” of peanut butter was more like three, and my tuna salad had been sneaking in extra mayo. Once I actually measured for a week, the scale moved again. Also, my walks got easier, so I started carrying a backpack full of textbooks. Have you re-checked your usual portions lately? Dorm meals are sneaky.

Been here since 2021 and I’ll say the scale is the worst narrator of month 8+. The thing that broke my similar plateau wasn’t food changes — it was realizing my daily movement outside the four walks had quietly dropped. Same walks, but way more sitting in between. I started checking my all-day steps, not just workout steps, and gave myself a boring rule: 5 minutes of walking after meals or phone calls. Two weeks later the scale finally blinked. Have you looked at your non-exercise steps or how your clothes fit compared to September? Sometimes the loss is just rearranging.

Plateaus after a big loss often come down to the math changing under you. At 78 lbs down, your maintenance calories are meaningfully lower than they were in January, so the same intake that was a deficit before can now be close to maintenance. Not medical advice, but have you checked your weekly average intake vs. current body weight over the last 3 weeks? I use a spreadsheet: 7-day rolling weight average, same-week calorie average, and step count. When I stalled, my steps had quietly dropped from 9k to 5k as it got hotter. Also, are you comparing daily weights or weekly averages? Daily can bounce 3–5 lbs from sodium, carbs, and stress. If the weekly average is flat for 4–6 weeks, that's a real signal.

When you say same walks, are you still getting the same steps and pace? My 4-mile loop got way easier and I was burning fewer calories without noticing. I added a 15-minute after-dinner walk and dug out the tape measure. My scale froze for almost six weeks while my jeans kept loosening. Has your waist changed at all? I also switched to weighing once a week at our local pharmacy instead of daily, just to save my sanity.

Not medical advice, just spreadsheet nerd stuff: your maintenance calories are lower at 78 lbs down. I hit a 5-week flatline around -61 lbs; my trendline was dead flat while daily weights bounced 3 lbs. When I recalculated my TDEE at the new weight, my old “deficit” was basically maintenance. I dropped my target ~200 cal and added 2k steps, and the 10-day average finally turned down. What’s your 30-day trendline versus pre-September? And have you re-weighed a typical plate lately? My portions had crept up ~15% without me logging anything differently.

First, 78 lbs is huge — please don’t let this stall erase that. During my own long plateau, I switched to a weekly body-signal note: ring fit, morning energy, how my usual walk felt, and waist at the navel. My waist dropped almost 2 inches over six weeks while the scale stayed flat. Any chance your clothes or energy are shifting even if the number isn’t? Also, did September bring any sleep, stress, or schedule changes? Those tend to show up in my body before the scale ever admits it. Sending patience.

fellow night owl here. the thing that got me after a long stall was my “same food” had quietly become different at 1am. i’d log dinner fine, then while gaming i’d sip a soda-swap experiment and graze pretzels/goldfish without really counting. started pre-portoning a bowl and logging it before i sat down, and the scale finally moved a little. also: have you recalculated your maintenance since losing 78? that mch weight changes your baseline, so the same intake can be way closer to break-even now. are you still weighing the handfuls/condiments or eyeballing those?

When I hit a six-week flat stretch, I started comparing 10-day averages instead of daily numbers. The scale looked stuck, but my averages were still drifting down about 0.2 lb a week. I also measured my waist at the navel and my thigh—down 1.5 inches while weight didn’t budge. Are you tracking any measurements, or just the scale? Sometimes the tape tells a different story.

Not medical advice, just my dorm-kitchen experience: when I stalled around month 8, it wasn’t the big stuff, it was my “same” budget meals quietly changing. Dining hall chicken switched to thigh, the rice scoop got bigger, and my 2% Greek yogurt became full-fat vanilla because it was on sale. I also stopped fidgeting as much and was more tired from classes. Are you weighing/measuring any calorie-dense dorm stuff like oils, sauces, granola, or PB, or mostly tracking by sight? That’s where my “same food” was hiding 200–300 extra calories. Also, how’s sleep now vs. summer? That one wrecked my appetite for me.

I'm on my second go-round after losing 60 and regaining 25. One thing that broke my last stall: I started timing my walks instead of just logging "a walk." My usual 40-minute loop had quietly become 28 minutes because I'd stop and scroll. Also took waist measurements weekly. Scale froze for three weeks but my belt notch moved. Have you checked if your daily movement has shrunk without you noticing? That was my blind spot.

Fellow spreadsheet nerd here. When mine flatlined around month 8, daily numbers wre useless. I switched to a 10-day rolling average and compared month-over-month slope, not week-over-week. August slope: -0.82 lb/wk; September: -0.06. Waist was still down

Hey, welcome out of lurker mode! That September wall is real. One thing nobody told me: update your tracker’s weight and your portions as you shrink. I hovered for weeks because I was still eating like my old self and my app was set to a 60-pounds-heavier me. Once I recalculated and actually measured a few things again, it started moving. Also, do you take measurements or just scale? Our little pharmacy lets me use their big scale once a month, and inches moved even when pounds didn’t. Are your clothes fitting any different lately?

For what it's worth, congratulations on 78 pounds — that is a significant change. When my scale went quiet for several weeks, I found it helpful to compare Monday-to-Monday weekly averages rather than daily numbers. A salty meal or hard workout can hold water for days and hide fat loss. I also took waist and hip measurements once a month and kept a pair of “goal” jeans to try on. The scale stayed flat while my waist dropped almost an inch. Have you looked at your four-week average or any non-scale measurements recently? Sometimes the body is recomposing even when the number refuses to move.

78 lbs is massive. First thing I’d check: after that much loss, the same food/walks isn’t the same deficit anymore. Are you lifting? If not, 3x full-body plus high protein can stall the scale while waist/arms shrink—classic recomp. I’d also compare 14-day average weights and tape your waist at the navel, not daily scale. My last stall lasted 6 weeks; weight flat, waist down 1.5", squat held. What’s your 2-week trend vs September, and have you recalculated your calorie target at your current weight?

Hi OP — I’m brand new here (week one), so I’m mostly lurking and taking notes. Yur timeline is really helpful to read, and I’m sorry September has been so stubborn. Tiny question: during the stall, have you noticed inches or clothing changing even when the scale won’t? I ask because in a past weight-loss attempt my scale froze for six weeks, but my belt went in a notch, and I wish I’d tracked that instead of panicking. Maybe a monthly waist/hip measurement could show something the scale is hiding. Sending you a lot of respect.