Five-week stall at goal and trying to stay calm

For what it's worth, Five weeks in maintenance is barely a data point. I’d be way more curious about your waist tape and how your clothes fit than the scale. New strength sessions can make your body hold extra water while muscles repair, so the number can flatten while inches still move. I weigh daily but only judge by a 10-day average and one pair of goal jeans. If the average is flat and the jeans fit the same, that’s a win. What’s your waist measurement doing?

First, 151.8–153.4 over five weeks is a 1.6-lb band—basically 1% of your body weight. That’s textbook maintenance noise, especially with new strength work. What’s your waist doing across those same five weeks? If it’s steady or down while the scale bounces, that’s the more useful trend. I weigh daily too, but I only

Hi, I’m brand new here (week one) and still nervous about every little fluctuation, so I don’t have answers—but I have a question. When I did strength training a few years ago, my scale bounced 2–3 lbs for weeks while my jeans got looser. Could the new strength sessions be doing something similar? Are you looking at a wekly average or just the daily range? Also, huge congrats on 62 lbs and size 16 to 8. I’m trying to learn how to stay calm when I get to maintenance, so this thread is helpful.

The routine change is what I’d look at. When I added two strength sessions, my scale parked for weeks—sore muscles, more water, hungrier. I switched to weighing twice a week and measuring my waist at the same spot; my waist dropped almost an inch before the scale budged. Have you measured your waist since adding the strength work, or just the scale? If your size 8s still fit the same or looser, that’s a solid maintenance signal. So

When I added two strength sessions a week, my scale sat flat for almost a month while my waist and how my jeans fit changed first. If those sessions are new, I’d track waist + one pair of jeans once a week instead of daily weigh-ins. Are you still sore after workouts? That can make the scale hold water and look stuck even when your body is changing.

Since you added two strength sessions, I’d be curious whether your waist/hip measurements have shifted, not just the scale. In my own maintenance, lifting twice a week made the scale sit ~1–2 lb higher for several weeks while my waist stayed flat and clothes fit the same. What helped was measuring my waist once a week, same spot, and comparing 4-week averages instead of daily numbers. Are you tracking any circumference, or just weight? If your waist is flat or down, that’s a very different signal than a slow upward creep across measurements. If you’re only using the scale, maybe add one waist number to the log for a month.

Did your waist keep changing while the scale flattened? That’s the tell I’d watch. In my n=1, adding two weekly lifting sessions pushed the scale up ~1.5–2 lb for almost a month — glycogen and repair water — while my belt notch and waist tape kept creeping down. In the trials they track waist circumference for a reason; scale weight gets blunt when training load changes. If your waist is stable or down, I’d trust the tape and how clothes fit over five weeks of scale noise. If waist is also flat/up, then I’d look at intake creep or weekend sodium/alcohol. What’s the waist trend?

yo, the new strength sessions are almost definitely muddying the scale — first couple months of lifting i was holding like 2-3 lbs of extra water in my legs and back for repair. what helped me: pick one day a week, same time, same conditions, and only compare that number to last week's same-day number instead of the daily bounce. also you got cut off at "my waist" — is the tape actually moving or holding? if the waist is steady or creeping down while the scale sits in that band, that's the win column. i did the soda swap too and mine still does whatever it wants lol. five weeks is nothing.

not the scale, but has your waist/hip tape budged? When I added two lifts + post-dinner walks in my dorm era, my weight sat flat while my jeans got looser and my backpack felt lighter on stairs. I’d measure once a week, same time, and also note if your rings/watch fit differently. Sharp question: what cheap protein are you leaning on? I’m a student so my rotation is tuna packets, eggs, cottage cheese, and lentils—basically a sad casserole DJ. If your measurements are stable-ish too, it might just be normal maintenance noise. But if waist is dropping, celebrate that.

Hi, I’m brand new here (day 5) and still nervous about every little change, so I hope it’s okay to jump in. Yor maintenance is really encouraging. One thing I’m learning in my own tracking: my scale swings more from hydration timing than anything. Did starting the after-dinner walk change when you drink water or when you weigh in? I’m trying to figure out what’s worth tracking besides the scale. Sorry if that’s a silly question!

I track a 7-day median plus a weekly waist tape, because daily scale is useless when I change lifting. When I added two 30-min strength sessions, my trendline was flat for six weeks—range 1.2 lb—but my waist dropped 1.5 cm at the navel and 2 cm at the narrowest point. Scale was masking water/glycogen shifts. Are you measuring waist at the same spot and time each week, or just weight? That’s the line I’d check first. Also, are the sessions getting harder or adding load? If yes, a flat scale is pretty expected short-term.

When I added strength work, my scale hung out 1–2 lbs higher for a few weeks while my waist and rings got looser. The new walks can also mildly bump water retention if you’re more active than before. Since you mentioned your waist—has that measurement changed, stayed the same, or are you avoiding it? For me, measuring at the navel and tracking how jeans fit was way more useful than the daily number. Also, how are your sleep and energy with the two sessions? If those feel good, I’d gently lean on the monthly trend and how clothes fit.

Did your waist tape move at all? That'd tell me moe than the scale these weeks.

Maintenance is a tolerance problem, not a target. You’ve set a new equilibrium with two new inputs (lifting + post-dinner walk), and 1.6 lbs of bounce over five weeks is well inside normal scale noise. I’d define a band now—say 150–154—and only change anything if your 14-day average exits it for two weeks. Quick question: are you eating back the activity calories, or keeping intake static? That’s usually the hidden variable when routine changes. If intake is static and the trend is flat, you’re maintaining, not stalling. The scale just hasn’t gotten the memo.

Five weeks is one data point at maintenance. At 152, your whole range is ~1% body weight—hydration, glycogen, gut contents, not fat. I’d set a maintenance corridor (say 150–155) and review monthly: waist, lifts, clothes fit, sleep, hunger. Sharp question: are your strength sessions actually progressing? If you’re adding weight/reps and your waist is stable, the scale is just the noisy output variable. If lifts are flat and waist is creeping, that’s a different signal. Don

At goal, I stopped calling it a stall and started calling it a range. Mine has been about 3 lbs for over a year, especially when I change up exercise. What helped me was picking non-scale markers that actually reflect strength work: how many push-ups I can do, how stairs feel, and whether my rings fit the same in the morning. If the strength sessions are new, I’d give it a full 8–10 weeks before judging anything. Are your lifts or reps trending up? If yes, the scale is

Hi, I’m brand new too (day 5) and honestly this thread is helping my nerves. One thing I’ve been trying from past attempts: weekly photos in the same leggings and spot, plus noticing how rings/clothes fit, because my scale hides behind water shifts. Also, could this 151.8–153.4 just be your maintenance range now? Five weeks inside a 1.6-lb band sounds really stable to me. When I added evening walks before, I noticed better sleep first, scale later. Sending calm vibes!

strength work made my scale suk too; my jeans knew before the number did 😅

The next thing I’d chart is your strength log, not the scale. When I added two lifting days, my scale bumped ~1.2 lb for about 10 days, but reps/load kept climbing, so I stopped calling it a stall. I run a 14-day rolling average and compare the same week of my cycle to the previous month—five weekly weigh-ins is too noisy for me. What are your squats/rows/deadlifts doing? If those are trending up and your 14-day average is flat, that’s recomp/maintenance. If both are flat for another 3 weeks, then I’d look at sodium, carbs, and sleep before changing anything else.

My cheap dorm scale does this eery time I touch a dumbbell. Jeans know the truth.

Five weeks at maintenance is such a mind game. One thing that helped me stop spiraling: I stopped comparing day-to-day and started logging a monthly average plus one “life metric”—how many flights of stairs before I’m winded, sleep score, ring fit. My scale sat in a tight window for almost two months while my resting heart rate dropped and my jeans got loose in the thighs. Are you noticing any of that, or is it purely the scale number? Also, has your sodium or restaurant food changed lately? A couple of high-sodium dinners can mask progress for days. You’re not doing anything wrong.

Strength work always makes my scale play games too. Trust the waist tape!