Weight Loss
Why has my weight stopped going down?
Direct answer
A period where your weight stays the same doesn't necessarily mean you've stopped making progress.
Explanation
Your bodyweight can fluctuate for plenty of reasons that have very little to do with changes in body fat. Water retention, hydration, carbohydrate and salt intake, digestion, sleep and changes to your training can all influence what you see on the scales.
For example, if you've recently increased your training volume or started lifting heavier weights, the increased training stress can temporarily contribute to greater water retention. Your scale weight might stay the same or even increase despite your nutrition remaining consistent.
There can also be longer-term reasons for a genuine plateau. As you lose weight, your body becomes lighter and your daily energy requirements can decrease. Your activity levels, food intake and normal daily habits can change over time too, sometimes without you really noticing.
This is why I wouldn't make a major change based on a couple of weigh-ins.
How to apply this
Look at the trend over time rather than individual days.
If your weight hasn't changed for a short period, continue monitoring it alongside your nutrition, training and activity before assuming something needs to change.
If the trend has genuinely stopped moving for a longer period, then we can look at what's changed. That might mean reviewing your food intake, daily activity, training, recovery or whether your calorie requirements have changed as you've lost weight.
Identify the reason for the plateau before immediately cutting more food or adding more exercise.