Hit a plateau after six months — what helped you get through it?

Nine-week plateau last year, so: solidarity. Two things broke mine, and neither was eating less.

First, honest tracking for two weeks. Not to punish myself — to find the drift. Portions had quietly grown, weekend "one chaat won't hurt" had become three. I wasn't doing "the same things that were working"; I just believed I was. That was uncomfortable and useful.

Second, strength training. My dietitian explained that after months of loss, my body simply needed fewer calories than in April, and building muscle was the lever I hadn't pulled. Two sessions a week with resistance bands at home. The scale started moving about a month later — slower than before, but moving.

Also, quietly: my sleep had collapsed during a work crunch exactly when the plateau started. Fixing that may have mattered as much as anything.

Different answer: mine never "broke" — it was the destination. After eight months of losing, my body parked itself at a weight 4 kg above my goal and would not budge. My doctor looked at my labs, my energy, my blood pressure, and asked a question that rearranged my head: "What exactly would those last 4 kg give you that you don't have now?"

I didn't have a good answer. Everything I'd actually wanted — climbing stairs without thinking, sleeping well, my knees not hurting, feeling like myself — I already had.

So I'd gently offer both possibilities: investigate the drift like others suggest, absolutely. But also ask your doctor whether your body might be telling you something. Maintenance at 14 kg down is not failure. It might be the win.