Six flat weeks, but the winter coat closes now

2026-10-02 22:05

I've been hovering around the same 3 pounds for almost six weeks. I'm tracking, hitting my protein, walking 8k steps most days, lifting twice a week, and sleeping decently. Still, the scale is just... sitting there.

It's frustrating enough that I've caught myself wanting to change everything at once. This morning I grabbed my old winter coat, the one I couldn't close last year without holding my breath, and it closed easily over a hoodie. I even sat down in it to check. Still snug in the arms, but the middle finally has room.

I know the scale isn't the whole story, but some days it's hard to care about NSVs. I needed this one. For those who've been here: what finally got the scale moving again for you, or did you just keep going?

2026-10-03 18:35

Six flat weeks with the coat closing is real progress, even if the scale is being a jerk. What’s your weekly average doing vs the daily number? I ask because I had

2026-10-06 02:15

pull up your weekly averages instead of eyeballing the daily number—six flat weeks with a coat that closes usually means recomp or water masking, not zero progress. I had a 38-day flat stretch last winter, then the scale dropped 3 lbs over a weekend, but my belt had already moved a notch. The coat is real data.

I wouldn’t change everything at once.

Sharp question: are you actually adding reps or weight on those two lifts, and is your 8k most days or 8k weekdays plus 3k weekends? That usually explains the stall better than macros.

2026-10-06 09:09

curious — are you weighing daily and going off a 7-day average, or just eyeballing a couple mornings? i stalled for like a month, then realized my "same conditions" were all over the place (after lifting days, salty snacks, etc) and a real weekly average finally showed a slow downward crawl instead of noise.

also if the scale is being useless, try a tape at navel + hip once a week. mine moved there before the number budged. what's your lifting look like lately — same weights/reps, or are you adding load?

2026-10-08 09:49

I had a six-week flat stretch too, and mine broke all at once — three pounds gone over one weekend, like my body had been holding it and finally let go. Mine always came in stair steps, never a slope. What kept me from blowing up my whole routine was a tape measure: waist at the navel, same morning each week.

Scale sat still, tape moved half an inch, and that was enough to keep me patient. One thing I'd ask — with 8k steps in the cold, are you eating those back? I was, quietly, all winter without noticing.

2026-10-08 10:18

i stalled for a month until i actually looked at my weekend logging. late-night gaming = handfuls of chips, a few regular sodas, and “i’ll log it later” that never happened. once i pre-portioned snacks and kept only zero/diet drinks in the mini fridge, the scale finally started moving again. not

2026-10-10 06:34

Not the scale being a passive-aggressive roommate again. One thing that broke my dorm plateau: I started weighing the “tiny” stuff—PB spoon, handful of cereal, cheese cubes, free samples at the dining hall.

Turns out my handful was basically a small meal. Didn’t change workouts, just logged 5 days of nibbles and cut it to one planned snack. Scale finally moved.

Are you tracking the bites/oils or mostly meals? Dining hall stir-fry oil was my hidden budget-killer too.

2026-10-11 01:47

Six flat weeks while hitting all that — my first question would be whether your lifts actually got heavier or your reps went up during that stretch. If yes, you're very plausibly trading fat for muscle, and the scale simply can't show that.

That was my whole last winter: same 2–3 lb window for two months, but the tape at my waist dropped over an inch. Do you have waist/hip measurements or a photo from six weeks ago to compare against?

Honestly, the coat closing is a stronger signal than the number.