175. Is Your Progress Stuck? How to Break Through Weight Loss Plateaus

April 25, 2025

Ever feel like you're doing all the things but the scale won't budge? You're not alone—and you're definitely not doing it wrong.

In this episode of Concierge Weight Loss, Kara shares a personal story of hitting a mental and physical plateau—and how she used mindset, curiosity, and self-awareness to move forward instead of giving up. Whether you're stuck in your weight loss journey or simply feeling blah about your results, this episode will help you see progress in a whole new way.

👉 You'll walk away with practical tools to reframe your experience, reduce self-doubt, and find motivation—even when the results are slower than expected.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

Why Plateaus Are Normal & Necessary
Your body is adjusting—not failing. Kara explains how to see plateaus as a sign of progress, not defeat.
The Real Reason We Say "I'm Unmotivated"
Spoiler alert: it's fear, not laziness. Kara reveals how to uncover the real thoughts hiding under “I don’t feel like it.”
Use Curiosity, Not Criticism
Learn how Kara shifted from spiraling thoughts to asking empowering questions like:
“What am I really afraid of?” and
“What if I just give it a try?”
How to Track Wins Beyond the Scale
Discover non-scale victories (NSVs) like sleep quality, stress reduction, hunger awareness, and consistency.
Try the “I Don’t Know—Let’s See” Mantra
Instead of predicting failure, Kara shares how to experiment with effort and build confidence by showing up.
Tech Tip: Use Smartwatch Zones
How workout zone tracking gave Kara objective insight into her effort—and helped her push past perceived limits.
The 90-Second Rule of Emotions
Emotions pass quickly unless we fight them. Kara shares her process for feeling stress and supporting her nervous system.

🧠 Mindset Shifts to Try This Week:

Ask: “What’s one thing I could try today?”
Focus on how your body feels instead of what the scale says.
Redefine what “enough” looks like—try using sleep, water, movement, or food awareness as new markers of progress.
Celebrate showing up, even if the effort isn’t “perfect.”

🛠️ Resources & Mentions:

🎓 Free Webinar:
Doctors’ Secrets: How to Lose Weight and Keep It Off
Learn science-backed, simple strategies recommended by medical professionals—and stop guessing about what actually works. Save Your Seat in the Webinar NOW
📞 Personalized Solutions Call:
Book Your Free Coaching Call
Get a customized plan for your goals, your routine, and your mindset blocks.

🔚 Episode Wrap-Up:

Plateaus don’t mean failure. They’re just a pause—an invitation to check in, get curious, and recommit without pressure. Whether you're lifting weights or lifting emotional weight, the real progress is in showing up, even when it's hard.

✨ Progress isn’t always loud.
Sometimes it’s just one brave “let’s see what I can do today.”

💛 Liked this episode?
✅ Subscribe
💬 Leave a review
📤 Share it with a friend who needs some encouragement

More support at: www.coachingkara.com

Episode Transcript

10:25:56 Hey there, welcome back to Concierge Weight Loss Podcast. I'm your coach, Kara Hackleman, and today we're talking about something that sneaks into almost every weight loss journey.
10:26:08 Stress. And more importantly, what to do when it starts slowing you down or stalling your progress altogether.
10:26:14 If you've ever noticed that when life feels overwhelming, your weight loss efforts go straight out the window.
10:26:20 Or when things feel hard, your brain says, nope, not today. You are not alone That used to be me too. Today, I want to share how I flipped the script on that stress response.
10:26:32 And how you can too. All right, let's talk about how stress stalls weight loss.
10:26:39 Let's start with what's happening inside your body when stress hits. Stress activates the nervous system. Hello, fight or flight. That surge of cortisol, it messes with everything.
10:26:51 From your sleep to how your body holds onto fat. It's not just about willpower. Your biology is literally working against you when you're stressed out.
10:27:00 But that's just the physical side. Emotionally, stress leads to overwhelm and procrastination. And let's be honest.
10:27:07 To feel better. Ice cream doesn't solve problems, but it does distract us for a minute.
10:27:13 So if stress is constant. So are the distractions and the ice cream, right? That's what managing stress It's not a luxury.
10:27:23 It's essential for sustainable weight loss. I used to stop every time things felt hard.
10:27:32 Lifting heavy weights, it felt too hard, I'd stop. Resisting cravings felt too hard. Oh, I'm going to stop resisting. I'm just going to eat the food.
10:27:42 Trying new things in my business or life. I would avoid them or I would just stop them altogether. My brain would say, see.
10:27:49 This is too much. It's too hard. I can't do it. And I'd come up with all the things, right?
10:27:54 No wonder I needed the ice cream to calm down, and my body would agree. It would cue this stress response.
10:28:01 But now I use stress as a signal, not a stop sign. It's a little indicator light, you know, like on your dashboard, it comes on. Pay attention to me.
10:28:10 Instead of quitting, I ask myself. What makes this feel so hard? Is there something specific I need to pay attention to? Is it trying to get my attention for some reason?
10:28:20 That little pause lets me stay in the moment instead of running from it.
10:28:26 That's how I can make… any emotion easier to feel and not make it a big scary, hide it in the closet monster.
10:28:35 So here's a practice I teach my clients and I myself use every day or at least most days. I check in with my nervous system like it's a weather app.
10:28:45 Sunny is calm and I'm at my home base. That's the language I learned, home base, like everything's safe.
10:28:52 So I ask, do I feel above or below that? If I'm above, maybe I'm feeling anxious and lots of energy. I'm scattered or I'm over activated some way. If I'm below it, I might be feeling like.
10:29:04 Almost what we call depressed or I feel withdrawn or tired or numb.
10:29:09 Then I asked the most important question. What do I need right now?
10:29:14 Sometimes it's a warm blanket or a hug or my own hand over my heart.
10:29:19 A breath or maybe my face in some sunshine Or even just giving myself permission to take a nap or to rest or to say no to something.
10:29:29 This isn't about fixing the feeling. It's about caring for myself.
10:29:33 Through it. So I'll talk to you about the 90 second rule.
10:29:39 Here's a truth that blew my mind. Most emotions only last about 90 seconds.
10:29:45 Unless we fight them. Or keep spinning thoughts.
10:29:50 All around that emotion. Letting yourself feel an emotion without resistance helps it pass instead of getting stuck in it.
10:29:58 And the more I've practiced this, the less scary stress feels.
10:30:03 The less I avoid it. And the shorter and softer the waves of stress become.
10:30:08 That emotion will just pass like a little bit of a wave lapping at your ankles, not a giant tsunami taking me under.
10:30:16 So why this matters for weight loss. Managing stress isn't just about feeling better. It directly helps with lowering cortisol levels, which supports fat loss.
10:30:26 Reducing emotional eating. Supports fat loss. Making mindful choices easier.
10:30:33 Supports fat loss and feeling safe enough to create these new habits.
10:30:37 When you understand your stress and how you know how to care for yourself through it. Your weight loss journey becomes more peaceful and more sustainable.
10:30:49 So if this episode hit home and you want to understand even more about how your body and brain respond to weight loss, especially with things like stress, medications, emotional eating.
10:31:01 Come to my free webinar, Doctor Secrets, How to Lose Weight and Keep It Off.
10:31:06 Get trusted advice, simple strategies, and real talk. Register now at Coachingkara.com forward slash sign up.
10:31:16 Or maybe… you're ready. You're ready now. I'm ready to take action.
10:31:22 With support that fits your life. You can book a free personalized solutions call. We'll talk about your goals, what's been stalling you.
10:31:29 And what stress-proof strategies could actually work for you? Go to coachingara.com.
10:31:36 Forward slash free call to grab your spot. I'll see you next week. But before we go.
10:31:43 Stress doesn't… Oh my goodness, stress doesn't have to be the villain in your story.
10:31:50 You can learn to ride the wave. You can learn to check in instead of check out.
10:31:54 And I'll be here cheering you on every step of the way. Until next time, keep showing up for yourself.
10:32:00 And I'll talk to you soon.