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7 Tips on How to Break a Weight Loss Plateau
If you’re looking for easy ways to break your weight loss plateau, we have some top methods right here
If you’ve been on a weight loss routine for some time, you may eventually find the numbers on the scale have stopped dropping. While this is incredibly common among people who are trying to lose weight by diet and exercise, it still seems to come as a surprise—no one wants to see their weight loss leveling off! It can be very frustrating to put in the time each day to make the right caloric choices, ensure you’re getting lots of physical movement in, and sticking to a good sleep routine and still see your weight remain the same.
So what gives? Well, you may have encountered a weight loss plateau. But not to worry, there are things you can do to get past it! In today’s article, we’re going to cover:
- What a weight loss plateau is
- What causes a weight loss plateau
- Top ways to break your weight loss plateau
What exactly is a weight loss plateau?
And can you climb yourself out of it?
The first few weeks that you’re on your weight loss journey are exciting and tough at the same time. After all, you’re changing up your routine by sticking to a healthy diet and increasing your exercise time. That can take your body a while to get used to! It’s always satisfying to see the numbers on the scale drop and feel your clothes fitting better (or even a little looser!). But after a while you may start to notice that although you’re keeping up with your commitment, the numbers on the scale aren’t budging. This is what’s referred to as a weight loss plateau—when your weight seems to stop changing out of nowhere.
Of course it’s frustrating because you’re still sticking to your weight loss routine, so shouldn’t your numbers continue to drop? Well, not exactly. Weight loss plateaus are incredibly common, and it happens to most people trying to lose weight. There are ways to get beyond them, but one of the most important things to remember is to not fall back into bad habits! Keep your goals in mind and instead evaluate your routine and see if there is anything you can tweak.
3 things that can cause a weight loss plateau
If you’re resting on a weight loss plateau you’re not alone. Instead of getting upset, take a look at your routine, as you may not be as strict with your diet and exercise as you were at the beginning. Here are some of the common causes of weight loss plateaus.
- Water weight comes off first. During the first few weeks of your diet, you’ve been losing water weight, as the body releases stores of glycogen. This is a carbohydrate that’s partially made of water, and when it’s burned for energy, you drop weight. After the glycogen stores are burned, your body will then turn to fat and muscle for its energy. However, once your body adjusts to your new diet and work out regimen, your glycogen stores will return, and the number on the scale stops moving.
- Everyone’s metabolism slows. Losing weight means you’re burning muscle along with fat. Having more muscle allows you to burn calories faster, resulting in a higher metabolic rate. When the muscle starts to burn, your metabolic rate decreases, meaning that you’ll burn less calories at a lower weight than you did at your higher weight.
- You need to change up your routine. Which leads us to another reason you’ve reached a weight loss plateau—you’re no longer burning more calories than you're taking in. When your metabolism starts to slow and your glycogen stores are renewed, it’s time to reassess your routine. In order to keep losing weight, you’ll need to either increase the intensity of your exercise, or reduce calories further (but not below 1,200 per day). Your current routine may only maintain the weight you’ve already lost, but it will not take off any more.
Weight loss plateaus are very common, but they don’t have to stop you from reaching your goals! It’s important to practice patience with yourself, and to resist the urge to try fad diets or to exercise too much or too intensely. This could cause you injury and more stress. Instead celebrate the fact that your healthy lifestyle did work, and you were able to lose weight. When you’re ready, you can start to focus on these top ways to break your weight loss plateau.
7 tips to break your weight loss plateau
Try out these helpful methods if you want to overcome your weight loss plateau
Don’t let a weight loss plateau get you down. Instead practice these suggestions (and a little patience) and you’ll reach your goals.
Adjust your cardio exercise routine
Everyone gets into a routine they’re comfortable with when it comes to cardio. Whether that’s hitting the treadmill, walking, the elliptical, or going for a jog outside, eventually our body gets used to what we’re asking it to do, and it gets efficient at doing it. If you’re guilty of doing the same type of cardio exercise, this could be one of the major reasons you’re hitting a plateau. Change up your routine and challenge your body with higher intensity or a whole new activity. Instead of jogging or the treadmill, try swimming or doing a HIIT class on YouTube.
Play with intensity too. You don’t have to go all out five days a week, but a few days a week of more intense intervals could be just the challenge your body needs.
Include weight training
One thing a lot of people don’t do (or don’t do enough of) is weight training. This is an essential part of losing weight, and keeping it off. Building muscle is not only great for your physique, but it also burns more calories! People with higher muscle mass tend to burn more calories, whether they’re working out or resting.
Try to incorporate more strength training into at least two days a week and you’re going to notice results.
Count what you’re eating (and drinking)
Another helpful way to help you break your weight loss plateau is to scrutinize your daily caloric intake. Although you may think you’re sticking to your goals, perhaps over time you’ve started to take in more calories than you were aware of. Lots of people underestimate how many calories they’re consuming, but using a calorie tracking app or just writing down in a journal what you’re consuming is helpful. Make sure to include both food and beverages!
An easy way to fight hunger, stay full, and stick to your weight loss goals is with healthy snacks from Diet Direct. They have all kinds of options when it comes to yummy ways to snack that won’t set you back, such as.
Protein packed snacks are a great way to stay on track and reach the weight you’re aiming for. Image courtesy of Diet Direct.
Try bumping up your protein
Adding more protein to your diet could be just what you need to drop those pounds. Protein takes more calories for your body to digest, so it’s an easy way to burn extra calories throughout the day. This is known as the thermic effect of food. Protein also helps your body feel full for longer periods of time, which is why Diet Direct’s protein packed snacks and other items are a great choice.
Adding more protein to your day will help curb your appetite so you’re only eating when you’re truly hungry, and not consuming due to boredom or stress.
Get a handle on stress
Speaking of stress, in order to get past your plateau, you’ll need to find a healthy outlet for it. A lot of people find that they reach for food when they’re stressed because it’s comforting, which can not only cause added weight gain, but also prevent you from reaching your goals. Instead find a routine that better serves you, such as:
- Deep breathing
- Stretching
- Taking a 10 minute walk
- Meditating
Keep to a sleep routine
When our sleep routine is off, it not only causes our stress levels to increase, but it can throw off your entire daily routine. When we’re tired, we often don’t feel like eating healthy, nutritious foods and we may opt to skip the workout. If you’re struggling to get 7-9 hours of sleep a night, try some techniques to help you create a sleep routine that works for you.
Consult an expert
If you can’t seem to take the weight off that you want, perhaps it’s time to consult your healthcare practitioner or a dietician. They can review your personal circumstances and give you ways to help you break your plateau that are tailored to your specific needs.
Yes, you can break your weight loss plateau!
While it’s frustrating to no longer see the numbers move on the scale, it helps to know why that’s happening—because then you can do something about it! Don’t give up and try out these 7 tips instead.
