What to Do When You Have Hit a Weight Loss Plateau?
So you have been working out, eating well, practicing mindfulness, and your weight loss journey is going well. The first month, it seemed like the weight was just falling off. Until it isn’t. You’re still doing everything by the book, so why are you stuck? We’ve all made it to this point, and it can be very frustrating.
Why Do I Plateau?
The stall, or weight loss plateau, occurs because our bodies are extremely efficient and adaptable machines – becoming stronger and more efficient at burning calories every time we exercise, and through a diet and exercise plan, requiring less calories than before. So despite you best efforts, eventually, you will need to change what you are doing for your weight loss program, in order to almost surprise or shock your body out of the routine you have created, and there are a few options to do so.
How to Get out of Plateau Phase
1) Track your meals. Sometimes we actually are underestimating the calorie-count of the meals we are eating. Using a fitness tracker like MyFitnessPal can help you manage what you are eating and portions, to ensure that you are in fact in a calorie-deficit.
2) Increase exercise. Reaching this plateau phase may mean that you need to rev up your routine. Studies show that as you lose weight, your metabolism generally decreases, as it doesn’t need to be quite so high for someone of a lower rate. Of course, this does vary, depending on many factors including age, gender and strength. Resistance or strength training can combat this, and seems to be the best activity to add to your weight loss regimen, because more muscle burns more fat.
3) Drink water. Making sure that you are getting enough water is critical to any weight loss regimen. Studies also show that drinking water before a meal can impact your weight loss – one study showed that people who drank water before meals lost 44% more weight than those who did not. The average adult recommendation is to consume 2 litres of water per day – this of course could be more depending on what exercise and activities you are engaging in daily.
4) Reverse dieting. This simply means, if you have been dieting and exercising a certain way for some time and just not seeing results any more, it can be tempting to try and continue to cut calories BUT it’s actually not a sustainable solution. Reverse dieting is when you eat at maintenance level or slightly more for a two-week diet break. Maintenance level would be your average number of calories per day that you would eat in order to maintain your current weight, so at the end of the two weeks, you should weigh the same, and once you start back on your diet plan, your body should readjust and begin to lose weight again. This can be hard, with the temptation to overeat looming, but if you stick to it, it can be a very effective strategy to re-invigorate your weight loss.
5) Cut or reduce alcohol. Cutting out alcohol or even chopping your consumption in half can have a huge impact on your health and weight loss. If it is too challenging to cut entirely, decreasing it or chopping it in half can be the easier way to go and will still be effective. Try to have a water instead of a second glass, or a water in between to pad your consumption. The idea behind this is just to not drink your calories – most alcoholic beverages have upwards of 100 calories per drink, and that is if they are poured accurately. Beers will have the most calories unless they are specifically a low-calorie beer.
6) Carbs. For some people it’s chocolate, for some people it’s carbs. Reducing the carbs on your plate can have a huge impact on your weight loss. Increase the protein and green veggies on your plate and decreasing the carbs can help get you out of a weight loss rut. Try to limit the days you are eating out of home or ordering food and try to stick to whole foods.
7) Mindset. Stress, not enough sleep and not enough recovery time from exercise can all wreak havoc on your diet. Checking in with yourself and managing your stress levels is imperative to weight loss – stress causes your cortisol to spike which can increase appetite and craving as well as create an internal environment conducive to accumulating visceral (belly) fat. An average adult should have 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night, especially on a weight loss regimen. If you are struggling to sleep regularly every night, it could be a good time to have a chat to your doctor, who can help you find the root of the problem. Allocating yourself rest days from exercise, even ‘active’ rest days, where you do light movements or exercise, will be beneficial in your body’s recovery and lower the stress response that may be building up. Try a relaxing yoga class on a rest day for a change of pace.
There are obviously a number of reasons why you might be hitting a weight loss plateau, and generally, if you read through what might be causing yours, you can pinpoint what might help you. If you are struggling to pinpoint the reason why, or find an effective solution for yourself on your own, it might be a good idea to consult your physician.
Even though weight loss plateaus can be frustrating and disheartening, plenty of people experience them and there will always be a solution – you just have to trial and error, be patient, and find the right solution for you.
