After weeks of losing weight and getting fantastic results, you may find that suddenly you are not losing any weight at all, even though you are still eating right and exercising.
Don’t panic! You have just hit a weight loss plateau! So, let’s discuss why a weight loss plateau occurs and how you get past it?
The main reason why a weight loss plateau may occur is that your body begins to adapt. It happens when you keep doing the same set of exercises and eating the same types of food day in and day out.
In that case, your body gets used to your exercise routine and diet so it makes adjustments to burn fats according to the amount of food you eat and the exercise you do. As a result, your weight loss method will fail to achieve a consistent result.
How to overcome a weight loss plateau?
You need to change your exercise routine and your eating habits in order to defeat a weight loss plateau. Here are a few things you can do:
Find out how many calories you need to maintain your current weight
To do this, use the following formula: (Your weight in pounds divided by 2.2) x 24 (for men) or 23 (for women) = the number of calories you need per day.
For example, if you are a 150-pound woman, your formula would be (150 divided by 2.2) x 23 = 1568 calories/day.
Set your calorie target every day to just under your necessary calories to maintain your current weight
Trying to lower your calories by too much will sabotage your efforts because your body will go into starvation survival mode.
If you are supposed to eat 1568 calories per day, you should set your goals at between 1200 – 1300 a day to lose weight effectively.
Change the composition and/or timing of your foods
Dieters tend to get very regimented around the foods they eat. Consider lowering your carbohydrate intake and raising your protein and healthy fats.
If you are used to eating 3 meals a day, shift to 5-6 mini-meals. Don’t change the overall amount you eat, just your patterns and your food choices while staying in the healthy guidelines that have worked for you so far.
Modify your exercise routine
If you exercise a little or not at all, try to increase or add exercise to your diet regimen. If you only did cardio add some weight training!
It is important to vary or to shift your exercise so that it does not become routine. Therefore, your metabolism will react to the change by revitalizing and that will result in a positive outcome in your efforts to lose weight.
Take a few days off from your workouts
Sometimes our bodies just need a little bit of a break and providing this will allow your body to recharge and be ready to start the next round of weight loss. Take no more than a week off from working out. This may be just what is needed!
The key to a successful weight loss program is to keep trying new workouts and ideas. Keep the body guessing!
If you have experienced a weight loss plateau, what did you do to break it? Share with us your experience in the comments below!