Losing weight is great as long as the scale consistently moves down. Frustration can really set in when all of your sacrifice and hard work seem to be all for naught. Weight does fluctuate, but if you’ve been stuck at the same number for at least seven days and haven’t cheated on your diet and have put in time at the gym, you may be at a weight loss plateau.
Why Do Weight Loss Plateaus Occur?
The human body is very adept at surviving. When you start constricting calories and burning more energy your body goes into survival mode. It does not want to get smaller so it starts hanging on to what it’s got.
Weight loss plateaus are also caused by the body’s amazing ability to adapt to your diet and exercise routine. Again, the human body is very adaptable. When you perform the same diet and exercise routine for too long, your body gets used to it and it stops dropping weight.
For the ladies, that time of the month can cause a serious plateau for about a week. Usually it is because your body retains water. This temporary plateau can start just before your period and end a few days after. Keep on dieting and working out if this occurs. Don’t stop! Many times the scale will reflect the results after the water retention goes away.
Below are five ways to overcome your weight loss plateau.
1. Do Some Investigation
There’s usually a very logical reason why you have stopped losing weight. For many people it’s the diet. It is human nature to overestimate calories burned and drastically underestimate calories consumed. The only way to avoid this plateau causing trap is to count every calorie that goes into your mouth.
Research has shown that people who count calories lose at least 25% more weight than people who don’t. One cookie here; one tablespoon of dressing there; it can add up to hundreds of “hidden” calories per day. Consuming those sneaky calories is a sure fire way to hit a plateau.
2. Blast Through Your Plateau with Exercise
Sometimes what the body needs to get past a plateau is a good old shock to the system. When you hit a plateau, you should spend some extra time in the gym. While you are there you should ratchet up the intensity too. This can cause your metabolism to speed up and get your body back into weight loss mode.
3. Eat More
This step always trips people up. It seems very counterintuitive that you may have to eat more to lose weight. By eating more you can manipulate your body, and get it out of starvation/conservation mode. The increased calories will rev up your metabolism. Make sure that the calories you eat come from lean protein, vegetables, and fruit. Try a daily increase of 100-250 calories.
4. Switch Up the Exercise Routine
When you perform the same exercises over and over, your body knows what to expect. Trick it by changing up the types of exercises as well as the weight and reps. It’s easy to fall into a workout habit. A great way to make sure you are always changing things up is to write down the exercises you are doing and make sure you change it up every 10-14 days.
5. Have a Cheat Day
Cheat days are good for the mind and even the body. People who have been restricting calories sometimes need to give their metabolism a shock by flooding it with copious amounts of fat and calories. You don’t want to pig out to the point that you are stuck to the couch, but go ahead and indulge in your favorite foods for the day. Be sure to eat the foods spaced out throughout the day as you would if you were on your diet. These types of days are helpful, but should not occur more than once a month.
Cheat days are also a great way to get motivated again. That’s because people can indulge on their favorite foods, feel guilty, and then be ready to hit it hard again. Cheat days are almost like hitting your motivation reset button. They give you the feeling like you are starting your diet and exercise routine all over again.
