Trying to lose weight but the scale won’t go down anymore and your stuck in you weight? Well, if you’re in the bandwagon of taking desperate measures just to shed off those extra pounds but you’re still unsuccessful with it, then you might be experiencing a weight loss plateau at least once.
While this can be very frustrating, there are things you can do to combat and shatter weight loss plateau!
What is weight loss plateau and what causes it to happen?
A weight loss plateau is a period of time during which your body weight remains at the same level.
In other words, it is the time when you feel you aren’t losing any more weight, even though you are eating and exercise seem to be on-point. Usually after 3 weeks of not losing any additional weight, you can say you have hit the plateau.
Muscle helps keep the rate at which you burn calories. So as you lose weight, your metabolism declines, causing you to burn fewer calories than you did at your heavier weight. Your slower metabolism will slow your weight loss, even if you eat the same number of calories that helped you lose weight. When the calories you burn equal the calories you eat, you’ll reach the plateau.
So if you’re frustrated with your weight loss exercises not taking place, try re-evaluating your exercise routine and perform more strength training exercises, such as: lifting weights, and as much as possible limit doing cardio exercise.
Not only that, another area to re-evaluate is your daily calorie intake. Once you’ve lost a significant amount of weight, your calorie needs actually decrease slightly because you’re now smaller.
A couple of small adjustments and paying careful attention to your diet might be all you need to overcome your weight-loss plateau.
Be mindful not to eat less than 1200 calories a day because doing so on a consistent basis can seriously damage your metabolism and throw your body into “starvation mode”, which really slows down your progress.
Eat more protein. Protein has the highest thermic effect of food, meaning eating protein burns more calories during digestion. Protein also contains an amino acid, leucine, that numerous research studies have identified as a potent catalyst for burning body fat.
It is also vital to increase fluid intake. Keep your hydration in check since the body will often crave food when you are even mildly dehydrated. Symptoms of dehydration are similar to symptoms of hunger, so it’s easy to confuse the two. Aim on drinking 80-100 fluid ounces (2.35 liters) of water per day plus additional fluids lost after performing each activity.
Lastly, sleep. A full night’s sleep is vital to losing body fat because it resets your hormones. Even a little sleep deprivation can lead to increased levels of stress hormone, cortisol. An elevated cortisol levels can lead to body fat accumulation around the midsection.
Image Credits: bariatriccookery, jumpstarthealthchallenge, howtomanguide, marksdailyapple
