What To Do When You Hit a Weight Loss Plateau

Dear friends…it’s time we stop letting a number on a scale control our lives! Remember, your health is what matters; not a number, a size, or what Instagram says people should look like now.

Now, we do understand. Everyone always wants to lose weight. Which is great. And we are all for losing weight to become healthier. And along these lines, it can be extremely frustrating when you hit a weight loss plateau. 

You’ve been working hard, you have your goals, and the number on the scale is one way to determine whether you are meeting your goals, but just remember, it isn’t the only way. But, all this being said, losing weight is still a worthy goal, and hitting a weight loss plateau is very frustrating.

So today, I want to share five tips to help you get past a weight loss plateau.

First, what causes a weight-loss plateau: 

During the first few weeks of losing weight, you may see a rapid drop in weight, which yay, is super encouraging. Part of the reason for this is because when you cut calories, the body gets needed energy initially by releasing its stores of glycogen, a type of carbohydrate found in the muscles and liver. Glycogen is partially water, so when you burn it water is released which makes your weight dropdown. This is mostly a water weight loss and is temporary.

As you lose weight, you lose some muscle along with fat. Muscle helps keep the rate at which you burn calories (metabolism) up. So as you lose weight, your metabolism declines, causing you to burn fewer calories than you did previously.

A slower metabolism equals a slower weight loss, even if you eat the same number of calories that helped you lose weight previously. When the calories you burn equal the calories you eat, you reach the dreaded weight loss plateau.

This brings us to our five tips on how to get past a weight loss plateau:

Let’s start with…

#1: Don’t give up!

A plateau is totally normal. It isn’t the end of your goal, it doesn’t have to be a final sentence. You can push past it. We just need to change things up. So, don’t despair, and don’t give up.

#2: Reassess your habits.

Have you stopped coming in to the studio every weekday? Did you treat yourself to something extra a few too many times? Have you started going a bit easier on your cardio workouts? You may have changed or lightened up on something that you were previously more strict on.

#3: Cut back further on calories.

See if you can cut more calories from your daily amount, as long as you do not cut below 1,200. Consuming fewer than 1,200 may make you feel constantly hungry, which can lead to overeating.

#4: Change up your workouts, and increase the intensity.

Try a new type of exercise, workout, or class that your body isn’t used to. This will shake things up a bit and challenge your body in a new way.

#5: Look for new ways to add physical activity to your days.

Do squats while you brush your teeth. Chase your kids or grandkids around the yard. Take your dog out for a game of fetch and race them to the stick. Look for new ways to get activities in that are outside of the studio time that you get each week for added calorie burn.

Getting past a weight loss plateau can be annoying and discouraging, but it’s not impossible! 

These tips will help you, and what will help you even more is coming into the studio and talking to one of our personal trainers to get individualized attention and focused support to meet your goals. And remember, the scale is not the only number that matters, and it doesn’t rule your life or determine your health. 

Don’t give up! Give us a call instead. 

Reference: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/weight-loss-plateau/art-20044615