As you scale new milestones in your weight loss journey, there are chances that you may hit unexpected bumps called as “weight loss plateaus,” which may discourage and depress you and demotivate you to such an extent that you may give up the whole idea of weight loss. So, what are these so-called plateaus? When you are extremely dedicated to exercise and religiously follow dieting, in the beginning, you will see rapid weight loss, but after a point, you might notice that the weight is not dropping faster or is not moving at all. It’s the stage where you have hit plateau and it might get you frustrated. Weight loss plateaus can ruin your progress and make you lose focus. But we would like to motivate all of you guys who have hit the plateau and tell you that a plateau also means that you have lost a significant amount of weight and to lose more, you will need to make some changes to boost metabolism and fast track your progress, and get over the plateau. It also means you are getting closer to your goal weight, hurray!
What is a Weight Loss Plateau?
As we have mentioned previously, most people hit plateau during their weight loss journey and stop losing anymore weight altogether. This happens because of many factors but the most common one seems to be slow metabolism where your body burns fewer calories than earlier. Let’s find out 10 Ways to Overcome Weight Loss Plateau:
1. Adjust calorie deficit: The calorie count that worked for you when you started your weight loss journey, may not be working anymore. Try to drop at least 100 calories from your diet and see what changes it brings on the scale. If you are clueless on how to do it, down the Rati Beauty app and subscribe to our diet programs on how to portion control and adjust calories to lose weight effectively and in a healthy way. We are sure you would see positive changes on the weighing scale 😛
2. Are you snacking too often? Well, most of us give ourselves a little liberty when it comes to snacking when we feel we have lost a lot of weight. However, snacking too often, even if the snacks are healthy fruits, would spike up your insulin and keep it in elevated state. If insulin levels are in a spiked up state, body stores fat more readily. So, make every snack count and do not snack too much, even on the healthy ones.
3. Consider a break: Give your body a break, and treat it to a cheat meal once in a week so as to jumpstart the metabolism once you switch back to strict dieting instead of letting your body adjust to low calories.
4. Change your workout routine: Just as your body gets adjusted to lower calories and stops burning them effectively, it gets adjusted to workout routine over a period of time. Instead of walking, try jogging. Instead of cardio and treadmill, start lifting weights at the gym. If you are not into gymming, you could try HIIT (high intensity interval training) which can include lunges, squats, jumping jacks, full sit ups, push ups, and planks.
5. Are you sleeping for 8 hours? Not sleeping for 8 hours? It can throw your hormones off balance, lower metabolism, and retain water, and accelerate fat storage. To come out of the weight loss plateau, stop binging on netflix, adjust every routine that you can, and get your 8 hours of sleep at night. And no, afternoon naps do not get counted into the 8-hour sleep routine. Try sleeping for 8 hours or more every night for a week, and notice the difference yourself.
6. Lower your cortisol and stress levels: Stress is extremely detrimental in your weight loss journey. Increased stress elevate cortisol levels in the body which in turn encourages fat storage at all the wrong places in the body, especially around the belly area! So, de-stress, practice yoga, and lower your cortisol levels.
7. Are you losing inches? Wait, have you measured yourself recently? You might not be seeing any progress on the weighing but have you trimmed down from the waist area? Try fitting into a lower size and it fits, you can raise a toast to yourself!
8. Cut down carbs further and switch up protein: Cutting down carbs from your diet and including more protein in the daily diet can kickstart calorie burning again.
9. Drink more water/green tea: Drink more than 8 glasses of water and increase green tea consumption for up to three cups in a day. Sometimes, when there’s not enough hydration, it’s difficult for body to lose weight effectively, so fill those water bottles now.
10. Eat more metabolism-boosting foods: Sluggish metabolism can completely prevent body from burning fat, and that’s why you might need to give it additional push by including metabolism-boosting foods. Here’s the complete list of such food items.
Keep a food journal, record each bite that you take!
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