We think weight loss is a linear progression. Sometimes, it is, but generally, weight loss can slow down or plateau. Other than adjusting your dosage (which you may need to do) there are different adjustments to lifestyle that can be made first.
What is a weight loss plateau?
A weight loss plateau is a phase when a person stops losing weight despite continued efforts to diet and exercise. During this period, the body adjusts to the new routine and may resist further weight loss, which can be frustrating for individuals working hard to shed pounds.
Plateau-breaking strategies:
Exercise:
The human body constantly adapts to the stimuli we give it and seeks comfort. If you are doing the same exercise routine but not noticing any changes, it is time to switch it up. Chances are, your body is used to the type of training you are doing, and it needs something different to elicit change.
Don’t just do cardio. We build muscle through time under tension and resistance training. People who build greater muscle mass and exert greater amounts of force burn more calories not only when exercising but also at rest. For most people, incorporating even 30 minutes of resistance training (like lifting weights) three times a week can be enough to build muscle mass and strength.
Consider adding in sprinting once to twice weekly. When some of our patients are already strength training regularly and eating well but reach a plateau, adding sprinting can help shake a plateau. The high-intensity nature of sprinting works different types of muscle fibers and enhances overall cardiovascular fitness. The good news about spriting is it’s short. Adding 5 – 10 sets of ALL OUT sprints can take as little as 10 minutes and create remarkable changes.
Nutrition
Take a look at your diet and see where you can make changes. I recommend tracking your food intake in an app like MyFitnessPal to get a general idea of how many calories you are eating and keep a log of what you are eating first.
From there, can you lower your calories daily?
Can you cut out any added sugar?
Can you move from processed ingredients to whole food ingredients?
Fasting
Adding intermittent fasting is a great strategy for weight/fat loss. When we fast, we burn fat. Finishing dinner a little earlier or eating breakfast even one hour later is a great strategy for burning more fat. Try extending your fasting window (the time between your meal from yesterday until today) for a period of a week or two and notice your body start to respond by breaking that plateau.
I recommend choosing one of these strategies at a time. You may be surprised at how little we need to do to shake a plateau. Plus, you always want to give yourself a little room to adjust if you need to add strategy to break a future plateau.
Are you really at a total plateau?
One of the best ways to know if you are really at a total plateau is to measure progress in more ways than just weight alone. Check out our other blog here about how to do this more effectively.
Taking body progress photos and monitoring visual changes weekly or bi-weekly will allow you to see if you look different. Sometimes, we can look different but weigh the same, especially if we are strength training and building muscle.
Weekly body tape measurements will allow you to see inches lost in certain areas. I recommend taking down weekly measurements for your arms, waist, hips, thighs, neck, and any other area in which you want to see changes.
Try on the same outfit each week. For women, maybe this is an old dress you would love to fit into again. I recommend trying on this dress each week to see how it fits differently. For men, maybe it’s a suit or a belt.
Your mindset and insights. This is something that can be commonly overlooked. Are you still growing in terms of your mindset? Are you saying no to certain foods you used to have no control over? Are you learning what foods bring you energy vs. drain your energy? If so, you are not truly at a plateau.
You can download our free comprehensive guide here for more tips and tricks to help you along your weight loss journey.
