Breaking Through A Weight Loss Plateau

‘I can’t seem to lose those last few pounds.’ It’s a common statement that I hear on a regular basis. No matter what you do, you can’t get any further results. You have hit that weight loss plateau.

A weight loss plateau happens when you are in energy balance. Basically, the food and drink you consume on a daily basis will provide you with the calories you need every day and equal to the amount of calories you need to keep your resting metabolic rate going and during any physical activity you perform.

How to Break Through a Plateau?

To break through a weight loss plateau, you will need to either consume fewer calories or increase your daily physical activity, or a combination or both.

· Eat less sugar-educate yourself as to where you are consuming sugar. Read labels and avoid sugar laden snack that are labelled as healthy, low fat options. Instead eat fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. · Increase exercise duration/ intensity- as your fitness increases, you can either increase the intensity of your workout by training at a higher level, or increase the amount of time your exercise sessions last. · Increase the frequency of exercise- if you currently exercise for 2 times per week, adding 1 more session a week will increase your weekly energy expenditure. · Avoid alcohol- if you hit a plateau, then avoiding even just a smaller amount of alcohol can make a big difference. Alcohol gives you nothing other than empty calories, meaning that they only give you calories, and no other nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. · Eat smaller portions- by downsizing your plates at meal times; you can significantly drop the amount of calories you consume. · Increase daily activity- now you may be exercising 2-3 times a week, but can you increase your normal day to day activity. Walking to work and taking the stairs instead of the lift all make a difference. Using a pedometer is a great idea to keep track on daily steps taken. Aim for a minimum of 10,000 plus steps a day.

Keeping a food diary for several days, is a great way to monitor what foods you eat and make changes that are needed. You may find that the small changes you make, get you right back on track to further weight loss.

Plateau’s can last a few weeks, to several months. It is really important to remember that regular exercise has many positive changes to the body, including increased fitness, improved confidence and sleep, less fatigue and more energy. So even though you may have hit a plateau for now, there are many positives you that you need to take.