Have You Hit a Weight Loss Plateau? How to Get Over This Blip
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| Is your weight loss at a stand still? |
I’ve not had
any plateaus this time round but in the past I’ve definitely hit a point where
I’ve stopped losing weight. Recently, I’ve heard of a lot of people struggling
to get past the point they’re at right now and wondering why they should both
continuing.
Don’t forget
to look back at where you’ve come from for your reason why! Once you have that,
you’re in the right spot to get over that weight loss plateau.
Here are the
tips I can give:
Take Your Measurements
Just because
your weight is staying the same, doesn’t mean you are. Your whole body will be
changing. A weight loss plateau can happen for all sorts of reasons and one of
those is due to growing muscle.
Take your
measurements of your hips, waist and chest and see how your body has changed
recently. You could even try on that new dress or the pair of pants you’ve been
trying to get into for months. You’ll probably find that they’re getting closer
to fitting, despite the scales telling you that nothing has changed.
Eat More Than You Should
It may sound
counterproductive but for one week—and one week only—eat a little more than you
should. Your weight loss plateau could be because your body has simply gotten
used to your diet. You need to eat a little more to shake it up and then go
back on track.
You may gain
that week but at least you’ve moved! The next week you can get back on your plan
and you’ll see a loss. You’ll be surprised by how little extra you have to eat
to see this too. If it doesn’t do any good the first week, try again for a
second.
Look at Your Activity and the Amount You
Eat
Another
reason for your weight to hit a plateau is because you’re not eating enough for
the amount of exercise you’re doing. Your body needs fuel and can go into
starvation mode as it clings on to all the calories it can.
Assess the
amount of activity you’re doing and make sure you’re eating enough. If you’re
doing Weight Watchers like me, you’ll earn activity points. Some people find
they have to eat their activity points to be able to lose weight. Others find
that they can store up to a certain amount to have a good weight loss.
Everyone is
different, so you’ll need to find what works for you. During the
experimentation phase you may see your weight fluctuating. Gaining a pound or
two one week isn’t going to be too bad—it will come off!
Go Back to the Start to Kick Start Your
Weight Loss
Sometimes
your body just needs that slight kick and a weight loss plateau is a time for
that. Give your own weight loss a kick start by going back to what you were
doing at the start of your journey. That doesn’t mean eating everything you did
then—you’ve likely found that you need to eat a little less to keep losing.
As you’ve
gone on, you’ve probably found that you’re taking more chances with your
portions and aren’t quite tracking as you should. It happens. Life gets in the
way and you want something quick. There’s nothing wrong with it but you need to
be honest with yourself.
Go back to
what you did right at the start. You remember how religiously you tracked,
right? When you measured out your portions, you knew that you were within the
limits of your plan and that helped you lose weight.
If you’ve
hit a weight loss plateau don’t despair. It is annoying—I know how annoying it
is—but it doesn’t mean the diet isn’t working for you anymore. There are so
many factors involved with your weight, including hormones, medication,
exercise and the type of food that you eat. Take a look at the above tips and
see if they help you kick start your weight loss again.
How
have you kicked started your weight loss? Share your tips for handling
a weight loss plateau or your stories of how you overcame yours.
Image by: zigazou76
Image by: zigazou76
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