If you’ve ever experienced stepping on the scale after another week of exercising and healthy eating, only to see the exact same number as the week before, you know how frustrating and demoralising a weight loss plateau can feel.
Don’t get discouraged. After working with hundreds of people on their journeys to a healthy weight, I can assure you that weight-loss plateaus are very normal. It’s typical for weight loss to slow and even stall.
Fortunately, there are several strategies you can take to begin losing weight again and achieve your goal weight.
1. Adjust your calories
As you lose weight, your body requires less calories or “energy” to fuel your body. The calorie intake that produced your initial loss may now just maintain your current weight.
To continue losing, you’ll have to reduce the number of calories you eat or increase the calories you burn through exercise. Or a combination of both!
If you’re using a tracking app such as MyFitnessPal, make sure you update calorie goals based on your new weight after every 10 pounds or so lost.
2. Focus on quality
Think of the food that you’re eating as fuel for your metabolism. The better quality the fuel, the more it’ll set that metabolism alight!
Opt for quality whole foods like vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, beans and lean proteins. These are superior to processed foods when it comes to burning body fat.
3. Don’t skimp on protein
Protein has the highest TEF (thermic effect of food) of all three macronutrients (carbs and fats being the other two. Up to 30% of calories from protein will be used to digest and absorb the food. A great reason to eat sufficient lean protein in your diet!
A high protein diet can also help reduce appetite and protect against the loss of muscle mass.
I advise my clients to consume at least 70 grams of protein a day and to try and include a source of protein at every meal.
4. Track EVERYTHING you eat
An extra bite or nibble here and there may seem harmless but if you entered those little extras into your tracking app, you’d be surprised how many extra calories they can add on!
Not taking those calories into account in your daily budget might be what’s keeping you from seeing results.
5. Increase your muscle mass
The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn (even at rest). By adding a little extra muscle tissue through resistance training, you will increase your BMR (basal metabolic rate) so you can either lose more weight, or lose weight on slightly higher calories.
This is particularly important when we consider that our calorie needs decrease as we get lighter through dieting.
Keep your BMR higher by combining diet and resistance training, and you’ll avoid the spiral of lowering calories to continue losing weight.
If you’re including resistance training in your routine already, increase the weight or reps to up the intensity or get in touch for help in creating a personalised muscle building workout programme.
6. Manage stress and sleep
Stress can directly influence our weight by impacting our food choices and appetite, as well as indirectly by influencing our sleep.
And sleep is incredibly important for weight loss as it can influence our food choices, hunger levels, and even our metabolic rate.
For more information and tips on how to improve both, read our blog posts on how to manage stress and sleep better.
7. Stay hydrated
Our body can mistake this thirst signal for hunger. This is why staying well hydrated can help to manage your hunger levels.
Aim to drink around 2 litres of water a day. Consider setting a reminder on your phone every hour to have a glass of water, or having a glass of water before each meal.
8. Don’t rely on the scale alone
Your scale weight may not reflect a loss of body fat, especially if you are building muscle or experience fluid retention.
Evaluate how you feel, how your clothes fit and whether your measurements have changed instead.
Remember that experiencing a weight loss plateau is a normal part of the weight loss process that nearly everyone experiences at some point on their weight loss journey.
Be patient with yourself, and don’t give up.
If you’re still struggling to break through the weight loss plateau and want some expert support, get in touch to chat about my private coaching programme.
‘The number one rated Personal Trainer In Henley and Oxfordshire’
