How to Break a Weight Loss Plateau in 6 Steps?

If you have been dieting and working out regularly to lose weight, but haven’t seen the results you were hoping for, you may be experiencing a weight loss plateau. This is a common phenomenon that can frustrate even the most dedicated dieters. Don’t worry – you are not alone!

In this article, we’ll discuss what are the causes and how to break a weight loss plateau. Follow these tips and you will be on your way to reaching your goals in no time!

What Is a Weight Loss Plateau?

A weight-loss plateau is when you stop losing weight, even though you are still dieting and exercising. This can be extremely frustrating, especially if you have been seeing results in the past. However, it is important to remember that weight loss is not a linear process and there will be ups and downs along the way. Although weight-loss plateaus are caused by our bodies, it is not due to any fault of ours.

Just keep going and don’t give up!

What Causes a Weight Loss Plateau?

There are different reasons why you may hit a weight loss plateau.

Let’s look at each of them separately:

1. Losing Water Weight First

As there are different stages in the process of losing weight, you might experience a quick decline in weight at first. This is common during the first few weeks of weight loss. It’s partly due to the fact that when you first cut calories, your body obtains energy by releasing glycogen stored in your muscles. Glycogen is a carbohydrate that can be found in the muscles and liver.

Water makes up a portion of glycogen. As a result, when glycogen is consumed for energy, it releases water, resulting primarily in water weight loss. This effect is brief, however.

2. Metabolism Slowing Down

One of the most common reasons why you’re experiencing a plateau in your process of weight loss is that your metabolism slows down as you lose weight. This is because your body needs less energy to maintain itself when it weighs less.

When you lose weight, you lose not only fat but muscle as well. Muscle aids in maintaining the pace at which you burn calories (metabolism). So, as you lose weight, your metabolism slows down, causing you to burn fewer calories than when you weighed more.

Even if you consume the same number of calories that originally helped you lose weight, your weight loss will be slowed by your slower metabolism. A plateau is reached when the number of calories you burn equals the number of calories you consume.

3. Not Changing Your Workout Intensity Level

One of the weight loss plateau solutions is either to reduce your calorie intake or increase your physical activity to lose more weight. Continuing to use the same technique that helped you lose weight, in the beginning, may help you maintain the same weight, but it won’t help you lose any more.

4. Give Your Body Time

If you’ve recently changed your diet or started exercising, it can take several weeks for your body to adapt to a new diet and exercise routine. If you’ve only been at the same weight for a few weeks, don’t think that you’re stuck at a weight loss plateau. It may just be a matter of time before you start seeing results again. Be patient and give your body time to adjust.

How to Break a Weight Loss Plateau?

When you hit a plateau, it’s possible that you’ve lost all of the weight you’ll lose on your current diet and exercise plan. Consider whether you’re happy with your present weight. You’ll need to change your weight-loss plan if you want to drop more weight.

Try the following suggestions for breaking through the plateau:

1. Change Your Workout Routine

Changing your workout routine is one of the best things you can do to overcome your weight loss plateau. As your body adapts to your current workouts, you may need to shake things up a bit in order to continue seeing results. You can always try new exercises, create a compact gym at home, or consider some of the best desk treadmills. The goal is to increase the intensity of your workouts and add in some weight training.

By mixing things up, you can give your body the challenge it needs to start losing weight again. If you’ve been doing the same workouts for a while, your body may have adapted to them and you’re no longer burning as many calories.

2. Increase Protein in Your Diet

To break a weight loss plateau, you need to increase protein in your diet as it has been shown that it increases the metabolism and even assists the body in building muscle while burning fat. Ghrelin, a hormone generated by the stomach that stimulates appetite, is suppressed by protein-rich foods.

Protein is beneficial for muscular mass, which in turn helps to boost your metabolism. Aim for approximately 20 grams of protein per meal.

3. Consider Some Of the Weight Loss Programs

A weight loss program can be another great weight loss plateau breaker. When you join a weight loss program, you’ll be assigned a certain number of points to eat each day. You can use these points however you want, but the goal is to stay within your daily limit. There are many different weight loss programs out there that can help to jump-start your weight loss process.

Try a new one for a few weeks to see if it makes a difference.

4. Change Your Diet Overtime

If you’ve been eating the same foods for a long time, your body may have become used to them and stopped burning as many calories digesting them. Changing things up by adding in new healthy foods, or switching to a different type of diet altogether can help you break through the weight loss plateau. When you change your diet, you’re basically giving your body new foods to digest.

This can help because your body will be burning more calories to digest the new foods. Plus, if you’re eating healthier foods, such as fruit that can help lose weight and consuming vitamins to boost your energy, you will be able to work out more. So changing your diet is a great way to break out of a weight loss plateau.

5. Get Enough Sleep

Good sleep can help in overcoming the weight loss plateau as sleep is critical for your mental, emotional, and physical well-being. It’s also becoming obvious that not getting enough sleep can lead to weight gain by slowing down your metabolism and altering hormone levels, which can lead to increased appetite and fat accumulation. In fact, not getting enough sleep may be a crucial factor for stopping weight reduction.

According to a study, healthy adults who slept for four hours each night five nights in a row had a 2.6% drop in resting metabolic rate, which rebounded to baseline after sleeping for 12 hours. So, you should aim for 7-8 hours of sleep per night to help with weight loss and your overall well-being.

6. Drink Plenty Of Water

If you want to break the weight loss plateau faster, you need to drink a lot of water! Drinking water can help you lose weight faster by not only flushing out the extra salt in your system but also by keeping hunger at bay. Keep a water bottle at your side on a regular basis to ensure that you remember to drink water throughout the day.

According to data presented at an American Chemical Society meeting, study participants who drank two glasses of water before eating consumed 75 to 90 calories less. Dieters who followed this technique three times a day for a 12-week period dropped around 5 pounds more than dieters who did not boost their water intake.

Key Takeaways

Wrap Up

If you find yourself stuck on a plateau on your weight loss journey, don’t worry! It’s normal and there are ways to break out of it. Try changing your workout routine, increasing your protein intake, and getting enough sleep. You can also consider some of the weight loss programs out there. Remember to give your body time and be patient!