5 Ways to Break Through Weight Loss Plateaus

A weight-loss plateau occurs when the amount of calorie intake becomes equal to the amount of weight you lose per day. Such a plateau, once formed, is difficult to break, although, with the right efforts and planning, it is possible to do so. Usually, it has been seen that the weight plateau can remain for around 8-12 weeks. But this, of course, is subject to individual efforts and body. How to overcome weight loss plateau is a great question frequently asked by those who are troubled due to lack of results. Reaching a stagnant weight can be frustrating and make one feel hopeless about following the routine and controlling diet. It is a source of disappointment that the weight is still the same after all the exercise and the food control. However, if, at this point, you lose hope and fall back to the routine of no exercise and eating junk food, all your hard work would have been for nothing. Patiently work towards our goal, a healthier lifestyle, and exercising will help you fight diseases and make your body stronger. Weight loss is a long process for most people and maintaining the routine and staying determined throughout is an important feature to moving ahead. 

Five most effective ways to break through weight-loss plateau are given below:

1. Recheck your routine: It is very important to recheck the records of the food you intake each day and the amount of exercise your body is exposed to. Cheat days, if not monitored properly and taken for granted, can lead to a weight plateau. If records are not checked regularly, you might not remember your last cheat day and end up eating more calories in a week than you were supposed to. Leaving exercise for one day because you don’t feel like it is ok, but doing so every alternative day will result in reduced exercise and increased weight. Rest and breaks are important and must be taken, but that does not mean you shift your focus from the main goal. If you increase your calorie intake without increasing the amount of exercise, a plateau will be reached. 

2. Cut the Calorie intake: The minimum calorie requirement of an average person is 1200. Try and keep your daily calorie intake at the exact level. Monitor your behavior and calculate each calorie that goes inside you. Ensure that your body receives this bare minimum calorie per day. Otherwise, you will keep feeling hungry and end up overeating. This is not something you would want to do. The number of calories consumed should remain constant over some time to see the best results. It should match with your daily activities and the physical exercises that you perform. Doing this will ensure that the loss plateau is broken and you are moving towards your goal. 

3. Next level Workout: All people are supposed to exercise at least 30 minutes a day, all days a week. Those wanting to lose weight and break the loss plateau often ask how to break a weight loss plateau. The answer is pretty simple. Take your work out to the next level. Walking for 30 mins does not burn as many calories as you should to win over the weight plateau. Add more exercises to your daily routine. Muscle workouts are also a great way of burning calories. Since you need to burn more than the calories you take, a good lot of exercising and sweating is called for. 

4. Be Active: You cannot work out the entire day at the gym. Routine life is also important, and therefore being more active outside of the gym can answer your question of how to overcome the weight loss plateau. This means that while going to work, use less of car. Cycle your way to the office and if the office is close by, walk there. This will keep your body active and ensure constant burning of calories. Even when at home, try to find time and do some yard work, dig the soil. Do household chores like washing clothes, dusting, and lifting the heavy furniture to clean underneath them. Keep the everyday spices and pulses containers on the top shelf so that each time you cook, your hands will have to stretch and lift the containers. All these might seem unnecessary at first, but after trying them for a few months, you will be surprised at the number of calories you can burn by just leading an active life. 

5. Increase Protein Intake: Protein is a great source for the body. While monitoring the number of calories you take, do not forget to eat the proteins. An increase in the consumption of protein helps increase the metabolism of an individual, which eventually leads to weight loss. Weight loss plateaus are incredibly difficult to get rid of, and therefore ensure proper protein intake may be of some assistance in the process. The digestion of proteins increases the calorie being burnt by the body. Interestingly, proteins also contain the elements that curb appetite and make you feel full without eating huge quantities of food. It also ensures that your muscles stay intact and you do not suffer from muscle mass loss while following your goal to overcome the weight loss plateaus. Weight loss plateaus are rigid and require absolute monitored intakes to break.

If even after doing all these diligently, the loss plateau does not break, it is better to visit the doctor. Sometimes, the body type is such that the weight does not fall below a particular level irrespective of what you do. Other times, the person might be suffering from some disease like thyroid or might have consumed antibiotics for extended periods due to which the weight has become stagnant. However, there is no need to lose hope and fall back to an inactive lifestyle. Instead, a healthy and fit body should be your goal. This will keep lifestyle diseases at bay and allow you to enjoy an energetic lifestyle.