Climbing Over The Weight Loss Plateau

Introduction

You've worked hard to develop a good workout routine and good eating habits and as a result you've watched your weight drop steadily until, all of a sudden, your weight loss comes to a screeching halt. This is despite working out consistently and maintaining a reduced calorie diet. You have reached a weight loss plateau.

Let not your heart be troubled. It is not uncommon for the rate of weight loss to slow or even stop temporarily. What you need to do is to learn what leads to a weight loss plateau so you can break the stalemate and continue your progress.

Weight Loss Plateau Defined

When your weight loss stalls, regardless of your efforts to exercise and maintain a healthy diet, you are experiencing a weight loss plateau. This is a condition that is common to just about everyone who wants to shed pounds. Even though this is an extremely common condition, people are really shocked when it happens to them because they believe that if they are consistent with a low calorie diet, the weight will continue to come off. The truth is that even the best of weight loss plans can hit a temporary snag.

Why does a weight loss plateau happen?

Every weight loss effort follows a well documented pattern. In the early weeks a person experiences extremely fast weight loss. Since there is a rapid calorie reduction, the body is desperate for energy. In its quest for energy, the body looks for carbohydrates, it finds glycogen; a type of carbohydrate stored in the muscles and the liver. When the body consumes the glycogen, it disposes of 4 ounces of water for every ounce of glycogen. That's why the initial loss of weight in the early stages is so huge.

The reason that you have a plateau is that as you lose weight you lose lean muscle also. As you lose muscle tissue, your metabolism slows. I know this sounds weird but you have reached equilibrium because your metabolism is slower. In order to start it back up, you have to do the same thing that you did to get your weight loss started; you have to eat less calories, exercise more, or both. If you keep everything the same, your weight will remain the same.

4 Steps to Beating The Plateau

Chances are that you have lost all of the weight that you possibly can given your diet and the amount you exercise. If you are content with your weight, you are all set. Maintain your current diet and workout routine. But if you want to continue to lose weight, here are four steps that will help you break through the plateau:

Analyze your habits. Scrutinize your food and workout journals. Make sure you are adhering to your workout and nutrition routines and are not slacking off.Lower your calorie intake. As long as you don't go under 1200 calories, try reducing your calories by 200 per day. Less than 1200 calories might not be enough to quell your hunger, which puts you at risk of binging.Crank up that workout. You can do this one of two ways. You can exercise longer or you can increase your intensity. Either way will cause you to burn more calories.Do more during the day. There is more to activity than just exercise. You can increase your activity by walking, gardening, or mowing the lawn. Go play with the kids at the park. Be creative and add activity to burn more calories.

Don't let a weight loss plateau cause you to backslide.

If your efforts to break the plateau aren't working, you should consult a nutrition specialist and your doctor to see if they have any ideas about what might work. It's possible that you've reached a reasonable weight. Feel proud because if you have changed your diet and exercise habits you are probably much healthier now. Whatever you do, stay healthy and never return to the way you used to be.

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Clint Grimes, is a retired US Navy commander. He is certified by the California Interscholastic Federation and is currently the strength and conditioning coach for the boys soccer teams at El Toro High School in Lake Forest, CA.

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