How To Break A Weight Loss Plateau

WEIGHT LOSS PLATEAUS CAN BE SO FRUSTRATING!

Plateaus are defined as weight maintenance periods that last for one month or more and can significantly hinder your motivation to continue to eat in a calorie deficit and exercise. It is important to note that your weight loss will not be linear and will have periods where you gain weight or stay at the same weight. By understanding that your weight loss is not linear, you will be better able to continue with your weight loss journey when plateaus occur. Here are some suggestions to help you to break your weight loss plateau!

When experiencing a weight loss plateau,

it is important to reevaluate how many calories per day you are consuming. In order to do this, track the amount of calories you are eating daily by either logging your calories in a calorie tracking app (such as Lose It or My Fitness Pal) or by writing down what you have eaten daily in a food journal. If you need a food journal, I have a free one available on my website under Freebies which you can find here. Make sure to review your food logs daily in order to determine if you are eating extra calories throughout your day causing you to consume more calories than your daily calorie goal.

If you determine that you are eating the same number of calories as you were when you lost weight, talk with your nutrition coach in order to determine if you need to change your calorie intake due to losing weight. Individuals who weigh more have a higher basal metabolic rate because their bodies need to use more calories in order to move the higher weight. Therefore, as you gradually lose weight you may need to readjust your daily calorie intake due to your body needing less calories.

Another factor that you can look at in order to break a weight loss plateau is to focus on the calories you are expending during your day. Are you moving around less than you were before? Are you not exercising as frequently as you used to or are you not doing as intense of exercise? In order to determine if you are expending as many calories as you used to when you were losing weight, log your exercise daily as well as the extra movement you incorporate into your day (walking your dog, gardening, walking/standing at work, etc.). This component is called Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) and is a large factor in how many calories your body burns throughout the day. Every extra movement you do throughout your day can help you to increase your calories expended (even just moving around the kitchen when cooking or walking to your mailbox as opposed to driving).

In order to help break a weight loss plateau,

focus on how many calories you are consuming, how many calories you are expending, or both! By focusing on both factors at the same time, you will be more likely able to break your weight loss plateau.

It is important to note that around week three of a weight loss program you may experience no weight change. This is due to excess water your body is holding in order to metabolize your fat tissue. To use fat, your body must combine your fat with oxygen in order to make carbon dioxide and water. Carbon dioxide is easily expelled when you breathe, but the water takes longer to leave the cells (causing the weight loss plateau). Once the water leaves the cells, it will eventually be excreted by the body. A great way to tell if your plateau is starting to break is if you are urinating more throughout your day even without increasing your water consumption.

If you are experiencing a weight loss plateau, do NOT give up on yourself. Instead, try these suggestions for a couple of weeks. You should also be celebrating that you are keeping the weight you have already lost off (even though you are not continuing to lose weight). If you are struggling with determining how many calories you should be consuming daily, feel free to reach out to me by scheduling a consultation or emailing me at leanladiescoaching@gmail.com.