How to beat a weight loss plateau: Tips and tricks

January 21. 2022

Losing weight is not easy, especially continuing to lose weight and keep it off in the long run. Most of us have experienced a stage that made us doubt our weight loss program or diet. You’re doing your best to build those healthy habits, exercise, count your calories, rest well, incorporate weight loss goal rewards into your journey, and the results stopped showing. This stage is known as a weight-loss plateau. And no, it’s not just in your head.

It is when losing weight slows down or even stops for a while; it remains the same or even increases a bit. This can be so demotivating. There is an explanation why this happens, so there must be ways how to beat a weight loss plateau. 

The weight loss journey has several stages – you set your goals, start the journey, initial weight loss appears, the progress stalls, reach a plateau stage, get angry, and quit. But the stalling stage is very important, and it doesn’t mean that what you’re doing isn’t working. Our bodies are adjusting to the change! 

The science behind the plateau

When you start the journey, you assume that you’ll be losing pounds at the same rate throughout the whole journey. But losing weight isn’t linear. It consists of ups, plateaus, and downs all the way through. It is a more sustainable way to lose and maintain weight.

So, we know our average body temperature is 37 degrees. When we’re cold, our bodies shiver to make us warm, and when we’re hot, it sweats to make us cool down. The same happens with our weight – our body wants to maintain itself in a stable condition. We all have a weight that we hover at when we’re eating healthily, and it’s determined by our DNA. If we gradually gain weight over the years, our bodies can be tricked into thinking that is our predicted body weight, so it resettles to a higher weight. If we work alongside our bodies, we can lower our set point. We can do it by gradually losing weight so our bodies won’t battle against us. That’s why our body needs the stalling stage, to have time to readjust and reset to a new weight.

And we know you’ve been wondering how long this stage will last. It depends on an individual level, but it can last anywhere between eight to twelve weeks. In the meantime, you should maintain your healthy habits, keep up with your weight loss program, and follow our suggestions on how to beat a weight loss plateau. If the plateau prolongs too much, a weight loss clinic can help determine the cause of your struggles. 

Ways to beat a weight loss plateau

Workout less intense

You’re eating less than usual when trying to lose weight, so you might experience exhaustion because your workouts are too intense. Also, more exercise isn’t equal to burning more calories. As important as it is to have daily physical activity, listening to your body and its needs is equally essential. 

Add more protein

When you work out, your body and brain work together and make you hungry. Adding protein to your diet can help fill you up faster and keep you feeling full for longer.

Try to decrease stress and increase rest

Reaching the plateau can cause you to stress more, which can only harm your weight loss journey. At this point, try some de-stress techniques that focus on meditating and relaxing. Take a mental breather to keep losing weight without losing your mind, so try affirmations for weight loss.

Do more strength than cardio training

You should always incorporate cardio training into your workout routine, but not too much. Cardio will result in weight loss, but you’ll be losing lean body mass in addition to fat. That reduces your metabolic rate, and you reach the plateau stage faster. By doing strength training, you build more muscle and muscles to make your metabolic rate better, so you’ll end up burning more calories. 

Move outside of the gym as well

Even though you work out at least three times a week, your work and daily routine might involve you sitting for hours. Those hours of sitting may annul your hard workouts. That’s why you should try adding more physical activity, such as taking the stairs, going for a walk, or just standing for a few minutes during those “sitting hours.”

Keep a weight loss journal

Planning your meals and scheduling workouts a few weeks ahead can keep you on track with your weight loss program. Weight loss diary can help you stay focused on your portion size, goals you’ve set, and current progress. 

Cut back on the alcoholic beverages

After a long day, or when you’re out with your friends, you reach for a glass or two of your favorite wine or cocktail. Don’t we all? Alcohol does relax us, but it also stimulates our appetite. At the same time, it contains a lot of calories, so if you’ve stopped losing weight, maybe it’s time to cut back on the number of alcoholic beverages per week.

Drink more water

It is very common to mistake thirst with hunger. So, drink plenty of water to keep you full and hydrated.
Little note: If you still feel hungry most of the time, try phentermine which is the most popular appetite suppressant. But keep hydrating yourself because that is how to intensify phentermine effect.

Beware of sneaky healthy foods

Moderation is always needed, even with healthy foods and snacks. Those foods include nuts, nut butter, granola, honey, milk, cheese, etc. While they are healthy, they are still high in calories, so you can’t eat them in unlimited quantities.

Weight loss plateau intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting has become very popular. Even though it differs from other weight-loss diets, experiencing a plateau is inevitable. However, some other reasons could have caused the plateau, and those reasons include:

• Eating the wrong types of food
• Eating too late in the evening
• Not fasting for enough time

You can break the plateau and keep losing weight if you follow the suggestions listed above, AND by adding this one to the list – flip your metabolic switch. The metabolic switch happens while we sleep, and it means that our bodies use fatty acids instead of glucose as an energy source, and instead of storing them, it burns them. That results in losing fat. And how do you turn the metabolic switch? You can do it by resting enough, setting a deadline for your last meal of the day, and shortening your eating window. 

Final thoughts

We are all unique and have different set weight points. They may be higher than we want them to be, so losing weight can be very challenging. It’s essential to take all of this into thinking when making lifestyle changes.

Remember, the plateau stage is obligatory for every journey, including a weight loss one, but you can always learn how to beat it. If you’d still like to lose some weight during that time, you can try Lipo C injection treatments. Feel free to schedule a call with our team, and we can help you make and choose a great program for your weight loss.

Author

Nurse Walton

Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Chanay received her Practical Nurse licensure and went to work in clinical specialties such as Home Health, Assisted Living, Long-Term Care and Dialysis Centers. Through this work, she realized the importance of diet, nutrition and weight loss among her patients. This led her to open A Better Weigh, Inc. Medical Weight Loss Center in 2009.