7 Ways to Overcome a Weight Loss Plateau
Trying to lose weight can be frustrating. You do everything that you believe is right, but even with your best effort the weight doesn’t come off fast as you would hope.
In this article, we will look at some of the reasons why weight loss can slow down and offer 7 simple ways to overcome the plateau.
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The process of losing weight is relatively simple – consume less calories than you expend. However, just because it is simple, it doesn’t make it easy.
The weight loss journey follows a similar pattern.
At the beginning weight loss occurs relatively quickly. You follow a healthy, calorie-controlled diet and workout consistently. When you jump on the scales your weight goes down and you feel better. However, suddenly, you hit a weight loss plateau and you can’t fathom why. As far as you can see, you are still doing all of the right things.
The reason for this sudden slowdown is often because of glycogen, a form of carbohydrate that is stored in the muscles and liver. As you reduce your calorie intake, your body will dip into its glycogen stores for energy.
So how does this affect your weight?
Well, glycogen is partly made up of water and when your body uses it as energy the water is released; this makes up a large part of the initial weight loss.
A side effect of this is that when someone is in a calorie deficit and then eats a carbohydrate heavy meal, they may notice weight gain. The glycogen stores have been replenished and this causes water retention.
Now, if you are able to maintain a calorie deficit you will begin to break down the fat stores as energy; this is where the ‘real’ weight loss occurs.
You are now on the right track, but your body doesn’t want to sacrifice body fat just in case it needs it in times of famine. Although a famine is uncommon in the western world, it hasn’t always been that way. Our ancestors did not have readily available food in the same way as we do today, and our body has not adapted to the new environment.
As you begin to lose fat your metabolism – the rate that you expend calories - will slow down. This happens for a number of reasons.
Your basal metabolic rate will slow down. This is the minimum number of calories that your body requires to keep your major bodily functions operating, such as your heart, lungs and brain. As you weigh less, your body will not need to expend as many calories to keep you functioning.
Your exercise activity thermogenesis (EAT) will decline. This is how many calories your body uses during exercise.
When you eat less, exercise becomes more difficult because you have less available energy. Meaning you’re likely to burn fewer calories through activity. You will also expend less energy when you do exercise because it doesn’t require as many calories to move a smaller body around.
Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) declines: This is how many calories you use when moving around such things as fidgeting, standing and walking.
Less food means less energy, so you are likely to naturally move less and when you do, you’ll burn less calories due to being lighter.
Thermic effect of food (TEF) declines: This is how many calories your body uses to digest food.
When you eat less you burn less calories. Digestion will also slow down, so that your body can absorb as many nutrients.
Remaining in a calorie deficit
Not all is lost by this reduction in your metabolism. You simply need to adjust your calorie intake to remain in a deficit. Otherwise you will be at a maintenance level and your weight loss will plateau.
This is one of the main reasons that I strongly advise against extremely low calorie intake.
Let’s use the example of someone who requires 2000 calories at complete rest, without any physical activity, and they decide to restrict their intake to 1200 calories. They will lose weight, but they have set themselves up for a long hard road to keep it off.
Once they have lost weight, they will have to remain at that same calorie intake otherwise they will begin to regain the lost weight.
This is then compounded by the fact that when we lose weight it can disrupt the ‘satiety’ and ‘hunger’ hormones - leptin and ghrelin.
Ghrelin stimulates hunger and promotes fat storage.
Leptin play a key role in decreasing hunger and calorie intake.
When body fat is reduced, the body reacts by signalling to eat more leaving you hungrier and, when you do eat, the extra calories will be stored as fat; predominantly around placed your waist.
However, not is all lost. Losing weight is hard but if done in the right way is achievable and just as importantly sustainable.
The approach you take to achieve fat loss that is important so that you reduce the impact on your metabolism and hormone balance.
Here are 7 tips that will help you achieve your ideal bodyweight.
1. Only start with a small calorie deficit
You really do not need to drastically reduce calorie intake to lose weight. You just need to be in a slight deficit.
Begin by working out your estimated daily calorie expenditure and then set a small deficit of 10-15%. This will reduce the impact of the hormonal disruption and give you more flexibility when the time comes when you need to make further adjustments.
2. Do resistance training
A side effect of weight losing can be the reduction in lean muscle. This can impact your metabolism.
Adding resistance training into your routine whilst in a calorie deficit will reduce the chances of losing muscle while you lose fat.
3. Eat enough protein
While in calorie deficit, it is important consume enough protein to reduce muscle loss.
Protein will also increase satiety helping your food cravings when in a deficit, plus protein requires the most calories of any of the macronutrients to digest, meaning you’ll burn more calories just by eating it.
4. Move more
Non exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) is one of the primary ways to expend calories that we have control of. The more you move, the more calories you will burn.
5. Sleep
Although you won’t burn extra calories while sleeping, this is where your body is able to recover. If you are resistant training, getting a good night sleep is the time where your body is able to repair muscle damage and increase lean muscle.
Also, a lack of sleep is shown to disrupt the hormones leptin and ghrelin, as you now know, an important part of hunger and fat regulation.
6. Drink water
When you are dehydrated, your brain can confuse this as a sign that you are hungry, meaning you may eat when you are just thirsty.
Also, drinking water before a meal can increase the speed that your body signals that it is full.
7. Eat more fibre
Eating food that is high in fibre will leave you feeling fuller for longer.
As an added bonus, your body will excrete the majority of the fibre, meaning less calories digested.
Don’t rely solely on weight as a monitor of progress.
Jumping on the scales and seeing your weight loss slow or even increase can be disheartening. However, there are many factors that need to be taken into account.
Our weight can fluctuate up to 5 to 6 pounds in a day. So, if you weigh yourself in the morning you will likely be lighter than if you weigh yourself in the afternoon.
Plus, if you eat a high carbohydrate or high salt meal the night before weighing yourself, your body will retain more water because of glycogen, and this will mean your weight will increase.
Other factors that can impact your weight are stress, needing the loo and eating a big meal.
Instead of just relying on weight, also measure your body circumference, take a photo and, if you have the means to do so, your body fat.
Weight loss isn’t a straightforward process. Your body wants to protect it in times of famine that may never come. It takes consistent effort to achieve your ideal body weight and is an ongoing process.
Slowly and surely wins the race when it comes to weight loss.
There you have it: my tips to speed up weight loss.
Now I’d like to hear from you…
Which strategy from today’s post are you ready to try first?
Are you going to increase your fibre intake so that you feel fuller?
Or maybe you are going to schedule a long walk into your diary?
Either way, let me know by leaving a comment below.
Alex
Self Employed at Health Report
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