Hit a weight loss plateau? Sometimes it happens, for weeks your weight loss program was taking the pounds off. Then, suddenly, the scales won’t budge another ounce.
Don’t stress (it’s not good for your health, read about it here)! A weight loss plateau is normal. No matter how diligent you are in following your good health regimen, from time to time you’ll fall off the wagon. The key to getting back on the program, here are Health Fitness Revolution’s easy tips to breaking through the plateau:
- Mix up your exercise routine
- Change the time of day that you workout.
- Try doing 30 minutes of aerobics followed by 15 minutes of strength training in the same day.
- Add 15 minutes to your workout.
- Divide your exercise time into two sessions.
- Change the intensity as well. If you have been doing low impact aerobics then kick it up a notch.
- Switch up the long cardio sessions with shorter, more intense workouts and vice-versa.
- Have a Vision of Success
- The mind is a strong tool – use it to achieve what you want.
- Change your nutritional habits
- If you’ve been eating a balanced, healthy diet, it’s time to make some slight changes.
- If you have been eating 3 meals a day try breaking these into 5 or 6 smaller meals throughout the day. Eating smaller meals more often keeps your metabolism revved up to burn more calories.
- Try altering the snacks and foods as well. If you usually have a yogurt as a snack try a high protein snack instead.
- Try adding a bit more protein and less carbs to your meals.
- Adjust your calorie intake. As you lose weight the amount of calories you need is less.
- Make this a LIFESTYLE CHANGE not a diet!
- Record what you eat.
- Underestimating just how much food you’ve eaten is a common mistake, one that can lead to a weight loss plateau or weight gain. Yet keeping a diary of your daily food intake (every bite, taste, or lick) can help you see where you’re going wrong.
- Use caution at restaurants: At restaurants, rich foods and supersized portions can sway even the most determined dieter. Especially if you eat out often, look at restaurant eating as a chance to practice good portion control.
- Join a sport. An active sport is a great to change up your routine. Sports like racquetball, tennis and basketball will work different muscle groups with lateral movement instead of the same boring forward movement on a treadmill or elliptical (that’s not to say that the treadmill or elliptical aren’t good machines, but mix it up!).
- Weight train. The more muscle mass you have the more calories your body will need to maintain it. This is very important and very effective.
- Increase your protein intake. It promotes strong lean muscle tissue which is beneficial to fat burning. Protein also fills you up better than a heavy carbohydrate meal.
