What Actually Is a Plateau? This article may help you to break through.
If you’re reading this guide, you might have firsthand experience with the following scenario:
You’ve been working hard following a plan to help you lose weight – and you’ve been getting steady and consistent results.
And even better, you feel GREAT! But then suddenly…
STUCK! All of your progress suddenly stops. The scale doesn’t budge, and it’s as if your body REFUSES to lose more weight.
It might feel more like a brick wall – and it’s blocking you from reaching your goals.
It’s frustrating, to say the least. And it’s also absolutely normal.
“Everyone plateaus, it’s what you do next that counts” Noah Kagan
So what causes a plateau?
Many factors contribute to weight loss or lack of here are the most common
1. Water Weight
The quick drop of weight when you first start eating a healthier diet can actually be water weight (not fat).
This happens because when you eat less or eat fewer carbohydrates, your body taps into its glycogen stores to get the energy it needs. Glycogen is stored in your muscles and liver.
It’s partly made of water, so when your body burns glycogen for energy, that water gets released. That can translate into quickly dropping a few to several pounds. This effect is just temporary, though.
2. Your Metabolism has slowed down
When you lose weight, you lose some muscle along with fat.
In fact, it’s estimated that up to 25% of the body tissue lost during weight loss comes from muscle! (We’re going to talk more about this later.)
This affects your metabolism because muscle burns more calories than fat. It’s a small difference, but multiplied over time with many diets, it can really add up.
3. Your Food Choices
Some foods can cause your body to retain water, especially for women. Top offenders are foods high in carbohydrates and sodium.
4. Your Portion Sizes have crept up – (even slightly)
Changing your body composition is a marathon, not a sprint! It takes time to safely lose weight, and that also means that over time, it’s pretty normal for even the most conscientious person to unconsciously start adding a little extra to their snacks or meals.
Again, those extra calories add up.
5. Hormones, Stress & More!
Our bodies are incredibly complex.
Everything from our stress level to how much sleep we are getting can create hormonal shifts that affect how our body functions – and how our body uses the food we eat.
6. Your Body has adjusted to your workouts/plan
This is a good news – bad news situation.
This can be a sign that you’ve gotten FITTER because your program is no longer challenging your body the way it used to.
But it also can be a sign that you have to mix things up and change what you’re doing!
It might not require a complete overhaul, but it could mean layering in more intense workouts, different kinds of workouts, or more rest days, etc.
First, ask yourself: is it REALLY a plateau?
Has your progress actually stalled? Or has the scale simply stayed the same for a few weeks?
When you first start eating less, you can experience a sudden quick loss of weight, which eventually settles down into ½ kg to 1 kg a week. But getting a week (or two) of no scale movement doesn’t mean your plan isn’t working. Your weight doesn’t always respond in a linear fashion to your efforts.
You might be losing body fat (and inches) while the scale doesn’t budge! Is it frustrating sometimes? YES….
But remember…
If you’ve been consistently doing challenging workouts (especially resistance training), you also are changing the SHAPE of your body and making it stronger!
This is a major player in your results.
PLUS … if you’re struggling to lose those “last 5 kg’s,” it’s not necessarily a weight-loss plateau. You might be at a weight that’s healthy and natural for your body. Losing those last kg’s can take extra effort – as can keeping them off once you hit your goal.
Now that we’ve identified some of the reasons you might be experiencing a plateau, let’s talk about the things you can actually DO to break through to the other side!
(HINT: It’s a lot easier than you think!)
Here’s a list of strategies and actions you can take to restart your results.
1. Start Tracking Your Food.
Yes, using a food log can be tedious and it takes time, in the short term. But in the long term, it will give you valuable information that can actually SAVE time by speeding up your results.
You will learn how many calories you actually are taking in vs. how many you think you are eating. You’ll see a big picture of your food choices, and whether you are eating enough nutrient-dense foods (i.e., rich in vitamins and minerals vs. calories). It can be a valuable check-in on your portion sizes.
Some online food trackers to try: MyFitnessPal, and the Fitbit app. Google search usually brings up a good variety.
2. Check Your Activity Level
The daily activity you do outside of your workouts makes a huge contribution (as much as 30%!) toward your overall daily calorie burn.
This means sitting vs. lying down, standing vs. sitting, walking vs. parking close to the entrance, doing household tasks vs. watching TV for an hour.
This does more than simply burn calories. It can help keep your body’s fat-burning pump primed!
The enzyme lipoprotein lipase (LPL) plays a major role in your body’s ability to burn fat for energy. But when you’re sedentary, you don’t have as much of it in your system.
Moving throughout the day can keep your LPL level up, which means your body is able to burn more fat.
Using an activity tracker (like a FitBit or Apple Watch) can help you monitor your daily activity.
3. Eat Enough Protein
When it comes to weight loss, getting enough protein in your diet can be a game-changer.
It boosts your body’s metabolism more than either fat or carbs because it requires more energy to digest.
Protein signals your body to release hormones that reduce your appetite and keep you feeling full.
It protects your body from losing muscle mass (and a related dip in your metabolic rate) as you lose weight.
A qualified coach can help you develop strategies for adding protein to your meals in a way that works with your lifestyle.
4. Reduce Alcohol
Here’s the sneaky truth about drinking alcohol: it actually has more of an impact on your body (and your results) than simply the empty calories it contains.
Alcohol lowers your inhibitions, which means you are more likely to 1) overeat or 2) eat foods you normally wouldn’t.
Not only that, but research suggests it affects your body’s ability to burn fat,
and it might also lead to an increase in belly fat. The best bet for breaking a plateau: enjoy alcohol sparingly (if at all). Watch your alcohol intake
5. Eliminate Sneaky Sugar in Beverages
Sugar has a way of finding itself into your diet – especially via beverages like soda, fruit juices, and flavoured coffee and teas.
Make sure you read labels (even of beverages you pick up at a coffee shop).
The problem with sugary beverages is that your brain doesn’t compensate for the calories they contain by making you eat less of other foods. So, not only are you taking in those empty calories, you end up eating more overall.
FIRST If you’re not following a workout plan, it’s time to start!
And if you already have a workout program, working out another 1-2 days a week OR increasing the intensity or length of your existing workouts can help rev up your metabolism.
6. Change Up Your Workouts
So can adding resistance (strength) training to your routine. Research suggests it might be the best form of exercise if you want to lose weight.
Resistance workouts help your body maintain its muscle mass, which not only keeps you feeling fit and strong but also helps boost your metabolism.
This is where it can be especially helpful to work with a coach who can help you create a plan that challenges your body just enough, without overstressing your body.
7. Stress
Having an overload of stress in your life can really put a damper on your results.
First, it can trigger food cravings and make you want to eat for comfort.
It also can disrupt your sleep (more on that shortly).
But it also works on a more insidious level, increasing your body’s production of cortisol (a stress hormone).
When you have too much cortisol in your bloodstream for too long, it can make your body store belly fat (especially in women).
Stress is inevitable, but research has shown that learning HOW to manage stress can help with weight loss.
Coaches can help you identify what’s stressing you, as well as assist in creating a plan to manage it -before it manages you!
8. Sleep More
Not getting enough sleep is like a triple whammy for your results.
- It can lower your metabolic rate.
- It can release hormones that make you feel hungry.
- It helps promote fat storage.
Do your best to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night, which seems to be the sweet spot for keeping your hormones balanced.
9. Your Body Needs a Break
If you’ve been in a calorie deficit (eating fewer calories than your body would normally need) for a long time (several months), your body might need a little break to reset.
This doesn’t mean STOPPING your plan. The goal is to MAINTAIN your results for a month or two, and then restart again when your body is rested.
10. Check With Your Doctor
If everything checks out – your food intake, your workouts and activity level, your stress, sleep, etc. – and you’re still not seeing progress, it can be worth making an appointment with your doctor to see if you have an underlying condition affecting your results.
Possible issues that can affect weight loss include thyroid or adrenal gland problems, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), sleep apnea, menopause, breastfeeding, and quitting smoking.
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