After speaking to a few clients and boot campers this past week, I came across this great article from MyFitnessPal that hit the confounding issue of weight loss plateaus right on the head. If this is you, please read on for some great tips in making your weight loss and fat loss goals progressing again, even while #SaferAtHome!
Ok, so youstopped drinking sodaand bringing ice cream into the house during this quarantine and at first the weight started to peel off. This boosted your confidence, so you started doing more cardio to burn some extra calories. All of your efforts paid off and youlost weight, possibly even a lot of weight … well, for a while. But now you feel stuck; you feel as if you’ve reached aweight-loss plateau.
Possibly you’re at a healthy weight, albeit above your dream weight, but those pesky 5-10-15pounds are still lingering. Why? Are you just dreaming too big and searching for something that is out of reach? If you’re at a healthy weight, this might be because the body likes to maintain a stable weight, also known asset-point weight. While your body’s set point can be adjusted, it can take some time to get there.
As you are losing weight, it can be tempting tocut calories too lowto shed pounds faster. The down side to this technique: your muscle can be used as energy and this gradually slows your metabolism to spare energy. Whether you find yourself above your body’s natural set-point weight or ifyou’re hard pressed to lose those vanity pounds, here are ten ways to overcome a weight-loss plateau.
1. ADJUST YOUR CALORIE INTAKE
As you lose weight, yourmetabolismcandrop because your body requires less calories or “energy” to fuel a smaller you. The calorie intake that you initially had when you began your weight-loss journey will need to be adjusted to match your body’s current needs for weight loss. Make sure torevise your calorie goal in MyFitnessPalevery 5-10 pounds or so.
2. FOCUS ON QUALITY
Busting through a weight-loss plateauis more than calories in and calories out.Processed foodswon’t cut it anymore, thusquality whole foodslike vegetables,beans, high-fiber fruits andlean proteinsare needed for your engine to burn body fat. The stores are still open so make sure to pick up fresh veggies.
3. ROTATE YOUR ROUTINE
Slugging awayon the treadmillor just walking outside for the past 2-plus months? It’s time to change up your workouts. The muscles become familiar with the same old workout, making your regular routine less effective. To see a change in body fat, you have to get outside of your fitness comfort zone.High Intensity Interval Training(HIIT) has been shown to burn body fat effectively. Try doing speed work at the track (Shorewood high school track is open), do a Sunday email workout by Coach C, or alternatewalking and running intervals. Note: Just progress slowly and deliberately when incorporating high-intensity exercise into your routine. Doing too much too fast can leave youtoo sore, tired or even injured.
4. BEWARE OF CLEANUP DUTY
An extra bite here, a little nibble there. Those calories DO count, even if they aren’t on your plate. This is how my Mom and Dad got fat when I was younger.Mindlessly munchingon the kids’ (or spouse’s) leftovers during clean up seems harmless, but resist the snack urge because it might be what’s keeping you from seeing results.
5. KNOW YOUR NUMBERS
If you’ve been watching what you eat and exercising more and your weight is not budging, consult with your doctor orregistered dieticianto rule out any underlying medical conditions that could make it difficult for you to lose weight.
6. GET QUALITY SLEEP
A full night’s sleep is vital to losing body fatbecause itresets your hormones. Even a little sleep deprivation can lead to increased cortisol, a stress hormone. Elevated cortisol levelscan lead to body fat accumulation, especiallyaround the midsection. Lots of people are MORE stressed out lately, so if you can’t change the stress you are exposed too, then CHANGE the way you react to that stress.
7. KEEP A CLOSER EYE ON YOUR CALORIC NEEDS
Research has shown that people oftenoverestimate how many calories they burn during exercise, andunderestimate how many calories they eat. To better approximate your caloric needs, use the MyFitnessPalbasal metabolic rate calculatorto learn how many calories you burn a day if you did nothing but rest for 24 hours. Use your basal metabolic rate as a benchmark to subtract the approximate number of calories burned during activity. Keep in mind that the number of calories burned during activity can vary.
8. FLUSH WITH FLUIDS
Keep yourhydration in checksince the body will often crave food when you are even mildly dehydrated. Symptoms of dehydration are similar to symptoms of hunger, so it’s easy to confuse the two. Aim to drink 80-100 fluid ounces (2.35 liters) of water per day plus additional fluids lost during activity. You cankeep track of your hydration levelswith MyFitnessPal.
9. INCREASE MUSCLE MASSS
Want to burn more calories at rest? Lift (heavier) weights andfollow a strength-training program to build muscle., like the ones in the Sunday email. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, and the more body fat you’ll shed.
10. EAT MORE PROTEIN
Protein has the highest thermic effect of food, meaningeating protein burns more calories during digestion. Protein also contains an amino acid, leucine, that numerous research studies have identified as a potent catalyst for burning body fat.
Put these tried and true tips into action, and soon you’ll be saying, “What weight-loss plateau?” See you at boot camp and small group soon!
Adapted fromhttps://blog.myfitnesspal.com/10-tips-to-overcome-a-weight-loss-plateau/
