When you discover the scale isn’t moving, you’re suffering a weight loss plateau. It’s normal for your weight reduction progress to slow down, according to the Mayo Clinic. Knowing the causes of this plateau will put you in a much better position to solve it successfully. This will also avoid you from developing any harmful habits that can derail you along the road. Listen up because we have some of the simplest techniques to get the scale moving again after a plateau.
Why are you unable to lose weight?
Anthony J. Yeung, CSCS, the creator of GroomBuilder and a fitness guru, tells us, “When the scale doesn’t move or your body fat percentage doesn’t change in a week or two, you’ve undoubtedly reached a plateau. This is usually caused by eating more calories than you should, not exercising enough, or being worn out.”
But don’t be concerned! According to the Mayo Clinic, everyone on a weight loss plan will hit a plateau at some point. Even if you’re doing everything properly, like getting regular physical activity and eating healthily, don’t be surprised if you hit a plateau. Here’s how to get the scale going again after a pause.
Improve your fitness
Increasing your exercise, according to the Mayo Clinic, is a great place to start. Make time each week for at least 150 minutes of moderately intense aerobic activity or 75 minutes of strenuous aerobic exercise, or a combination of the two. If you want to get even more advantages from physical activity and accelerate your weight reduction efforts, a minimum of 300 minutes of exercise each week is recommended. As advised by the Mayo Clinic, include weight training into your programme to increase lean muscle mass and burn more calories.
Furthermore, you don’t have to break a sweat at the gym to increase your physical activity. Consider walking or riding your bike into town when running errands, or parking your car further away so you may take more steps to where you need to go. Include some basic workouts in your house cleaning routine, take your dog for a trip or a game of catch, walk about your neighbourhood while taking calls, and increase the amount of yard work that has to be done. All of these minor details might add up to make a significant difference.
Keep track of your calories
Tracking your calories, according to Yeung, is the simplest method to get the scale back in your favour. He goes on to say, “Keep track of how many calories you’ve been consuming each day and then cut it by 250 each day. Then, towards the end of the week, evaluate if you’re losing weight again.”
There are several applications available nowadays that may help you keep track of your daily calorie consumption, so try installing one to get started!
Take a pause and refuel with a meal
If you’ve already reduced your calorie intake and aren’t seeing any results, Yeung has another recommendation. “Try taking a break and eating a refeed meal high in carbohydrates to raise your leptin levels,” he suggests. “Keep in mind that you can’t merely decrease calories week after week; you need to take a vacation every few weeks to keep your hormone levels at ideal levels so that your metabolism stays high.”
