Overcoming Weight Loss Plateaus

Losing weight is a challenge. There is no doubt about it. It can be very discouraging when you work so hard to lose the weight and suddenly you hit a plateau. The scales are stuck for weeks at a time with no change in sight and suddenly you are feeling like all of the work has been for nothing. That is why they say the last ten pounds is the hardest. If you want to overcome the plateau the best thing you can do is not get discouraged. Use the plateau as a learning tool. There are ways to combat the plateaus and move forward and continue losing weight. What people do not realize is that the human body is an amazing machine. It can adapt, change, grow, and recharge, recover and fuel itself. Sometimes the body adapts to a certain routine and eating habits...even if they are good ones. So what you have to do is find the source of the plateau and then plow right through it.

Weight loss plateaus can happen at the most inconvenient times. Just think of a time when you were really focused on your weight loss goal and you were hitting the gym at least three days a week, lifting weights, or doing cardio and then all of the sudden...the scales stop moving downward. Suddenly, you begin to think to yourself...what happened, why isn't this working, what am I working my tail off for? Well, you have hit a plateau and something needs to change in order to continue your weight loss progression.

First, take a look at your routine. Are you doing the same type of workouts? Are you doing three days a week at the gym with the same routine every day? This might be your first problem. When your body gets used to the same repetitive movements it will learn to adjust. Initially any change in your activity level is going to help you drop body fat/weight. But then something happens and your body says "hey...I think I'm getting the hang of this, now what?" Your body expects to be caught off guard. It is literally waiting for you to shock it into doing something new. People tend to get stuck into the same old routine because they are comfortable with what they are doing and they don't like to change things if they think it is working for them. Well, the truth is, eventually it will stop working unless you change it up a bit.

If you are hitting the gym three days a week, you might want to try and add an extra day of just cardio activity. This can be indoors or outdoors. Challenge your body. Hit the bleachers outside. Do squats, lunges, or just run up and down the stairs for twenty to thirty minutes. Take advantage of the experience. Teach your body a new trick. Go hiking, swimming, or try some sprint/jog/walk cycles outside. Not only will this present your body with new challenges, it will also enhance your workout experiences. You will most likely enjoy yourself and you might find the change of scenery refreshing.

You will also need to change your intensity level. So often I go into the gym and I see people casually walking around the weight room floor chit chatting and taking too much time between sets. When you hit that weight room floor you need to plug in your IPOD ear phones and get focused. Don't let yourself get distracted by other people. When you are lifting weights you need to do it intensely. Your rest between sets should be minimal at thirty to ninety seconds. Just take enough time to gulp down some water between sets and then move on. It is true you need to take some time in between sets to catch you breath let burn subside some, but don't take all day. You are wasting time and defeating the purpose. On the weight room floor you should be working very intensely and focusing on the feeling of your muscles working. Visualize yourself actually burning fat off as you lift. Try to feel that specific muscle working and contracting. It should not be a leisurely activity. You will sweat and you will breathe hard if you are doing things correctly. A way to burn up to 30% more fat and build more lean muscle is change the order of your routine. Time and again I see people that want to spend 20-60 min. doing cardio then go lift. It should be the other way around. A light 5-10 min. cardio warm up, then hit your weight with intensity, then do your cardio workout. When you lift weights you burn off a lot of sugar which allows you to burn more fat when you actually get to your cardio. Changing up your cardio helps tons too! Try a Fartlek routine, this is where you sprint for period of time then go to a walk or light jog for a period of time. For example: 1 min. all out with a 3 min. walk/jog recovery. Do that for 15-20 min. instead of a long session of cardio. I also recommend keeping a workout journal, it can be as simple as tracking the exercises, weight used, reps/sets, and rest time. For a real effective way to keep a journal I would add a section of how you felt DURING the workout, then a comment section on anything you feel you could change, what you liked, what you don't like. This will help you see progress even when the scale isn't moving, plus you can see your mental state improve as you get better at being dedicated and focused on your health. This also makes changing your workouts routinely a lot easier, and you have more workouts to pull from.

The next thing you will need to do is analyze your diet. Are you cheating on your nutrition plan? Do you have a set nutrition plan that you are monitoring and keeping track of in a journal? Maybe you have cut back on calories and you think that helped in the beginning. If you have already cut back on calories...you may be doing yourself an injustice. Your body needs the calories, especially if you are highly active throughout the week and you are participating in several cardio sessions and weight training throughout the week. Revamp your nutrition before your body begins to shut itself down. One of the biggest myths is that people think eating less is more. The opposite is true. When you starve your body by eating only one to two meals a day, you are literally shutting your metabolism off. Your body goes into a type of starvation/survival mode. Your stored body fat does not burn off because it thinks you are literally dying. So your body's built in defense mechanism takes control and holds on to every bit of stored fat it can.

Eating more is better when you eat the right foods. But you have to eat the right kinds of foods and smaller meals throughout the day, spaced two to three hours apart. If you want to kick your metabolism into high gear...try eating "clean" and do it five to six times a day. If you aren't sure what eating clean means do a little research. It means eating lean proteins, complex carbs, non starchy vegetables, cutting out sugars, sodas, fast food and unhealthy fats. Yes that's right-unhealthy fats. You will still need to consume small amounts of healthy fats like flax seed oil, olive oil, nuts, and fish oils in small amounts. Eating the right kinds of fat will help you lose weight, ask any nutritionist. EFA's (essential fatty acids) are called essential because you don't produce them on your own so it is ESSENTIAL that you take them in thru your diet. Cutting back calories can be beneficial to an extent, but depriving your body to the point of starvation is not necessary to lose body fat nor should you cut more then 20% of your BMR. BMR is your basal metabolic rate, or in plain English, the amount of calories you burn everyday just to keep your organs functioning and your body going. Look online for formulas to calculate this out. Then don't drop below 20% of that number. When you deprive your body...you begin burning off muscle mass instead of body fat. You need the muscle to burn the fat. Think of your metabolism as a fire and your muscle as firewood. The less wood the smaller the fire. Lean muscle mass will boost your metabolism because it requires more energy to maintain. Your body is THE best budgeter around. It will actually burn muscle and organs if needed to preserve its fat storage when you are in starvation mode.

Hydration is important! If you aren't drinking enough water, you could be retaining fluid in your body. This will also stunt your weight loss progress. Your body must get at least a gallon of water a day if you are working out three to five times a week. If you are working out intensely you should be drinking no less than a gallon of water a day. It is one of the biggest keys to body fat reduction. You have to have a sufficient amount of water in your body or it will get dehydrated and you will hold fluid in your body. An easy way to do this is fill a gallon jug half way then freeze it over night, in the morning fill the rest of the jug up with water. Try to drink all that thru the day, the ice will keep it cold and as it melts you are more likely to get the full gallon in a day. Also if water is too plain for you get some sugar free Kool aid to add to it or some crystal light packets. You should make it a habit to keep hydrated, if you wait till your thirsty then its too late you are already becoming dehydrated. Most people think if they drink a lot of water they will retain water and look bloated or feel heavier, when it is quite the opposite! If you don't get enough water your body holds onto everything tighter and you WILL be bloated and heavier. Remember your body is smarter then you or me. It will compensate as necessary.

If you are hitting weight loss plateaus, take a minute to reflect on what you are doing and what you could possibly change to enhance your workouts. Are you doing the same thing every time you workout? Are you cheating on your meals? Are you eating enough? Are you drinking enough water? Any combination of doing the wrong things can stunt your weight loss progress and present a plateau that you must overcome. Plateaus can be frustrating, but they can be overcome, not only that but they can be great stepping stones to teaching you more about your body and your habits, along with keeping you in the habit of changing things so you don't get burnt out on the same old workout. You will just need to re-evaluate your plan of action and take control. Don't give up. The old saying is true...nothing worthwhile ever comes easy. Otherwise we would all be on the covers of fitness magazines. It takes serious dedication and drive...but it is possible. Remember "if you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you have always gotten." Bottom line CHANGE IS GOOD!