What to Do When You Can't Lose Weight: Overcoming a Weight Loss Plateau

It happens to just about every person who tries to lose weight. They hit a weight loss plateau and can't lose weight anymore. Unless you are at your ideal body weight, there are ways for overcoming a weight loss plateau so that you can be back on your way shedding the pounds.

Here are 3 things to do when you can't lose weight and you hit that dreaded weight loss plateau.

1. Kick up Your Exercise Routine

If you are not exercising while trying to lose weight then you definitely need to start exercising this minute. If you are exercising you need to evaluate what kind of workouts you are doing and how hard you are pushing yourself. Ask yourself if there is more that you can be doing. That doesn't necessarily mean you have to work out longer, but maybe you need to work out at a higher intensity throughout your entire workout.

Also you want to be sure that you are mixing up your workout routine as well. People often find that they can't lose weight when they are doing the same workout day and day out for several weeks. Add new activities into your routine or make your favorite workout harder. If you normally run on the treadmill, try doing intervals with sprints and jogging rather than just running at a steady pace. In no time the weight loss will start up again and you will overcome the weight loss plateau.

2. Analyze Your Diet and Keep a Food Journal

Your diet plays a very important part of your weight loss journey. Unfortunately a lot of people go on a diet and then slowly start reverting back to their old habits or start slacking on the diet. If you are worried about overcoming a weight loss plateau, analyzing your diet is most likely key to start shedding those pounds again.

The best way to analyze your diet is to keep a food journal of everything you eat every day. Be sure to write down every piece of food or beverage that goes into your mouth. At the end of the day look over what exactly you ate and add up the calories to see where you are. Some people may be eating too much while others may be not eating enough and starving their body. Keep a food journal for at least a week or two to really get a handle on what you are eating.

3. Cheating Can Lead to Weight Loss - Use with Caution

Now you may be thinking that cheating is what causes weight loss plateaus but not always. Sometimes a person just gets into a rut and their body has adapted to what they are eating. The solution? Allow yourself a cheat day, within certain limits.

A cheat day doesn't mean you go from eating a healthy 1400 calories a day to eating 4000 calories a day. Instead you should still practice good portion control but allow yourself to indulge in a few special treats. If you want a piece of cake, have one. If you want a special meal at your favorite restaurant that will put you way over your usual calorie limit then by all means go for it.

The reason this can work in overcoming a weight loss plateau is because it keeps your body guessing. If you always have 1400 calories every day your body is going to get used to that and the weight loss will stop. If you add in a day where you have 2500 calories your body will actually go into shock and will start the calorie burning process once more. In fact, there are a few popular diets nowadays that are based off these principles have eating a clean diet for 4 or 5 days and then having a day where you eat whatever you want.

Hopefully these suggestions for overcoming a weight loss plateau help you in your weight loss effort and you don't have to complain you can't lose weight anymore.