5 Steps To Overcome Your Weight Loss Plateau

It’s great to jump on the scale each week and rejoicing as that that number steadily goes down, but at some point, your weight loss progress is going to stall. Fortunately, this weight loss plateau doesn’t have to spell disaster, provided you have the tools to deal with it. That way, your plateau can simply signal that your weight loss efforts have entered a new stage, and you need to adapt.

The weekly weigh in

First thing in the morning, on that same day every week, post pee but pre breakfast, you jump on the scale in eager anticipation of this week’s drop. Every week up until now you’ve been regularly dropping one or two pounds between weigh ins and progress has been going great.

The one day, on you hop, and – nothing.

The scale still reads exactly the same as it did last week.

Off you get, give the scales 20 seconds to reset, and jump back on again. But nope – same thing. That number is the same as seven days ago, so what gives?

Reasons for Weight Loss Plateaus

First off, weight loss plateaus are very common and there really isn't any need to get worked up over them. It may even be the case that you've lost fat, but gained weight in another way.

This could be through gaining muscle if you've recently taken up weight training — muscle weighs more than fat, after all, so your "plateau" could be caused by significant progress in the strength and fitness department. Additionally, a change in routine can cause inflammation and swelling, which will also show up as weight gain. Likewise, if you've eaten more carbs the day before, had a particularly large meal before going to bed, or are carrying excess water weight, your weight may appear to have increased according to the scale.

This is why it’s important not to put all your trust in the scale. At the end of the day, it is only a number.
Your stomach contents have a huge impact on your weight too, and without getting into the finer details, whether or not you’ve been to the toilet recently can change what you weigh in at.

Another point to consider as you're frustrated about your weight loss plateau is that the longer you diet for and the longer you’ve been losing weight, the more likely it is that weight loss will slow down. This is due to the fact that dieting is not a particularly metabolism-friendly activity.

Your metabolic rate is the speed at which you burn calories. A higher metabolism is always preferable when losing weight as it means your body has a higher turnover rate, so you can eat more food while still burning it off.

Your metabolism is directly linked to how many calories you consume. (It is also influenced by your age, sex, activity levels and genetics, but diet is a big factor.) The more calories you consume, the higher your metabolism, or metabolic rate. Clearly though, dieting requires a need for a reduced calorie intake. When you start dieting and cutting your calories, it’s likely your metabolism won’t be impacted much, so you’ll keep burning calories at a higher rate.

The longer you eat a reduced calorie diet for though, the slower your metabolism gets, so you may be eating the same, but you’ll be burning less.

How to break Your Weight Loss Plateau in 5 Easy Steps

Reduce Calories

It’s the obvious answer and possibly the one you've been dreading, but reducing calories is a foolproof way of accelerating weight loss.

If you’re burning fewer calories each day because your metabolism is dropping, then lowering your intake further will ensure you keep a negative calorie balance or calorie deficit, which basically means you’re consuming fewer calories than you burn.

You can cut calories from anywhere, though most dieters tend to benefit from reducing carbs, then fats, while keeping protein intake constant. Protein helps preserve muscle mass, fats are needed for hormone production and while carbs do provide energy, they’re not as critical as the other two macronutrients.

You don’t need a huge calorie drop – a 50 to 100 calorie per day reduction should do the trick.

Increase Protein

This works in conjunction with decreasing carbs and fat.

Protein has a higher thermic effect of food than carbs and fat, meaning it takes your body longer to break it down, and therefore burns more calories in the digestion process. If you’re not already consuming one gram of protein per pound of body weight, then increase your intake to that now. If you are consuming this much, add another 10 to 20 grams per day, while still hitting that 50 to 100 calorie drop.

Take a Break

Having five to seven days away from your diet can help to reset your metabolism.

This isn't an excuse to go mad and binge, or eat whatever you want, but increase your calories to maintenance level. To work out your maintenance level, multiply your body weight in pounds by 15 and consume this many calories each day.

Add a Re-Feed Day

As with taking a break for a short while, this doesn't mean having a free for all day, or gorging at an all you can eat buffet. Increase your total calorie intake for the day by around 20 percent, with the extra calories coming mainly from carbohydrates. If possible, do this on a day when you train, as the extra energy this gives you can translate into improved performance in the gym.

The leaner you are, the more often you can re-feed. You shouldn't need re-feeds at all in the first two to three weeks of dieting, or if you’re above 20 percent body fat for a man or 30 percent for a woman.

If you’re between 12 and 20 percent as male, or 18 to 30 percent for a woman, have one re-feed per week and if you’re leaner than this, have two.

Add Extra Workouts

The phrase “train smarter, not longer” certainly holds some weight, but there’s a lot to be said for increasing your workout frequency.

Aim for a minimum of three tough sessions per week. You can also increase your daily calorie burn and metabolism by adding more NEPA (Non-Exercise Physical Activity) into your routine. This involves simple things such as walking to the shops instead of driving, or climbing stairs instead of taking the escalator.

Make weight training a priority too – it has a much bigger after-burn effect and more of an impact on your metabolism than cardio does. Hit your whole body three times per week, with a focus on compound lifts such as squats, deadlifts, clean and presses, chin-ups, rows and bench presses. Train heavy and train hard.