How to break weight loss plateau? Weight loss is a difficult journey with a lot of ups and downs. We have days when we feel very motivated and ready for that extra workout and then there are days when we feel low and all the hard work seems to be going in vain as the scale might have stopped moving. Here are 10 tips to move the stuck weight loss
The Weight loss Journey:
Stuck weight might take a day or it may take months, but what is meant to be will always find its way. Talking of the weight loss journey and transformations, It takes 4 weeks for you to feel the change in the body. The family will notice after 8 weeks and the world after 12 weeks. Weight loss is a journey with no short cuts. This journey will have lots of bumps and stumbles. You just need to be patient.
When you embark on a weight loss journey, in the first few weeks you will see good results, while later the scale just stalls at a particular number. This is a weight loss plateau. Now you may wonder, How to break the weight loss plateau? This practically happens at some point with everyone. Weight loss plateau is a part of the weight loss journey. Read on to see 10 tips to move the stuck weight loss. Don’t forget to subscribe to our youtube channel.
What is a weight loss plateau?
The body is a beautiful creation of nature. It is extremely smart and adaptable but craves stability. Once you start losing weight the body then gets used to the low-calorie diet. Initially, with drastic changes in diet, there is a fabulous weight loss. With fewer calories, the body starts burning its stores for fuel. This is how you go into negative energy balance and lose weight. But with time the body then gets used to it. And there comes a point when your calorie intake gets in equilibrium with your calorie output and you hit a weight loss plateau.
Initially what you lose is water. Then later the muscle breakdown happens followed by the fat loss. Thus when the body gets used to fewer calories the body’s metabolism slows down leading to a weight loss plateau.
How to break weight loss plateau
Well, the answer lies in just one word. Experiment! Change your calorie intake. Change your workout pattern and timings. Diet composition can be played around with too. The basic secret lies in not letting your body get into that comfort zone. Keep hustling and have an ever-changing routine that surprises your body. Some diet patterns that have really helped in breaking the weight loss plateau and are famous worldwide are :
10 Tips to Move the Stuck Weight Loss
Check with the calories and amount of food consumed:
Consult your dietician to check if the caloric intake is appropriate. There might be an error in measuring the ingredients or there might be faulty measuring cups or bowls. Try using standard cup size and the digital weighing scale till you are sure of the amounts you are consuming. Read- All about calories.
Increase fiber intake:
Fiber keeps you full for a longer period of time. It helps in avoiding binge eating in the next meal. Fiber also helps in breaking down fats and increases the body’s metabolism. The satiation level of food is high when it is accompanied by the fiber in the diet. Include whole fruits, vegetables, whole cereals, millets, pulses, and sprouts. Thus, helping to move the stick weight loss. Read – Millet diet plan for weight loss and Sprouts and benefits for weight loss.
Chew your food:
Most of us are always in the hurry to finish our meals. We don’t even realize what we are eating or how much we are eating. Chewing your food properly sends signals to your body when the body is full and does not need more food. It increases the brain’s satiation level post food. Try to chew your fruits and vegetables instead of having it in juice or smoothie form. Know more about the benefits of chewing on weight loss.
Cut the salt:
High salt in the diet leads to excess water retention in the body. This water retention shows on your scale. Once you cut down on salt you will lose the excess water from the body. Make sure you consume the right amount of salt required by your body. Processed foods, preservatives, and tinned foods all contain high salt and sodium preservatives. Avoid the consumption of such products to break the weight loss plateau and move the stuck weight. In some cases, cutting down on soups in dinner ( if you were taking it) helps. A pro tip – measure 1 tsp salt and use only that much in your food for cooking, and if need be, sprinkle some rock salt / pink salt on your food for taste.
Do not skip meals:
Desperate time calls for desperate measures. People when realize they are not losing weight they tend to skip meals. Skipping meals might create a halo of reducing the calories but it pushes the body more towards the plateau as the body goes into a famine phase. Skipping meals slows down metabolism. Whereas eating all your meals with balanced nutrients keeps the metabolism high and avoids weight loss plateau. Hence, either eat for all your meals or follow a proper 16:8 intermittent fasting pattern.
Drink more water:
Drinking water helps to cut down on the caloric intake during the meals. Sometimes when you feel hungry it might be a signal for thirst. You might confuse the thirst signal with hunger and eat more calories. Whenever you feel hungry, first try and consume water and wait for some time. Consume at least 2 – 2.5 liters of water daily. Drinking more water will increase your total urine output. This ensures the natural detoxification of your body and also helps in reducing bloating and swelling if you may have those issues. As well as adding glow to your skin that we all really long for! Read – Top 10 recipes of flavored water.
Check your protein intake:
Protein helps the body to raise metabolism. The body requires more energy to burn down proteins, thus helping in losing weight fast. High proteins in your diet help in maintaining the muscles of your body. More muscles in the body ensure high metabolism. Protein-rich foods also suppress ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite. Include dals, pulses, sprouts, milk and products, poultry, fish, and soya in your daily diet. Read – High protein diet for weight loss.
Eat enough carbs:
High proteins need appropriate amounts of carbs for proteins to get digested and absorbed. Following an extremely low carbohydrate diet pushes the body to store fat and in turn, put on weight. Include low GI high fiber carbs. You can consume whole wheat, whole cereal flours, millets, oats as well as quinoa. These low GI carbs can become the fuel for the workout that you do and help in boosting your metabolism. Read – Low carb diet plan for weight loss.
Try Different workouts:
Try merging different workout routines. Mix your cardio with strength training. Strength training helps maintain muscle mass, raise the metabolism thus losing weight. If you are already in strength training, increase your repetitions and see if you can lift more weight than usual. For cardio, you can take up walk, jog, swimming, dancing, Zumba, dancercise, or cycling for a weight loss workout. Try resistance training or HIIT workout for toning the body. Interval training also helps in pushing up your body’s metabolism. It consists of 5 minutes warm-up followed by a 1-minute high-intensity workout with a 2-minute break. This pattern has to be repeated for a half-hour. Everything comes down to that one word again, experiment!
Sleep well:
Proper sleep ensures you do not get stuck up on weight loss. Sound sleep helps the body to de-stress and reduces the free radicals in the body. Staying up late at night makes you crave midnight snacks. Extra meals may lead to weight gain or it may hinder the weight loss process. Benefits of sleeping for 7 hours.
Endnote:
Losing weight is a mind game. Change your mind, change your body. You don’t need to eat less, you just need to eat right. Hope our information on How to break weight loss plateau and the 10 tips to move the stuck weight loss helps you shake things up.
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