HOW TO GET PAST A WEIGHT LOSS PLATEAU

Learn Tips on How to Boost Your Metabolism and Get Past a Weight Loss Plateau!

It’s the curse of all dieters.  You’re moving right along with your healthy diet and exercise program, slowly but steadily losing weight, and then suddenly: boom.  You hit the wall.  The scale doesn’t budge, despite your best efforts.  What happened?  You’ve reached the dreaded weight loss plateau.

Don’t get discouraged, weight loss plateaus happen to virtually all long-term dieters after a few weeks of calorie counting.  Our bodies are designed to maintain equilibrium, or homeostasis; in order words, we don’t like change!  Once your body figures out that you’re consuming fewer calories than you’re taking in to maintain your weight, it will readjust metabolically to avoid changing, and make losing weight that much more difficult. 

Sneaky Ways to Outsmart Your Body

Here are some simple, sneaky ways to outsmart your body and overcome the dreaded weight loss plateau:

WEIGHT LOSS PLATEAU TIP# 1:

Vary your cardio exercise routine. 

Suppose go for an hour-long walk five days a week and ride a bike on the weekends.  Next week, try biking more and walking less.  Better yet, mix it up.  Swim laps or jog, use an elliptical trainer, or take an aerobics class at the gym.  Doing a variety of cardio will not only keep you from getting bored, it uses different muscles and will help you get back on the path to losing pounds.

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WEIGHT LOSS PLATEAU TIP# 2 :

Ramp up your intensity. 

If you’re used to walking, running, or riding at a fairly steady pace, try adding short sprints where you push as hard as you can for five-to-ten minutes intervals several times during your workout.  Short duration, high-intensity interval training can jumpstart a stuck metabolism.

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WEIGHT LOSS PLATEAU TIP# 3:

Add Weights and Vary Your Diet.

Add strength training.  Regular weight or resistance training in addition to your cardio routine will build muscle, boost your metabolism, and help you burn more calories after your workout.  Just 20-30 minutes three or four times a week should do the trick, and you won’t bulk up.

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WEIGHT LOSS PLATEAU TIP #4:

Cycle or “zigzag” your calorie intake. 

What this means is, try alternating higher-calorie days with lower-calorie days.  By mixing up your daily intake— say you eat 1800 calories on Monday, and then 2100 calories on Tuesday—you’ll keep your body guessing and avoid that plateau.  This is as easy as skipping a snack or trimming portion sizes on the lighter calorie day, and adding in some nuts, fruit or nonfat yogurt the next day.

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WEIGHT LOSS PLATEAU TIP #5:

Eat more often. 

Maybe you’re a three-meal-day kind of person, but if you eat a couple of healthy snacks and have smaller meals, you’ll use your calories more efficiently.  Plus, the benefit of snacking is you’ll be less hungry and less likely to overeat at mealtime.

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WEIGHT LOSS PLATEAU TIP #6:

Cut back on treats, temporarily. 

Maybe it’s a glass of wine, a few squares of dark chocolate, or a favorite cheese.  Dieting is difficult, even more so when we have to give up our favorite things.  But if you’ve reached a weight loss plateau, forgo the goodies, just for a couple of days, and you’re likely to see the scale start moving again.

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WEIGHT LOSS PLATEAU TIP # 7:

Don’t Give Up!

The most important thing is: don’t lose hope, and don’t give up!  If you’ve lost enough weight to hit that dreaded weight loss plateau it means you’re on the right path already.  All you need to do is to make some minor adjustments, and you’ll continue to see those pounds come off.

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Article Written By: Julie Mitchell; Julie is an accomplished writer from San Francisco who loves ballet, yoga, walking, cooking and reading. Her experience as a wife and mother of two lend to her articles and blogs for DivaVillage.com and VillageMAMA.com in the areas of wellness, fitness, beauty, parenting and food.