Why did I plateau and how can I get past it?
Anyone who has ever dieted knows about hitting that plateau. You lose the first 5 -10 pounds and then you just stop. You’re still not eating any differently or exercising any differently so WHY? That could actually be the problem. Read on to find out.
To be able to lose weight there is a simple formula – in order to enter negative energy balance you need to eat less and exercise more. The problem is that after a certain period of perseverance, the body adapts and balances and does not allow for further decline – that is when you plateau.
It is important to understand that the plateau is a natural and common phenomenon in the weight loss process. Almost every dieting process is accompanied by one or more plateau period.
Plateaus usually last between one to four weeks. There can be a lot of reasons for it happening:
• Regular or monotonous diet – lack of diversity in the diet.
• Lack of exercise or too moderate exercise.
• Eating too little which puts the body into survival mode and doesn’t allow calories to be burned.
• Physiological causes - slow metabolic rate, hypothyroidism,
hormonal imbalance.
How do you punch out of that plateau?
Switch things up! Staying within your calorie guidelines, change out the carb or the type of protein you eat. If you you’ve been eating rice, switch over to buckwheat or quinoa. If you eat chicken every day, sub out fish or vice versa. Sometimes just adding variety will kick start things.
Keep making water a priority! Water increases your metabolism and shouldn’t be underrated. It flushes out impurities and can help you keep things moving in the right direction. Try to drink more than the recommended 8 glasses a day and don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink. If you’re taking Formula Trim – there are six glasses of water in your diet right there.
More Veggies! Add vegetables as snacks between meals to keep that metabolism burning. Eat them with your meals as well to bring more fiber into your diet. Don’t forget a lot of the low-cal vegetables contain a lot of water as well. Two birds, one stone.
Vary your exercise regimen! Do both aerobic and anerobic exercise and switch it out. Anaerobic exercise (strengthening) should be performed to maintain muscle mass, which accelerates the metabolism in the body. Aerobic exercise burns calories, helps the heart, etc.
Last of all, be patient! In many cases the plateau is temporary and after a short period it will pass. Keep an eating journal and be brutally honest. You have to count that splash of milk you put you in your coffee or that tiny little bit of mayo you added to your low-calorie bread. Set a realistic weight loss calorie goal and keep it, don’t eat more and don’t eat less.
