It’s not in your head.
Weight-loss plateaus are real.
Here are five sneaky reasons they occur and how to blast past them.
Photo: Getty / MirageC
You’ve lost 10 pounds!
Then the dreaded scale stops and nothing you do seems to move that number down, ugh.
It’s not you; it’s your body.
Well, it’s youandyour body.
But it’s fixable.
Calories sneak back in
You’ve started your diet and are in full food-tracking mode.
But then a month goes by and you aren’t so religious about it.
While you might not gain weight, it could be the reason weight loss has stalled.
You don’t need to track calories forever, but it’s a good way to identify issues.
You have to eat more to feed your metabolism."
Severe calorie restriction signals the body to conserve energy, not burn it.
It’s your body’s way of protecting you because it doesn’t know you’re dieting.
It just thinks you’ve run out of food and doesn’t know when you’ll eat again.
Read More:7 Signs You Might Not Be Eating Enough Calories
3.
You’ve unintentionally slowed your metabolism
When you lose weight, you lose muscle and fat.
The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn.
So, as muscle mass declines, the rate at which you burn calories does too.
To rev up your metabolism again,pick up some weightsat least three times a week.
“Not 3-pound dumbbells.
But something that is going to challenge you and help you build muscle.
Each pound of muscle equals 50 to 150 more calories burned each day.”
That’s something we can get behind.
Your weight-loss goal isn’t realistic
Your perceived plateau may be your body’s preferred weight.
Bodies don’t like to be out of balance.
Body temp likes to be at 98.6 degrees.
The pH of blood hangs out at 7.35-7.45a pretty tight range.
Before you get depressed, don’t worry, you’re free to change your set point.
The obesity epidemic is proof that food, exercise and environment can override biology.
you’re free to lower your set point with slow and steady weight loss.
Then work to maintain that loss for six months before starting to lose another 10%.
Remember that it’s normal for people’s weights to change throughout their lives.
Cortisol, the “stress hormone,” rises in times of trouble.
But it’s supposed to come back down.
Chronically high cortisol levels halt fat burning and may increasebelly fatstorage.
And be patient with your weight loss.
Slow and steady wins the weight-loss race.
Bottom Line
Weight-loss plateaus are frustrating but fixable.
If the scale is stuck, start tracking food again, assess your stress and pick up some weights.
Review your weight-loss goal and determine if it’s realistic for your lifestyle.
And don’t forget to pat yourself on the back for the weight you have lost.
Sustainable weight loss is a journey, so don’t be too hard on yourself and enjoy the process!
