Achieving a healthy weight is a journey, and like any journey, it can have its challenges. A weight loss plateau, where your weight stops decreasing despite sticking to your diet and exercise routine, is a common and frustrating experience. While weight tends to come off fairly rapidly at first, at some point, it can seem as though your weight won’t budge. It's a signal to reassess, refine your approach, and often simply wait. It's one of the most common (and frustrating) parts of losing weight. The inability to lose more weight after initially successful quick weight loss is known as a weight loss plateau or stall, which can be frustrating and discouraging. Don't get discouraged. It's typical for weight loss to slow and even stall. Being stuck at a weight-loss plateau eventually happens to everyone who tries to lose weight.
It is important to understand that this happens to just about everyone at some point during their weight loss journey. It is your body’s way of adapting to your new way of living - burning fewer calories as you shed weight. Plateaus may last between 2-12 weeks, though it varies. If you encounter a plateau along your healthy weight journey, keep in mind that it's a totally normal part of the path. Your body has gotten used to what you've been doing, so it's time to incorporate something new. This article explores the reasons behind weight loss plateaus and provides evidence-based strategies to help you overcome them and continue progressing toward your goals.
Understanding Weight Loss Plateaus
Weight loss plateaus happen because our bodies are naturally a bit wary of losing too much weight. Long, long ago, a loss of weight for our hunter-gatherer ancestors could be deadly. Our bodies want to be at an equilibrium as much as possible, not losing or not gaining too much. Weight loss plateaus are complex and determined by physiologic, genetic, environmental, and psychological factors. From an evolutionary perspective, stored fat is a protective reserve against periods of food scarcity, and the body resists attempts at significant weight reduction.
If we consider the calories-in-calories-out model of weight loss, you lose weight when you burn more calories than you consume. At the beginning, the weight comes off quicker due to consuming fewer calories. With less energy sources available, your body must find its energy somewhere else. Glycogen is a water-heavy molecule, so when you burn glycogen, you also lose a lot of water. Losing water can lead to dramatic drops in weight. Glycogen-or the stored sugars we discussed in the previous section-is stored in your liver and muscle, as well as body fat. And, when you burn more calories than you consume, your body turns to your glycogen stores and you begin to lose water weight. After your body has used up the energy you’ve supplied it with in the day, it will begin burning the glycogen stores in your muscles and liver first. After a few days of this, your metabolism can begin to slow. Your metabolism may slow in order to save energy, but a loss in muscle mass can also slow down your metabolic rate.
Adaptive thermogenesis is the primary physiological adaptation that contributes to weight loss plateaus, slowing or halting weight loss as the body's REE decreases to match the lower caloric intake. In part, this is because when you initially cut calories, the body gets needed energy by releasing its stores of glycogen. Glycogen is partly made of water. So when glycogen is burned for energy, it releases water, resulting in weight loss that's mostly water. As you lose weight, you lose some muscle along with fat. Muscle helps keep up the rate at which you burn calories (metabolism). Your slower metabolism will slow your weight loss, even if you eat the same number of calories that helped you lose weight. Weight loss causes loss of adipose tissue and lean mass, and the resulting smaller body mass burns fewer calories during NEAT, further contributing to the plateau.
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Several hormones are critical in regulating energy expenditure and hunger during weight loss. Leptin, produced by adipocytes, promotes satiety and increases energy expenditure. It circulates roughly in proportion to fat stores, signaling to the brain about the body's level of adiposity compared to baseline. Leptin levels decrease during weight loss due to reduced fat mass, while pre-existing leptin receptor resistance developed in response to longtime, obesity-associated elevated leptin levels may persist. These promote more food consumption and less energy expenditure. Ghrelin, known as the "hunger hormone," stimulates appetite.
Strategies to Break Through the Plateau
If you feel like your weight loss has reached a plateau, giving up is not the solution! By continuing your efforts, you can not only preserve your progress so far but also work hard to overcome this plateau to continue progress. Here are several evidence-based strategies to help you reignite your weight loss:
1. Reassess and Track Your Intake
Research suggests people have a tendency to underestimate the amount of food they eat. That’s why tracking your calories and macronutrients - protein, fat, and carbs - can provide concrete information about how much you’re taking in. When people start a diet or improve their nutrition, they tend to be vigilant in their eating habits. In other words, “cheat meals” can turn into “cheat days or months.” To avoid this, Dr. “There are multiple free or low-cost apps, such as MyFitnessPal, LoseIt, Chronometer and others to help you track everything you put into your mouth. This process helps you stay mindful of how much you are eating.
Look back at your food and activity records. Make sure you haven't loosened the rules. For example, look at whether you've been having larger portions, eating more processed foods or getting less exercise. Even intermittent lack of adherence to dietary prescriptions can cause weight fluctuations and a plateau. Patients might not be aware that they have gradually begun eating more than they did previously. You do not necessarily need to know the calorie content of every single ingredient you include in your meal, but attempting to record calories and nutritional data can help you better understand your eating habits. Pen and paper work, though there are plenty of mobile meal tracking applications should you prefer to stay digital.
2. Adjust Macronutrient Ratios
- Cut back on carbs: There is some evidence that eating a low carb diet may help reduce hunger. This may lead you to subconsciously eat less, making it easier to begin losing weight again without hunger or discomfort.
- Don’t skimp on protein: If your weight loss has stalled, increasing your protein intake may help. Protein boosts metabolic rate more than fat or carbs. This has to do with the thermic effect of food (TEF) or an increase in metabolism that occurs due to the digestion of food. Protein digestion boosts calorie burning by 20-30%, which is more than twice as much as fat or carbs. Second, protein stimulates the production of hormones that help reduce appetite and make you feel full and satisfied. Helpful dietary changes include a protein intake of 1.2 to 1.5 g/kg/day to preserve lean mass and promote satiety. Maintaining muscle is important because muscle burns more calories, even at rest, than fatty tissue.
3. Modify Your Exercise Routine
As weight declines, the progressive reduction in metabolic rate can make continued weight loss difficult. If you are trying to overcome a plateau in weight loss, you will either have to cut your calories, increase your metabolic rate, or incorporate some combination of both. One of the best ways to burn more calories is by increasing the intensity and frequency of your workouts. You may want to start by spending a little more time at the gym every day. You can also burn more calories by increasing the intensity of your workouts. More intense exercise can increase your heart rate, burn more calories and help you lose weight.
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- Increase exercise frequency or intensity: If you’re already exercising, working out an extra 1-2 days per week or increasing the intensity of your workouts may help boost your metabolic rate. For example, instead of a 30-min walk on the treadmill you may want to start doing intervals of walking and jogging intermittently within the same time frame.
- Incorporate Strength Training: Consider adding strength training to your routine. Strength training (or weightlifting) is a great way for you to increase your metabolic rate to help burn more calories. Research has shown that strength training can help you lose weight, but it is important for you to do so safely.
- Pack more activity into your day: Think outside the gym. Increase your general physical activity throughout the day. For example, walk more and use your car less, do more yardwork, or do vigorous spring cleaning.
4. Prioritize Sleep and Manage Stress
Poor sleep habits can also contribute to plateaus, as can inadequate nutrition and increased alcohol intake. Sleep is extremely important for good mental, emotional, and physical health. It’s also becoming clear that not getting enough sleep can lead to weight gain by lowering your metabolic rate and altering hormone levels to drive appetite and fat storage. To support weight loss and overall health, aim for 7-8 hours of sleep per night.
Stress can often put the brakes on weight loss. In addition to promoting comfort eating and triggering food cravings, it also increases your body’s production of cortisol. Cortisol is known as the “stress hormone.” While it helps your body respond to stress, it can also increase belly fat storage. Producing too much cortisol can make weight loss difficult, but research has shown that learning to manage stress can help promote weight loss. A comprehensive stress management strategy can help you support overcoming a weight loss plateau.
- Get a change of scenery. A vacation can be the ultimate stress reducer, but it’s not always an option.
- Try meditating.
- Consider reaching out to a mental health professional. Talk to your doctor if you are interested in getting a referral to a therapist.
5. Mindful Eating Habits
- Eat more fiber: Including more fiber in your diet may help you break through a weight loss plateau. This is especially true for soluble fiber, the type that dissolves in water or liquid. To begin with, soluble fiber slows the movement of food through your digestive tract, which can help you feel full and satisfied. Another way that fiber may aid weight loss is by decreasing the number of calories you absorb from other foods.
- Eat vegetables at every meal: Vegetables are the ideal food for weight loss. Most vegetables are low in calories and carbs, high in fiber, and loaded with beneficial nutrients. In fact, research has found that diets that include lots of vegetables tend to produce the greatest weight loss.
- Drink water, coffee, or tea: While sugary beverages lead to weight gain, some beverages may help reverse a weight loss stall. Research has found that plain water can boost metabolism, which may translate into weight loss over time, especially in those who consume water before meals, which may help reduce food intake. Coffee and tea may also help your weight loss efforts. Green tea, in particular, contains an antioxidant known as EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) that may promote weight loss. Moreover, research suggests that consuming caffeinated beverages can significantly enhance the metabolism-boosting and fat-burning effects of exercise.
- Avoid alcohol: Although one alcoholic drink contains only around 100 calories, it provides no nutritional value. In addition, you may have more than one drink at a sitting. Another problem is that alcohol loosens inhibitions, which may lead you to overeat or make poor food choices. What’s more, research has shown that alcohol can suppress fat burning and may lead to belly fat accumulation. Alcoholic drinks have empty calories and lack any beneficial nutrition. If your weight loss has stalled, it may be best to avoid alcohol or only consume it occasionally in small amounts.
6. Consider Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting has become very popular recently. It involves going for long periods of time without eating, typically between 16-48 hours. The practice has been credited with promoting the loss of body fat and weight, though additional research may be needed to verify this.
7. Don't Solely Rely on the Scale
Scale reading may not always accurately reflect your progress, such as changes in your body composition. Rather than weight loss, your goal is actually fat loss. If you’re working out regularly, you may be building muscle, which is denser than fat and takes up less room in your body. So if the scale weight isn’t moving, you could be building muscle and losing fat, yet maintaining a stable weight. In addition, you may retain water for a number of reasons, including your dietary choices.
Additional Considerations
- Medical Evaluation: If you find that you are struggling to break through a plateau and lose weight despite increased exercise and healthier eating, then you may want to speak to your doctor about alternative solutions. For those who have obesity or are overweight with at least one weight-related medical condition, certain prescription weight loss medications can be effective in combating emotional eating. If you’ve plateaued for more than 4-6 weeks despite smart adjustments, talk to a care provider. Conditions like thyroid dysfunction, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), or medication side effects may require medical attention.
- Professional Guidance: A dietitian can help you refine your nutritional plan in a healthy way, without risking making changes that are drastic. If you find that you are struggling on your own healthy weight journey, programs can help patients achieve a healthy lifestyle through a variety of evidence-based research methods.
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