Breaking Through
A Weight Loss Plateau presented by the Salem Evening News
If you have ever felt frustrated by a stubborn scale in spite of your efforts to shed extra pounds, you're not alone. Many people who begin a weight loss regimen may see impressive results at first, only to experience a weight loss plateau after a few weeks.
If you feel like your rate of weight loss has slowed despite your sticking to your plan, take a closer look at your eating and exercise routine. The following list may help you to pinpoint where you are a star, and where you may be falling short in your efforts.
- Keep a food diary. Write down everything you eat and drink for one week. Be sure to note what the food was, how much you ate, where you ate, and your level of hunger (on a scale of 1-10). Look for extra snacks, "tiny tastes", and larger than usual portions to see if you may be eating more calories than you think.
Remember that one pound of fat equals 3500 calories. In order to lose weight, you have to make sure that you are burning more calories than you are consuming; put more simply, "calories in" should be less than "calories out". Roughly one pound per week is considered a safe rate of weight loss, as this will promote fat loss rather than water or lean muscle tissue. In order to lose weight, you need to create a caloric deficit of about 500 calories per day. Ideally, you should do this through a combination exercise (about 250 calories) and eating less (about 250 calories).
Use your food diary to ask yourself questions such as "How much food do I actually eat? How often do I eat when I am not hungry? What is my mood when I eat? If you find that you are eating when you are not hungry, or in response to emotions (such as anxiety, boredom or stress), then this may be an area to work on in your eating habits.
- Don't skip meals. Many dieters sabotage their efforts by thinking that if they "save calories" in the morning they will get a jump start on weight loss. That thinking couldn't be farther from the truth. Research shows that breakfast eaters tend to be thinner and have a lower disease risk than those who shun the first meal of the day. Skipping breakfast can set you up to ravenous later on, and you will be much less likely to reach for healthy choices if you are reeling from hunger.
For a winning breakfast, try to have something that's high in whole grains, moderate in protein and low in fat, such as a piece of whole grain toast with a tablespoon of peanut butter and a glass of skim milk, or a lowfat yogurt sprinkled with granola and fresh fruit. For those non-conventional risers, a bowl of noodle soup or a turkey pita are also winning starts.
- Check your exercise plan. What's your exercise strategy? A combination of strength training and cardio is the best way to burn calories and boost metabolic rate. Strength training exercise such as weight lifting has been shown to increase lean muscle tissue, which is a great way to keep your metabolism humming as you age.
If you haven't changed your routine in awhile (say, you've been walking about 30 minutes per for 5 years), then it may well be that your body has gotten "used" to using those muscles in that way; try to vary your routine to use other muscles. See the American College of Sports Medicine website for specific recommendations regarding exercise, and always check with your physician before starting any exercise program). - What's your body comp? The scale can be misleading when it comes to weight, because muscle weighs more than fat. So while you many not see any change in the scale, you are still losing fat and building muscle. The good news, though, is that muscle is a much leaner tissue than fat, so that you will still lose inches, you just won't see a dip in the scale. If you belong to a gym, have a fitness professional check your body fat percentage for you, or try to attend a local health fair where they are offering this service.
- Do you really need to lose? If all that stands between you and eternal happiness is "those last 5 pounds", then you may need to reevaluate. From a health standpoint, a difference of 5 pounds or so off of your target weight probably isn't going to make a whole lot of difference. What are your genetics like? Look at your siblings and blood relatives to see what sort of genes you may have. Consider what's the lowest weight you've been able to comfortably maintain, and also consider what's a realistic weight for you at this point. Even if you have managed to drop that last five pounds, but feel cranky and hungry when you get there, it may well be that your body feels better at a slightly higher weight than you would like.
Overcome Your Weight Loss Plateau
From About.com on Weight Loss
Have you hit one yet? That plateau where the scale just seems to be stuck at the same number for weeks at a time? If you're there, don't panic... it's only a temporary situation. Sometimes our bodies may get in a sort of "rut" and doing the same old, same old just seems to stop working. Don't let this situation stop you dead in your tracks. Now is not the time to give up! Here are a few tips we have found helpful in breaking through our weight loss plateaus:
- Eat something "bad". Sheri is on the Weight Watchers 1-2-3 plan, and although she has had a good deal of success, the last month or so was really tough for her. She says she was losing only a half a pound a week -- if anything -- instead of her usual pound or two. When she spoke to her Weight Watchers leader, they discovered Sheri was going just under her Points range some days. What did Sheri do? She headed to the nearest Burger King! Sheri swears by eating a hamburger once a week to stay on track. "The weight started coming off again, just like it did in the beginning. I guess the burger gives my metabolism a little boost. I can't believe I eat a Whopper on Weight Watchers!"
- Be honest... are you cheating? Sometimes if we don't monitor our eating habits very closely, we fall back into old habits without giving them a second thought. Are you falling into the mindless eating trap? Are you stressed and responding to it by eating? Have you stopped paying attention to portion sizes? Are you writing down absolutely everything -- even sodas or candy from your co-worker's candy dish -- in your food diary? Even if you don't normally keep a food diary, track what you eat for a minimum of three days. Do you see any patterns -- certain times of the day, certain foods, eating with certain people? Doing a little extra stringent self-monitoring may point out some areas that need improvement.
- But don't be too hard on yourself! On the other hand, you need to make sure you're not depriving yourself and then setting yourself up for a binge. Sometimes we "make up for" not eating our favorite foods for days or weeks at a time by overindulging when we finally do say yes to our craving... which certainly sets us up for a stumbling block. Instead, let moderation guide you. If you allow yourself small portions of your favorite foods -- even if they're not diet-friendly -- or better yet, if you can find reduced fat versions of them, indulge! If not, you may give into cravings without giving them a second thought simply because you feel you've missed out on your favorites for so long.
- Pump some iron. Marci wrote me to say that she experienced a weight loss triumph when she began lifting weights. "I had been at the same weight for nearly six weeks! I was doing everything on my diet by the book and walking my 30 minutes a day, but it just stopped working! I was ready to give up." But Marci didn't give up. Instead, she high-tailed it to the nearest sporting goods shop and purchased a set of dumb bells. She started out small, just doing curls with three pound hand weights, but she soon worked up to using ankle weights for leg exercises and she eventually increased the weight of her dumb bells. "It wasn't magic, but I did start seeing changes. At first I just saw some toning, which was great, but I really wanted to see the scale move. In about three weeks I broke through and lost six more pounds!" If you consider using weights, be sure to okay it with your doctor if you have any orthopedic or muscular-skeletal conditions.
Weight Loss Plateau Effect
From annecollins.com
Q. How to Overcome a Weight Loss Plateau?
The weight loss plateau occurs because your body thinks there is a famine and has slowed down your metabolism in order to conserve calories.
This usually occurs within about a month of starting a weight loss diet, and may reoccur periodically thereafter.
What's the solution to the weight loss plateau?
SPEED UP your metabolism.
How?
By increasing your activity level.
Boosting your activity level will boost your metabolism and re-start weight loss.
For example, if you exercise for 20 minutes each day, increase this to 25-30 minutes each day, and weight loss should return to normal.
Calorie Intake & Eating Habits
As well as increasing your activity, please check your calorie intake is adequate. Many dieters fail to eat enough. This alone can trigger the weight loss plateau effect. Also, do not go too long without eating. This is not good for your metabolism/metabolic rate. For a woman, 3 hours without food is a reasonable maximum. And always eat breakfast!
Why Does Weight Loss Suddenly Stop?
A weight loss plateau usually occurs within about a month of starting a reduced-calorie diet, and may reoccur from time to time thereafter. During such a plateau, weight reduction stops completely or slows down to almost nothing.
Why Does a Weight Loss Plateau Occur?A plateau may occur because (1) your body simply wants a "rest" to cope with your calorie-reduction; or (2) your calorie-intake is in balance with your calorie expenditure; or (3) you have reduced your calorie-intake too low. If your calorie-intake is too low, your body thinks there is a "famine" and slows down your metabolism (how fast you burn calories) in order to conserve calories.
Is it a Plateau, or Are You Cheating?
No matter how much exercise you do, how strict your diet is, or how many diet pills you swallow, sooner or later you'll hit a weight loss plateau.
Sometimes, what you think is a weight loss plateau is simply a normal fluctuation in weight from day to day. This is especially true for women, where premenstrual bloating can add a couple of pounds.
People often find that their motivation for staying with a diet can fade, and they gradually begin to deviate from the plan. After all, what's an extra cookie now and then? Unfortunately, the fact that many snack foods are so calorie-dense means they can easily bring weight loss to a grinding halt.
One small chocolate-chip cookie, for example, contains around 55 calories. After just four of them, you'll have eaten enough to replace the calories burned during 45 minutes of brisk uphill walking on the treadmill [1]. Slowly but surely, an extra cookie now and then becomes a pack or two every week.
Many times, it's the extra calories eaten during these unplanned snacks — rather than any problem with your metabolism or the diet you're using — that's responsible for the weight loss plateau.
Dealing with Weight Loss Plateau
From mydietbuddy.com
QUESTION & ANSWER
Why Can't I Lose More Weight?
About three years ago I lost over 100 lbs by reducing my caloric intake to 1500-1800 per day and exercising for 1 hour everyday. The weight seem to just roll off of me.
I was within 35 lbs of my idea weight and hit a plateau. I stayed there for over a year. I tried everything imaginable. I varied my workout types & times. I tried different food but nothing worked. I stayed at that weight for over a year.
Then I started gaining weight at a fast pace. 10 lbs in one week 5 lbs the next. My weight just seem to skyrocket until I had gained about 50 lbs in four months. By the time I had gained 40 I quit trying as hard to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
I sought my doctor's help. He had no answers and didn't think it was a problem. He attributed it to hereditary and lifestyle (I am a law student and work full time). I tried to tell him I was doing everything I did before but he didn't seem concerned about it.
I changed Doctor and he ran a blood profile on me which revealed nothing. Thyroid ok/blood sugar ok etc.
Now, I am back to exercising everyday and eating healthier but I have not lost a single pound. I have tried to eat every three hours (usually fruit)/ protein diet etc.
I am very leery of the herbal/diet pills but nothing seems to work. Any suggestions would be helpful.
HELP
DEAR HELP,
Weight loss can be tricky because of the problem you just described. We can become victims of our own success. When you are able to lower your calorie intake on a consistent basis and lose weight, you will most likely reach a plateau. Plateau can be dangerous because it's easy to become discourage and eat more. This results in weight gain.
We get a lot of email from people describing similar problems. You are not a DIET FAILURE. Anyone who loses a significant amount of weight will run into this problem.
Our body will plateau when calories are restricted because the metabolism begins to slow down to match the calorie intake. Restricting calories is the proper way weight loss method but it does have a "double edge sword." Your metabolism may slow down in the process.
When you hit a plateau and notice the weight is not coming off, it's easy to become psychologically demoralized. Most people are not aware that this is taking place. They begin to question their diet, hard work and sacrifice.
Soon you begin to eat more than your normal diet. You may not be aware of your discouragement but it's there! To make matters worse, it does not take as much food to gain weight because your metabolism has lowered from the dieting.
Weight gain comes easy when you combine the discouragement from no additional weight loss and eating more food to compensate for the hurt.
Restricting calories is the proper way to lose weight but it does have a "double edge sword" because the metabolism slows down in the process. If your weight loss suddenly stops after successfully losing weight for several months, then you have reached a plateau.
Many people upon reaching a plateau become discouraged, give up, and gain the weight back; not realizing that this phenomenon is a natural part of the weight loss process and that their total calorie consumption should actually be increased.
Here are 2 tips to combat plateau:
1. Once weight loss has come to a stop, don't focus on the scale. Weigh yourself every few weeks and concentrate on healthy eating. Keep your calories the same.
2. After reaching a plateau, If you have not loss weight for several more weeks, then slowly increase calories by 100 - 200 for the first two weeks.
Then increase calories by another 100 - 300 calories for the next two weeks. The reason for gradually increasing calories is to slowly increase your metabolism without gaining weight. By slowly returning to your pre diet calorie consumption, you stay in control of eating habits. Once you lose control of your eating habits, it's all over! You'll never lose weight and keep it off.
Taking a break from a restricted calorie diet while maintaining normal calories for your weight will raise your metabolism and give you more freedom over the amount and types of foods you can eat. After several more weeks or months (when you're ready), reduce by 500 to 600 calories. The weight will gradually fall off again.
As you can see from the above articles, Weight Loss Plateau is common with losing weight. This is especially so, if you are trying to loss excessive weight and if you are trying to lose it quickly. This is why we emphasize to not try to lose more than 1-2lbs a week. Does it really matter that it may take a year to lose all your weight, if you lose it permanently?
Also remember, the whole-person approach to weight loss? You are not to focus heavily on weighing yourself, obsessing about calorie intake, looking in the mirror all the time, etc. Not losing weight for the moment? Take time working on your relational, spiritual, intellectual, and emotional self.
For some of you, you may need to lose weight quicker because of health conditions. Or maybe you have metabolism issues because of thyroid conditions or very slow metabolism because of an eating disorder. If this is the case, you might consider the following items. Check with your physician prior to using these items.
Thin for Life Metabolic Management Pack
Pack contains:
1 Large, dark brown Flax Seed Oil softgel
1 White, speckled Fatty Acid capsule
2 Light tan Herbal Blend capsules
2 Dark brown Conjugated Linoleic Acid softgels
2 Brown Vitamin B Complex capsules
Metabolic Management is essential minerals, vitamins, herbs and other nutrients designed to support a healthy weight management program. This product provides additional support for slow and stubborn metabolism.
Do you know that you have been 'cheating' on your diet by eating unhealthy snacks? If so, replace those unhealthy snacks with something nutritious and good tasting.
Thin for Life Gluco-Support Bar
Optimal Nutrition Wholefood Bar
A 40-30-30 optimal nutrition bar completely fortified for balancing blood sugar and increasing energy. Supports lean body mass maintenance and complete B complex vitamins. A low glycemic snack.
These bars are excellent for keeping blood sugar optimized whether you have hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). Because there is no refined sugar, balanced with protein and healthy fats you can expect to experience a sustained energy level.
