An old phrase goes, “stuck in a rut,” commonly used when a person experiences the feeling of being unable to move forward a step or a certain point.
Many have been in that situation before, and it never brings good feelings.
Unfortunately, it might also happen if you’re trying to lose weight, and it’s called plateauing.
Plateauing while being in the process of weight loss is a common occurrence.
However, it’s incredibly frustrating, especially for people who have to lose more weight than others.
There are many reasons why it happens, including eating too few calories or too many calories, slower metabolism due to weight loss, and loss of lean body mass.
Fortunately, those issues all have solutions to help address them to continue with the weight loss process.
So here are the things to do to overcome a weight loss plateau.
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Switch up your exercise routine
Undergoing the process of weight loss involves changing your behavior to trim down weight.
When your behavior changes, your body also adapts to it.
That means you’re plateauing because your body has managed to adapt to your exercise habits.
Doing the same workout routine for months eventually makes your body more efficient at completing your activities.
When that happens, you won’t burn as many calories as you want.
To address that situation, you must change your exercise routine.
Change the intensity, duration, frequency, and mode of exercise so that your body won’t have time to adapt to your exercise routine.
Keep in mind to take it slow when doing it to avoid injuries or straining yourself.
Track your caloric intake and adjust accordingly
Weight loss plateau also happens because of either taking fewer or many calories than you should.
Thus, you have to keep track of your calorie intake and ensure that you’re consuming the right amount to help you burn calories.
If you undergo a medical weight loss program in Kansas City or wherever you reside, the facility doctors will aid you in tracking your intake.
You can also opt for a calorie tracking app on your smartphone for convenience.
There’s also the alternative of writing down what you eat regularly in a journal.
This also serves as a way to monitor your eating habits, to help you be conscious and practice eating healthier.
Engage in strength training
You may find yourself losing some muscle when losing weight loss.
It’s not an uncommon occurrence, but it is a cause for concern because you need muscles to burn fat.
So, you have to focus on gaining muscle simultaneously as you lose weight.
You can do that by doing strength training.
You can lift weights and do push-ups at least twice a week. One of the most important things a person can do is to buy a rowing machine.
A rowing machine will not only help you lose weight, but it will also help you build muscle and become healthier as a result.
Furthermore, you don’t have to lift heavy weights; you can start with light weights, then gradually increase as you go on.
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Ensure your diet creates a safe calorie deficit
Another cause of muscle loss is not having enough nourishment when working out.
That’s why you need to ensure that you’re diet creates a safe calorie deficit.
Know that lean body mass requires five times as many calories as fat mass for muscles to help burn body fat.
Creating a safe calorie deficit means consuming fewer calories than you burn.
To achieve that, you must watch your calorie intake to have the nourishment you need to burn calories.
Having less will lead to a drop in your metabolism, which causes weight loss to plateau.
Consult your doctor
If you determine that you’re consuming enough calories and have changed your workout routine, and yet the weighing scale isn’t moving, then you should consult your doctor.
You may be experiencing something you don’t know that affects your body’s calorie-burning capability.
The best way to go is to get yourself checked by your doctor to determine the root of your weight loss plateau problem.
It could be that you’re undergoing hormonal changes, or you’re just exhausted.
Both are just some of the medical causes that can stall weight loss, and your doctor can help you address them.
Wrapping up
Overcoming a weight loss plateau is about making adjustments.
Do things differently, or do things you’ve never done before to free yourself from getting stuck during your weight loss journey.
Then, once you’ve made the necessary changes, stay consistent until you’ve reached your weight loss goals.
Hi, I’m the Founder and Developer of Paramedics World, a blog truly devoted to Paramedics. I am a Medical Lab Tech, a Web Developer and Bibliophiliac. My greatest hobby is to teach and motivate other peoples to do whatever they wanna do in life.