Weight loss is a journey, not a sprint. Unfortunately, it’s common for weight loss journeys to include plateaus, especially you’re losing a significant amount of weight. Don’t worry though, this is normal and proof you’re on the right path! Check out our tips for how to break through a weight loss plateau.
The most important thing is to not quit! While weight loss plateaus are frustrating and can leave you feeling discouraged, don’t undo all your weight loss efforts by giving up. Grab your phone or a piece of paper and write a list of weight loss successes you’ve achieved so far (can include both scale and non-scale victories):
- Have you dropped sizes in clothing or are your clothes fitting better?
- Are you happier with how you look in the mirror and in photos?
- Are you sleeping better?
- Has your self-esteem improved?
- Is your energy level higher?
Instead of using your weight loss plateau as excuse to forgo your workout or binge through the pantry because “it doesn’t matter, I’m not losing anyway,” focus on how far you have come since starting your weight loss journey and look into your nutrition and activity.
When Hitting a Weight Loss Plateau, Ask Yourself:
- Am I snacking too much in the evening, and adding more calories than I think?
- Am I eating too many processed foods with hidden calories?
- Am I eating enough protein? Fiber?
- Am I paying attention to serving sizes?
- Am I drinking enough water? Sometimes, we think we’re hungry, but really, we’re just thirsty!
- Am I drinking too many sugary or alcoholic beverages?
Action Steps:
Start food journal. Did you begin your weight loss journey closely monitoring your food intake but have since been more lax? Maybe your portions have been steadily increasing or you’re consuming more liquid calories than you thought. By documenting your daily food intake, you can see what is going into your body and how much, and then decide what changes need to be made.
Weigh yourself daily. The scale can be your friend, we’re serious! Use it as your guide to show you what foods are helping your weight loss efforts and which ones are hindering it. By weighing yourself every day, you’ll be able to quickly see any trends that might be occurring and find your weight loss plateau solution faster than if you weigh yourself weekly or even less.
Switch up your activity. Whether you’re engaging in high or low impact workouts, your body gets used to that specific workout if you do it consistently enough, losing the effectiveness it once had. Maybe it’s adding weights, increasing your cardio, or incorporating stretching with yoga and pilates. There’s a wide variety of workouts available online (and many for free), so you never get bored (and neither does your weight loss)!
Research. Weight loss is not one-size-fits-all, and what works for someone else, may not work for you. Take some time to look into different nutrition programs (including intermittent fasting) and workout regimens that are not only effective for your weight loss, but realistic for your lifestyle as well!
Now that you’ve read through our tips for how to break through a weight loss plateau, here’s another tip that will help keep you motivated throughout your weight loss journey: a HealthyWager. It’s the individual weight loss challenge customized to you! You pick your weight loss goal, the timeframe you want to lose it in, and prize (up to $10,000)! Ready to get started? Enter your information in the HealthyWage Prize Calculator to find out how much you can win!
