Breaking Through Weight Loss Plateaus

BREAKING THROUGH WEIGHT LOSS PLATEAUS

Adapted from the Calorie King website: www.calorieking.com

(This is a common problem and it leads a lot of people to get discouraged and give up: I found this nice summary of things you can do to critically look at things that might be occurring, which you can correct. Calorie amnesia is the most common thing I run into. )

1. Stop calorie amnesia

If you've hit a weight-loss plateau, now is a good time to take a close look at the way you've been eating lately. Maybe you just need to get back to basics:

• Use a food diary every day. Be honest in your diary and record everything that you eat and drink. Don't leave out a handful of chocolate or a piece of cheese you picked at while making dinner - every morsel counts.

• Are you getting too many calories? Consuming too many calories can make you gain weight or hit a plateau. Your food diary can help you spot overindulgences, such as those two "innocent” lattes that could be adding over 350 calories to your daily intake.

• Are you getting enough good calories? While overeating is not good for weight loss, neither is eating too little. Eating too few calories every day can trigger your body to start storing everything you do eat. It's a natural defence mechanism designed to stop you from starving in times of low food availability.

• Are you consuming a lot of salt? High sodium levels can cause you to retain fluids and feel bloated. As well as making you feel uncomfortable, fluid retention can also show up on the scales. Use your food diary to identify foods high in salt that you eat regularly and avoid adding extra salt to your food.

• Measure and weigh. If you've been sizing up portions by eye, start measuring and weighing your foods accurately. It's easy to underestimate how much you're really consuming.

2. Boost your metabolism

A sluggish metabolism can mean slow weight loss. Speeding up your metabolism is one way to burn those waist-expanding calories faster. Although genetics plays a part in determining your metabolism, you can give yours a kick-start by changing the way you eat. If you're usually a "three meals a day” kind of person, try Boris' recommendation of eating four to five small meals and/or snacks per day instead.

"Eating regularly keeps your metabolism fired up and helps to stabilize your blood sugar throughout the day,"

Keeping your blood sugar levels stable also means that you're less likely to suffer those diet-wrecking sugar cravings! And keeping on track with your healthy eating is good news for beating your plateau! Of course, four to five meals per day doesn't mean eating four or five times the amount of food. You still need to stick within the same calorie limits, but replace those super-sized, snooze-inducing main meals with a series of smaller dishes.

3. Protein packs a punch

If hunger pangs are constantly gnawing at your insides, it can be very hard to stick to your planned healthy meals. And if you're not making good food choices, a plateau can be hard to overcome.

Letting yourself get hungry is like dangling a piece of raw meat in front of a grizzly - downright dangerous! Hunger can make your willpower disappear quickly, which makes a plateau difficult to beat.

Boris suggests combating hunger by including a larger serving of protein in your meals, such as lean meat, skinless chicken, fish, legumes or tofu. Protein works wonders to fill you up - and keeps you feeling full for longer.

Including protein in your snacks is also wise. For a filling snack, try low-fat yogurt, low-fat cheese or cottage cheese, a small can of tuna (water-packed), or a fruit smoothie made with low-fat milk and your choice of fresh fruit. Don't forget to balance out your meals with healthy fats, and plenty of fruits and vegetables.

4. How's your exercise routine?

Boring? If you do the same exercise day-in, day-out, it's easy to get bored. Disinterest in exercise can easily cause your weight to plateau. On the other hand, mixing up your exercise activities can really get your weight moving again.

Changing your exercise routine can be as simple as trying something new. How about working out with the help of a personal trainer for a month? Or swap one of your usual walking sessions for a yoga class.

You can also boost your exercise by picking up your pace, exercising longer, or by doing more exercise sessions each week. The idea is to surprise your body by varying your routine regularly. Trying new things will also give you something to look forward to and help you break through your plateau.

5. Hydrate your body

Water is very important for keeping your body healthy. It also plays a role in weight loss.
If you often feel bloated and retain fluids, as well as feel uncomfortable, you'll know that this can also register on the scales. Luckily there's a simple solution - drink more water! It may seem strange, but drinking lots of water actually helps to flush water from your body and stops you from retaining fluids.

Water is also a great "hunger buster”. Often feelings of thirst can be mistaken for hunger pangs. Next time you're feeling hungry, try drinking a large glass of water. If you're still hungry in ten minutes, then go ahead and eat. However, you might find that you were really just thirsty after all. Now that's an easy way to save yourself hundreds of unneeded calories!

Drinking a glass of water before eating has also been found to reduce the amount of calories consumed during a meal. So up your water intake to Boris' recommendation of at least 6 or more 8 oz glasses of water per day and you'll be kicking that weight plateau in no time.

6. Measure up

Even when the scale is stuck on the same number for weeks, it doesn't always mean that you're not getting anywhere. When you hit a scale-weight plateau, it's a good time to take your body measurements and use them to track your progress as well. Body measurements are good indicators of how your body shape is changing, which, after all, is where most of us would like to see a difference.

So instead of obsessing over the scale, think about how you feel. Do your clothes fit better? Are you feeling healthier or more energetic? Are you finding everyday tasks easier to manage? Considering the big picture can help you stay positive and remind you that a plateau on the scale doesn't necessarily mean a plateau overall.

Losing weight is about being healthier and feeling good about yourself, so don't give up on your goals if the scales get stuck for a while. Stay focused, keep positive, and try some of our tips to give yourself the kick-start you need to get your weight loss moving again.

Don't ever give up. Just keep on searching for answers and solutions. You can do it.

Dr. Doug