It’s hard to understand why for weeks pounds of weight are coming off and then all of sudden nothing. Hitting a weight loss plateau is completely normal and it eventually happens to everyone trying to lose weight. The progression from initial weight loss to a weight-loss plateau follows a typical pattern. During the first few weeks of losing weight, a rapid drop in pounds is normal. When calories from food are reduced, the body gets needed energy by releasing its stores of glycogen, a type of carbohydrate found in the muscles and liver. Glycogen holds onto water, so when glycogen is burned for energy, it also releases the water — about 4 grams of water for every gram of glycogen — resulting in substantial weight loss that’s mostly water.
According to the Mayo Clinic a plateau occurs because your metabolism slows as you lose lean tissue (muscle). When you lose weight, you lose both fat and lean tissue. Your weight-loss efforts result in a new equilibrium with your now slower metabolism. This means that in order to lose more weight, you need to increase activity or decrease the calories you eat. Using the same approach that worked initially will maintain your weight loss, but it won’t lead to more weight loss.
There are several things you can do to overcome the plateau:
- Take a Look Back – Look back at your Food and Exercise journal, make sure you have been progressing with your exercise like you should and that you haven’t started eating larger portions of food or snacking when you should not be.
- Reduce Calories – Reduce your caloric intake by a couple hundred calories. Just make sure that does not put you below 1200 calories.
- Intensify Your Workout - Increase the amount of time and intensity of your workout.
- Add More Physical Activity – Be more aware of your physical activity throughout the day and try to find more ways to work more activity into your day.
Hopefully these simple tips will help you move beyond your weight-loss plateau and continue on the road to your desired weight.
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