Most of us deserve a pat on the back when we see the number on the scale go down after a few weeks of healthy eating and an active lifestyle. But sometimes, no matter how hard we try, the scale just won’t budge. If this sounds like your story, don’t worry just yet; read on to learn about how plateau busters can help you overcome those weight loss plateaus.
1. Unpacking the Weight Loss Plateau
Reaching a weight loss plateau is a normal part of any healthy and sustainable weight loss journey – it’s something that will happen to even the most regimented and committed dieters. After a certain point, weight loss can slow down or even flatline for a while.
So don’t panic if your weight is refusing to budge – there are a few things you can do to get yourself out of a weight loss funk and break the plateau.
- Move more. Make sure your fitness routine is varied and challenging. This does not mean that you have to spend hours in the gym – it just means that you should mix it up, rather than sticking to the same routine or the same type of exercises.
- Track your calorie intake. Track food intake using an app that records calories and provide feedback. You can even measure out your food and compare portion sizes in order to estimate calorie count.
- Set smaller incremental goals. Instead of focusing on an ever distant number, set smaller goals for yourself, such as taking the stairs, getting in 10,000 steps a day, and drinking 8 cups of water.
Remember to not feel disappointed in yourself if you’re not reaching your goals immediately. Unpacking your weight loss plateau means being patient with yourself, and taking one step at a time.
2. Strategies for Shaking Things Up
There’s a lot of benefit to be had when you shake up your routine. It’s necessary in order to break up a dull day-to-day drudge and allow yourself to look outside the box for new ideas or solutions to problems. So, how can you go about doing this?
- Change how you tackle problems. Adapting to new ways of problem solving is a great way to inject new life into your daily tasks. Forget what you usually do and see if you can come up with a different if inventive suggestion to the same problem.
- Go out of your comfort zone. Push yourself to learn new skills or be open to trying something different. Don’t see yourself stuck in the same mold every day; learn a language, pick up a new craft or challenge yourself to think differently.
Think outside normal ways of working. Collaborate with people of different backgrounds and see what new perspectives they can offer. Embrace technology and new trends to help reimagine how you work and how your team communicates. Inject a bit of change, a bit of creative thinking, and a bit of zest into your daily routine to break up the monotony and generate some really great ideas.
- Allow yourself a change of scenery. If you’ve been working at the same desk for months now, shake things up by changing sites for a few hours a day. Try a different café, a library or a park. New spaces often help to give your creative thinking a spark.
- Reward yourself with a treat. Often, the best way to keep your enthusiasm up is by rewarding yourself with something minor – like a coffee bonus or afternoon off – after a big project. It’s a great way to feel appreciated and motivated to keep going.
3. Adapting Your Diet to Reach New Goals
When you are trying to reach new goals, adapting your diet is an important part of achieving success. Here are some ways you can adjust your diet to reach your goals:
- Track Calories: Keeping track of the calories you consume each day can help you determine which items need to be incorporated or eliminated from your diet to support your goals.
- Focus On Nutrients: Choose foods that are nutritious and provide the vitamins and minerals needed for healthy development. Eating the right combination of foods will also help control your feelings of cravings.
- Include Variety: Not only can eating the same foods become monotonous, over time, but some of the nutrients may be lost. Therefore, it’s important to incorporate a variety of foods in your diet, so that you can achieve the best results.
Understanding portion control and developing an exercise schedule can also be beneficial in reaching your goals. Both can help maximize the effectiveness of your diet. With a combination of eating nutritious foods, portion control, and exercise, you can reach your goals and stay on the right track.
Making small changes to what and how you eat can help you achieve your dietary objectives. Integrating the tips listed above can help make the changes that will make the biggest impact on your health.
4. Assessing Your Exercise Regime for Improvement
In any exercise routine, it is essential to assess it for improvement. Even if your results are stellar, there may be other factors that can help you take it to the next level. This section will discuss four helpful assessment steps to take:
- 1. Analyze Your Progress
Keeping track of your progress helps you identify if your exercise routine is working, and allows you to make adjustments accordingly. It can also provide motivation to keep going. It’s important to make the distinction between short-term progress and long-term progress. An example of short-term progress might be the number of pushups you can do in a week, versus larger-scale accomplishments such as completing a marathon.
- 2. Pay Attention to Your Diet
Eating a balanced and nutritious diet is key to improving your exercise routine. Low-calorie foods and adequate hydration will provide additional energy to help you power through those tougher workouts. It’s also important to factor in rest days, so your body can recharge and become stronger.
- 3. Adjust Your Goals
As you progress with your exercise routine, it may be worth reevaluating your goals. Is the goal realistic for your current level? Make sure it’s specific and measurable. Exercising the same way each week can become unproductive, so switch things up and try a new activity to keep it interesting.
- 4. Seek Advice
It can sometimes help to get an outside perspective. If you’re new to exercise, consult with a personal trainer to learn the basics. If you’ve been at it a while, you may want to consider joining a fitness class to learn new skills or training tricks. Whatever you decide, be sure to take your situation into account and consider what would work best for you.
5. Forget Fad Diets—Focus on Smart Habits
Fad diets claim extraordinary results in a short amount of time, but they are often unsustainable and unhealthy. Before turning to a restrictive or extreme dieting approach, think of the smarter and more sustainable alternatives. The following smart eating habits can help you get to your health goals without putting your wellbeing at risk.
- Drink plenty of water: The human body is made up of 70% water, so it makes sense that it needs to be adequately hydrated. Adequate water intake helps to prevent headaches and improves digestive health.
- Start your day with a nutritious breakfast: Eating a healthy breakfast provides the body with essential nutrients and energy for the day. Plus, studies have shown that people who consistently eat breakfast tend to get fewer cravings and fewer calories throughout the day.
- Eat smaller meals throughout the day: Instead of having three large meals throughout the day, opt for small, healthy snacks every few hours. Eating a mix of complex carbohydrates and lean proteins help your body and your brain stay full and alert.
- Pay attention to portion sizes: If you are trying to lose weight, reducing the portion size of your meals is a great first step. A balanced plate includes a third of lean proteins, a third of complex carbohydrates, and a third of leafy greens or other forms of vegetables.
- Listen to your body: To live a healthy and balanced lifestyle, it is important to trust your body and your cravings. When your body is craving a food, it could mean that it is lacking certain nutrients. Pay attention to your cravings and allow yourself to enjoy a healthy treat occasionally.
It is important to find balance in our nutrition. Start with small goals, and create healthy habits. Forget the unrealistic fad diets, and focus on changing your lifestyle in sustainable and positive ways.
6. Breaking the Plateau: Getting Back on Track for Long-Term Success
We’ve all been there: you feel like you’re in a plateau, no matter what you do you just can’t seem to take the next step forward in your career or achieve the goals you’ve set. It can be hard to know what to do in order to get back on track. Here are a few tips for breaking the plateau and getting back on track for long-term success:
- Stay Positive: It’s easy to feel dejected and frustrated when you feel stuck, but it’s important not to let those feelings get the best of you. Instead, focus on the progress you have made and the successes you have achieved. Staying positive will help you stay motivated and keep pushing forward.
- Set Small, Achievable Goals: Break your overall goal down into smaller, achievable goals. This will help you focus on the steps necessary to reach your goal and give you a sense of accomplishment as you complete them. Celebrate your successes as you go and you’ll be able to maintain the momentum needed to reach the ultimate goal.
- Look for New Opportunities: It’s easy to get stuck in the same routines and habits, but sometimes the key to breaking out of the plateau can be found in exploring new opportunities. Try something new, network with other professionals, and take on new challenges—you never know what they may lead to.
Breaking the plateau and getting back on track for long-term success can be a daunting task. But by staying positive, setting small, achievable goals, and looking for new opportunities, you can break through and get back on the path to success.
Weight loss plateaus can be a discouraging roadblock on your journey to achieving your fitness goals, but with the right attitude and creative approaches, you can crush your plateau and keep moving forward. Whether you choose to switch up your routine with a different type of exercise or make some healthy changes to your diet, persevere and you’ll be sure to break through any plateau that stands in your way.
