Conquering Weight Loss Plateaus
You’ve begun your weight loss journey, and everything seems to be smooth sailing. The weight is dropping, slowly but surely. Then suddenly… it stops. For some reason, despite changing nothing about your nutrition and exercise routine, the scale just stopped moving. So what’s going on here? Why has the progress stalled? Well, you may have just hit your first weight loss plateau.
The good news is that plateaus are a normal part of the weight loss process. They're not indicators of failure but rather signs that your body is adapting to the changes it's undergone. Remember, the journey to weight loss isn't linear; it's filled with ups and downs, and plateaus are simply part of the terrain.
In this blog, we'll help you determine if you’ve hit a real plateau, and we’ll discuss the different causes of halts in progress by giving you a clearer understanding of the physiological and psychological mechanisms at play. And, in case you determine that you really have hit a plateau, we'll arm you with some strategies to overcome it, helping you to reignite your weight loss journey and move closer to your goals.
Plateau or Normal Fluctuations?
The truth is that our weight fluctuates daily due to a variety of factors such as water retention, hormonal changes, and digestive contents. These short-term variations involve normal daily or weekly changes in weight which can be influenced by factors like salt intake, hydration levels, and stress. A true plateau, however, is characterized by a lack of progress over several weeks or longer, despite a controlled diet and regular exercise.
Understanding whether you're experiencing a temporary weight fluctuation or a genuine plateau is crucial for several reasons. Misinterpreting normal weight variations as a plateau might lead you to make unnecessary or drastic changes to your diet or exercise routine, which could be counterproductive to your goals. Recognizing that fluctuations are normal can also reduce frustration and discourage negative feelings associated with a perceived lack of progress. Correctly identifying a plateau is key to making informed and strategic adjustments to your lifestyle to continue along your weight loss journey.
Signs You've Hit a Plateau
If no weight loss or changes in body measurements (waist, hips, chest) have happened in 3-4 weeks, you can start to question if something is off. And if nothing has changed in 5-6 weeks or longer, despite adhering to your diet and exercise regimen, you have almost certainly hit a plateau. If you have hit a plateau, don’t freak out! Again, they are normal and only temporary. So, what might be causing this plateau? Several factors can contribute to a plateau in weight loss, and oftentimes there is more than one factor at play.
Physiological Causes of Plateaus
Metabolic Adaptations
Metabolic adaptations refer to the many ways the body adapts its metabolism in response to dieting, including changes in hormone levels, nutrient metabolism, and energy expenditure. During prolonged periods of calorie restriction, the body not only reduces its basal metabolic rate but also undergoes hormonal adaptations that increase hunger and decrease satiety. Levels of leptin, the hormone that suppresses appetite and makes you feel full, may decrease, while ghrelin, which stimulates appetite and makes you feel hungry, may increase. As these signals for increased food intake become stronger, maintaining a sufficient calorie deficit becomes more difficult, requiring more effort and careful diet and exercise management.
Adaptive thermogenesis is a type of metabolic adaptation in which the body adjusts its basal metabolic rate (BMR) in response to dieting and weight loss. When you consume fewer calories, your body can lower its metabolic rate as a survival mechanism to conserve energy. Since caloric needs are heavily influenced by body weight, losing weight can cause your body to become more efficient with its energy expenditure, reducing the number of calories it burns both at rest and during activity, thus requiring a further reduction in calories to continue losing weight. Makes sense, right? A lighter person has lower caloric needs than a heavier person, even if it’s the same person at different points in a weight loss journey.
Common Mistakes Leading to Plateaus
Breaking through a weight loss plateau requires a closer examination of your current habits. Many individuals unknowingly make mistakes in their diet and exercise routines that contribute to their stalled progress. Overcoming a weight loss plateau may require a multifaceted approach that includes making dietary adjustments, enhancing your exercise plan, and making some lifestyle modifications. In this section, we’ll identify these common errors so you’ll be able to course correct and continue along your weight loss journey.
Underestimating Caloric Intake
Problem: Whether it’s from miscounting calories, misjudging serving sizes, or not accounting for all calorie sources, underestimating caloric intake can quickly erase a calorie deficit and completely stall weight loss progress.
Solution: Periodically reassess your caloric needs as your weight changes. A reduced body weight means your body requires fewer calories for maintenance. Adjust your intake to reflect your current weight and activity level to maintain an adequate calorie deficit. Things like cooking oils, occasional snacks, liquid calories in the form of beverages, and missed calorie sources like dressings and sauces can easily add up to the point of completely preventing any weight loss from occurring.
Overestimating Activity Level
Problem: It's extremely common to overestimate how much energy is expended during exercise and other daily activities, causing us to assume we are burning more calories than we really are.
Solution: Ask yourself if you are burning as many calories as you think you are. It might be time to consider adjusting the “calories out” part of the “calories in vs calories out” equation. This may lead to another small decrease in calories or an increase in caloric expenditure.
Excessive Calorie Restriction
Problem: While overconsuming calories may seem like an obvious error, plateaus can also occur as a result of severely restricting your calories. Cutting calories too much can trigger the metabolic adaptations we mentioned earlier, causing a significant slowdown in metabolic rate and halted progress.
Solution: Be sure that you're consuming enough calories to support your BMR and activity level. Remember that excessively low caloric intake can actually hinder your weight loss goals. A modest deficit is sustainable and less likely to trigger a metabolic slowdown.
Overly-Limited Food Selection:
Problem: It’s common to rely on a limited food selection to make the weight loss process a little simpler. However, if you limit your selection of foods too much it can lead to diet fatigue, making it harder to stick to your plan. It can also create nutrient deficiencies that can affect everything from energy levels to recovery, impacting your ability to maintain an active lifestyle.
Solution: Incorporate a wide variety of foods into your diet to cover all nutritional bases and to keep meals interesting. Focus on whole foods rich in vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients to support overall health and weight loss.
Poor Food Quality
Problem: Low-quality, highly processed foods are typically less satiating (filling) for a variety of reasons, like low fiber content, low nutrient density, and high caloric density. If you rely too heavily on these kinds of foods, you will have a much harder time managing your appetite, lowering your chances of long-term success.
Solution: Focus on whole, nutrient-dense foods that are high in fiber. If you have foods in your regimen that are highly processed and lacking in nutrients, consider swapping them out for foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes that can increase satiety, making it easier to stick to your calorie goal. Fiber also aids digestion and can have a positive effect on metabolism.
Exercise & Activity Level Complacency
Problem: While consistency in exercise is crucial for long-term success, your body adapts to the demands placed on it, reducing the effectiveness of your workouts over time. Since we can’t infinitely cut our caloric intake, we may have to look at our overall exercise and activity levels and make adjustments there.
Solution: Increase the intensity or duration of your workouts as you progress in your fitness journey. Keeping your body challenged is essential for continuing to burn calories effectively, so try incorporating variety into your exercise regimen. Increase your overall activity level by setting a daily step goal, going for regular jogs, and avoiding sitting when possible.
Diet Fatigue
Problem: Even if you’ve been fairly successful with losing weight, it’s common to get burnt out on a strict diet regimen, especially if you’ve experienced a halt in progress from metabolic adaptations. This can increase your chances of getting off track and picking up habits that take away from your progress.
Solution: Consider taking a “diet break”. This doesn’t mean just throw your diet out the window and eat whatever you want. A diet break is when you bring your calories up out of a deficit and back to maintenance for a short period (usually a week or two) to allow your metabolism to speed back up to its normal rate. This is one of the most useful strategies for pushing through plateaus if your weight loss has stalled despite strict adherence to your diet and exercise routine.
Complacency/Lack of Motivation
Problem: The initial motivation that sparked the weight loss journey can wane over time, leading to a relaxation of dietary discipline or exercise efforts. It’s easy to get complacent over time and reduce your overall effort without even noticing, regardless of fitness level, goals, or experience.
Solution: Break down your ultimate weight loss goal into smaller, more manageable milestones. Achieving these can provide a sense of progress and accomplishment and help you stay motivated. And remember that weight is just one measure of health. Celebrate other signs of improvement, such as better-fitting clothes, increased energy levels, or improved endurance. These victories are just as important and indicative of your hard work.
Bonus Tips for Overcoming Weight Loss Plateaus
Incorporating Strength Training: Building muscle mass is essential for increasing your resting metabolic rate. Muscle tissue itself burns calories, so more muscle means more calories are being burned around the clock. Incorporate strength and hypertrophy training into your routine to build muscle and enhance metabolic rate.
Hydration and Metabolism: Drinking adequate water is crucial for supporting metabolic processes and can aid in weight loss. Sometimes, thirst is mistaken for hunger, so staying hydrated can also help control unnecessary snacking.
Make Gradual Adjustments: Make changes gradually to give your body time to adjust and to see what works best for you. Sudden, drastic changes can be hard to sustain and may not be effective in the long run.
Monitoring Progress: Keep a journal or use a fitness app to track your dietary intake, exercise routines, sleep patterns, and stress levels. Monitoring these aspects can help you identify areas for improvement and gauge the effectiveness of the changes you make.
Sleep, Stress, and Mindfulness: Lack of sleep can affect the hormones that regulate appetite and hunger, so ensure you’re getting enough quality sleep every night. Additionally, managing stress through mindful practices like meditation, yoga, or deep breathing can help reduce cortisol levels, which is associated with fat accumulation and muscle loss, and allow you to make better, more intentional choices.
Staying Positive and Patient: Overcoming a weight loss plateau is as much a mental challenge as it is physical. Understand that weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint, and that plateaus are normal and temporary. View this as an opportunity to learn more about your body and what it needs. This shift in perspective can transform challenges into valuable growth experiences.
Community Support: Whether it's a fitness class, an online forum, or a group of friends, staying connected with others who share your goals can provide encouragement, advice, and a sense of camaraderie.
Visualize and Appreciate Progress: Regularly take time to reflect on how far you've come since you started. Remind yourself of the progress you've made and congratulate yourself for it. Then, visualize yourself achieving your goals. This mental rehearsal can enhance your motivation and help you stay focused on positive outcomes.
Getting Assistance
While perseverance and strategic adjustments will usually help you overcome a weight loss plateau, there are times when consulting with professionals is not only beneficial but necessary.
Working with a Trainer or Coach
Sometimes the best thing you can do to save yourself a lot of time and frustration is to reach out to a fitness professional such as a personal trainer or nutrition coach (or both). A qualified professional will be able to determine what changes need to be made to your diet and/or exercise regimen, and they should be able to help you develop a better understanding of the weight loss process to help you make better decisions in the future.
Consult With Your Doctor
In somewhat rare cases, diseases, hormone imbalances, or metabolic conditions might be the reason your body is responding appropriately to your weight loss efforts. A common example of this is hypothyroidism, a condition in which the body isn’t producing enough thyroid hormones, a key player in the metabolic process. In other cases, it may actually be a medication you’re currently taking that is slowing your weight loss. In either case, it’s strongly advised that you consult with your doctor to determine what steps to take.
Moving Beyond the Plateau
As we've explored throughout this guide, encountering a weight loss plateau is a normal, albeit frustrating, part of the journey toward a healthier life. However, with the right strategies and mindset, it's entirely possible to overcome these obstacles and continue making progress towards your goals.
Remember, every plateau is an opportunity for growth and learning. It's a chance to deepen your understanding of your body and refine your approach to health and fitness. The journey to weight loss is deeply personal and full of unique challenges, but it's also filled with opportunities for triumph and self-discovery.
Now, use what you learned here to transform your plateaus from obstacles into stepping stones toward your healthiest self. Keep pushing forward, stay patient, and remember: progress, no matter how small, is still progress!
Need further help sorting out your nutrition playbook? Book an in-person or online consultation with us, ZNT Personal Training — based in Louisville, KY. Give us a call at (502) 233-3348, email zack@zntraining.com, or click here to learn more.
