Just as a weight loss journey begins by making changes to eating and lifestyle habits, so too does breaking a plateau. It requires reexamining our behaviors and adapting our routines. As the body changes throughout the course of a diet plan, so too must the dieter’s approach. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to break through a plateau, reignite your metabolism, and get the scale moving in the right direction once again.
1.Change Your Prescription Weight Loss Medication
Often times prescription medications for weight loss can become less effective over time. With the help of your provider, the dose of your current medication may need to be increased. You may also experience additional weight loss if another medication is added to your current medication regimen. Schedule a follow up appointment with your provider for assistance.
2.Change Your Workout Routine
Switching up exercise routines can challenge your body in new ways and help burn additional calories. It’s easy to fall into a pattern of doing the same cardio workout a few times a week, and while this is excellent for maintaining cardiovascular health, it isn’t necessarily the best approach for keeping the scale moving. If you normally walk or jog, try switching to cycling or swimming for a few weeks. If possible, try adding two or three weightlifting sessions to your weekly workout routine.
Not only will having a variety of activities to choose from help stave off boredom, it can also help those who have hit a plateau with their weight loss. Several studies recommend trying High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Rather then keeping a moderate steady pace, HIIT routines involve working out intensely for a short period. These exercises range from 30 seconds to several minutes, followed by a one to five minute break, and then repeating the process. This type of routine has been proven to burn more calories than traditional cardio, and since it challenges the body in a different way, is excellent for overcoming a plateau.
3.Track Your Progress
It is very easy to underestimate caloric intake or overestimate the amount of physical activity performed on a given day. Successful dieting requires diligently hitting caloric goals, and the best way to ensure this is to keep a food and exercise journal. Not only does a food journal reinforce accountability, but having all of that information organized and easily accessible can help to quickly identify potential causes of a plateau.
Weight loss plateaus can zap us of our motivation and confidence. The key is to remember is that plateaus are common and can be overcome. These changes, small as they may seem, are incredibly effective and can help anyone overcome a plateau in their weight loss journey.