Imagine you are on a path to weight loss, where you see great success in the beginning. The pounds are melting off and you feel fantastic. Then you begin to notice the weight loss stalls and you haven’t seen the scale budge in a few weeks. It isn’t increasing, but it also isn’t decreasing. You have officially hit a weight loss plateau. Grr!
All the hard work you have put in and nothing seems to move the needle.
It actually happens quite a bit. So, if this is you—you are not alone!
There are a number of reasons why your weight loss has stalled and there is no one-size-fits-all fix for it. Because of this, it is important to work with a fitness or nutrition coach to help you move past the plateau in a way that works best for you.
Here are a few things you can try to push past the weight loss plateau:
1. Go deeper into a caloric deficit
It is possible that you are still eating too many calories for your body to lose weight. Try cutting down as little as 50-100 calories a day to see if that makes a difference.
2. Increase difficulty in your workouts
Keep challenging your body by extending the length of a run/walk, increasing the weight or the number of reps at the gym, or even adding an extra day or exercise.
3. Monitor your sleep
Make sure you are getting 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Chronic lack of sleep can hinder your metabolism and workout recovery, making it harder for you to lose weight.
4. Check your stress
Stress is another sneaky factor that can stall weight loss. When we are stressed, we are more likely to give in to our cravings, lose sleep, and experience hormone imbalances, which all can inhibit continued weight loss and even lead to weight gain.
5. Cut out alcohol
Alcoholic beverages can be a quick way to add in extra calories to your diet. It can also create inflammation in the body, which can stall weight loss.
6. Track your calories
If you aren’t already, I highly recommend tracking your calorie intake every day. Make sure to include drinks, sauces, salad dressings, and bites of food throughout the day. This will give you an honest look at how much you are actually consuming.
7. Go back up to maintenance calories
If nothing else seems to be working, you may need to temporarily increase your calories and give your body a break from the calorie deficit. Then go back down in calories.
When faced with a plateau, I encourage you to pick one from the list above and implement it for the next 2-3 weeks and pay attention to any differences. Do you feel stronger? Do you fit better in certain pieces of clothing? Did the scale move in the right direction?
Wherever you are in your weight loss journey, you’ve got this! I believe in you 🙂
One final note: Losing weight can be challenging physically, mentally, and emotionally. Because of this, I always recommend working with a fitness and/or nutrition coach to help you navigate your journey and to support and encourage you along the way.
Want a free meal planning template that I personally use to plan my meals each week? Click here to get yours.