If your weight or fat loss has seemed to stall, the first thing to do is to recognize whether or not this is a plateau. If you weigh yourself daily, you know full-well that there are fluctuations in the number on the scale each day. However, your true weight will be the number that you see first thing in the morning after you’ve used the restroom. You’ll not only want to weigh yourself at this time, but you’ll also want to make sure that your scale is properly calibrated. With people often seeing variations of three to five pounds, take a different approach and look at your weekly averages.
True weight loss happens a period of weeks to months, and that’s why tracking your weight is so important. You should see a gradual decrease over this time period, with sustained weight loss averaging one to two pounds per week. When you notice that the weight isn’t gradually dropping the way it has been over the past weeks or months, it might be your sign that you’ve hit a weight loss plateau. So, the big question remains: how do you overcome this hump in your weight loss journey, and get back on track? Check out our 3 tips below for some expert insight into this common – but easily conquered – problem.
Lower Your Stress Levels.
If you’ve noticed that you’ve been overly stressed lately, this may be the culprit in your weight loss plateau. When your body experiences stress, it elevates stress hormones, such as cortisol. When cortisol is constantly elevated, it can slow weight loss to a crawl. Think of it this way: stress hormones are released in the body as a way to preserve itself, and if your body is holding onto fat, it believes some sort of trauma is happening and needs all the backup fuel it can get. At this point, your body is not interested in burning body fat or building muscle, but it is concerned with simply preserving your well-being.
Get More Rest.
Higher stress may also lead to a lack of sleep, which causes can play a significant role in your weight loss plateau. Make sleep a priority and back off the workouts a bit. By taking some time off from the gym, you can allow muscles, the central nervous system, and the immune system to recover. Instead, devote your time to meditation, yoga, or pilates. You’ll also want to make sure that you’re keeping your diet as clean as possible since eating refined sugar and carbs when stressed can easily lead to weight gain.
Add Variety to Your Workouts.
With your scheduled workouts, you’ll always want to keep your body guessing. The best workout is the one you haven’t done yet, meaning your body needs a shifting routine to get the results you want. This doesn’t have to be difficult to manage, either – simply make changes to your movements, repetitions, or duration/ At the very least, you’ll want to replicate your last workout – and add more. If you ran for 30 minutes, go for 35 next time. If you did ten repetitions of an exercise, try fifteen. Yes, it’s that simple!
Physical activity and nutrition are important parts of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. At The Heights at La Salle Apartments in Durham, North Carolina, we do our best to provide our residents with resourceful tips, exercise routines, and even recipes to help them reach their fitness goals.