Weight loss Plateau; Signs, Causes, and Tips How to Break Weight loss Plateau

Having heard so many weight loss plateau myths some questions may pop-up on your mind screen like is weight-loss plateaus real? , why and how does weight loss happen? will a weight loss plateau go away on its own? how many weeks is considered a weight loss plateau? how long does a weight loss plateau last? 

How to know if you've hit a weight loss plateau?

The signs of weight loss plateau may vary from person to person but the feeling of being stuck in the same, but how do you exactly know that you have reached a weight loss plateau, so if you have ever set your goal for weight loss and tried shedding pounds, you know how hard it is and during your weight loss journey, you've definitely experienced the phase when despite that you've been really doing hard work, following a well-planned healthy, low-calorie diet, an awesome exercise regimen, and improved exercise habits, with your earnings have been proudly watching yourself losing weight and feeling energized, suddenly a time comes when despite all your meal planning, eating a healthy diet, workout routine, or diet restrictions that had previously worked for you, you are not losing weight. Your bathroom scale, suddenly makes you frustrated by its stubborn mood, not saying "yes" to a single budge. With a heavy heart, you realize that you've hit, a weight-loss plateau. You definitely know the frustration and stress of the weight-loss plateau but the very simple but bitter reality is that your body doesn't like to shed pounds. In fact, the more you do for burning calories, the slower becomes the process of losing weight.

Most people are surprised and discouraged when it happens to them while they are eating carefully, taking exercise, and making well-planned weight-loss efforts.

No need to feel discouraged.  Weight loss fluctuation is common and being helplessly stuck at a weight-loss plateau eventually happens to almost everyone who tries to lose weight.  It's pretty normal for weight loss to slow and even halt. 

Try to know the causes of a weight-loss plateau, make a plan response, including developing new healthy dieting and workout habits, and make a strategy to avoid backsliding.

What is a weight loss plateau?

The meaning of the weight loss plateau is a situation when your body stops losing weight anymore despite a diet and workout routine that had previously helped you lose weight. You may fail to find the cause that what was doing wrong, and sometimes you blame yourself for this pause in falling pounds.

Weight-loss plateau myths:

There are some widely believed myths about weight loss that;

• Weight loss is impossible after the stage of the weight-loss plateau.
• The weight-loss plateau is entirely a calorie game.
• The monster of the weight-loss plateau can be defeated a specific exercise program by increasing workouts.
• Weight-loss plateau needs a specific diet plan.
• The weight-loss plateau is the starting point of demotivation.

When does weight-loss plateau happen?

During the initial weeks of your weight-loss journey, when your efforts are on the way that is consistent and effective,  it is normal that you start losing weight rapidly because the glycogen stored in the liver and muscle is released when you cut calories and the need for energy arises in your body, but why  and when does the weight-loss plateau happen? . There may be a number of reasons for weight-loss plateau reasons are ;

1. You burn glycogen

Weight-loss plateau happens often when you consume your glycogen is carbohydrates present in muscles and liver, and it contains water and when you burn it, you lose your water weight only and it is temporary.

Never expect the rate of weight loss to be constant. In the beginning weeks of a weight-loss program, usually, weight drops quickly but this loss being half fluid does not show the burning of fat tissues. 

2. You lose muscle 

When you lose weight it is obvious that you also lose some muscle along with fat. Muscle is also responsible for keeping the rate of your metabolism high (metabolism) up, therefore with losing weight, this muscle loss causes your metabolism to decline, and in turn, becomes the reason you burn the lower number of calories than you did previously with a heavier bodyweight.

Muscle burns a greater number of calories than fat does normally.  Losing muscle means, fewer calories you are supposed to burn. When your metabolism drops with the loss of lean muscle your metabolism drops, the weight-loss process becomes slow down or sometimes stops. You are taking more calories than you consume.

How to fix it:

• Maintain your muscle mass with a well-designed strength program.
• Keep your body moving throughout the day as much as it could be, so more calories can be burnt.
• Excercise like push-ups or aerobics can help you maintain a body composition that is healthy.

3. You are taking more calories than you consume

weight-loss plateau may happen when you're taking more calories than you actually consume. As you start to lose weight gradually,  your daily needed calories decrease in number because a lighter body needs fewer number calories to perform daily activities. If your workouts have decreased in frequency or intensity, it may cause a halt in losing weight.

How to fix it:

• Evaluate and audit your calories budget.
• Be realistic about the practically applicable methods of calorie burning.
• Realize your actual needs regarding calorie intake.

4. Your calorie intake and calorie burn rate becomes equal

Keep in mind that we all have different calorie needs depending upon gender,  physical activity level, and overall state of health.

 When the number of calories you burn becomes and stays equal to the number of calories you eat, you hit a weight-loss plateau. because a slower rate of metabolism will consequently slow down your weight loss, despite your consistent amount of calorie intake that worked for you to lose weight.

ht previously.

How to fix it

You need to do more workouts or decrease your calorie intake for breaking this state of equilibrium.

5. A tiny unnoticed increase in meal quantity 

At the start of your weight-loss journey, you've definitely set a meal plan and meal quantity for your daily consumption. on the basis of measurement and portion but as you moved forward, perhaps you have not taken one spoon added as seriously as you did in the beginning and this unintentional and unnoticed little increase in the portion may cause the weight-loss plateau. But possibly you hit a weight-loss plateau because the size of your portion has slightly crept up, probably you are taking meals with high-calorie.

How to fix it

• Do not impose irrational eating rules upon yourself, be realistic about your hunger and habits.
• Avoid over-restriction when it comes to meal planning.
• Listen to your body, when it demands a little more, satiate it with moderate relaxation in your diet rules, but stay consistent towards your goal.

6. Randomly counted calories

Are you keeping track of your food? Keeping up with your diary/ journal/ notes can be proved as an awesome motivator as it will help to know exactly about what are you eating and how much it is in quantity. If you are tracking randomly the number of your calories intake, your portion size may face inaccuracy, just memory is not enough to deal with the calorie-counting.

How to fix it

• A calorie counter app on your mobile phone can help you.
• Keep notes.
• Set an alarm for writing notes about calories.

7. Your body needs variation

When your body gets "used to" the same diet routine and workout program, it gets adapted to it and eventually stops responding to any of the applied weight-loss efforts.

How to fix it

• Change the intensity of your workout.
• Change the duration of your physical activity.
• Change the intensity of the workout.
• Switch from one type of workout to another.

8. Less physical activity

 For the maintenance and sustenance of your reduced body weight, You need fewer calories with more fat-burning workouts and physical activity, and when you do not do sufficient physical activities it becomes the cause of weight-loss plateau. If you compensate for your physical activity of hourly walking or 30 minutes of treadmill workout by spending the rest of the day sleeping, sitting idle, or at your desk, you are responsible to ruin your progress.

How to fix it

• Stay moving.
• Stand while using a computer.
• Do your household work divided at different times of the day.

9. Your body has attained its best 

Your body has a natural tendency to maintain its optimum weight and that is its comfort zone, if you hit a weight-loss plateau and no method is working at all, this is for the reason that you are in your best shape.

How to fix it 

Leave you all your diet restrictions aside for a little while and with a moderate workout intensity let the body decide its way to respond, maybe you are in your best shape.

10. Your body needs proteins

Your protein intake is a direct influence on your metabolic rate,  low intake of protein is responsible for weight-loss plateau as a result of slower metabolism.  

How to fix it

Check the nutritional value of your meal.

Do not compromise on protein.

Some other co-factors influencing your weight

•  Thyroid
•  Adrenal gland problems
• Medications you’re taking
• Quitting smoking
• Pregnancy
•  Breastfeeding,
• Menopause

How to fix it

Talk to your healthcare provider. Female weight loss plateau may be caused by menopause or breastfeeding, so make an appointment with your doctor and talk to him or her.

11. You are less motivated now

It is a fact that the initial stage of a health plan is full of high motivation but after some time you are less inclined to a lifestyle loaded with workouts with too many eating restrictions. With the passage of time, you either become less motivated or entirely lose it. 

How to fix it

• Appreciate yourself for your success.
• Be realistic when choosing a diet plan.
• Track and evaluate \/your progresswith an optimistic approach.

How to break the weight loss plateau?

 The duration of the weight loss plateau may vary according to the circumstances of every individual, but usually, it lasts from 8-12 weeks.  Weight loss plateau will not go on its own, you have to take measures for breaking it. Here is a solution for the weight loss plateau, you can follow the following tips you can get past it or easily can break the plateau.

Tips to break weight loss plateau

• Intermittent fasting
• Sleep well
• Avoid alcohols
• Add fibers to your daily diet
• Do not use scale daily
• Never compromise on proteins
• Set anew goal
• Be moderate on carbs

Intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting is a popular way to lose weight fast.
It involves mostly between 16–48 hours. without eating.  The method of alternate-day fasting can be proved good ides for providing your body variety so it may not get adapted to monotonous routine. . You can do fasting on an alternate day, by eating very few calories on one day and as much as you want the next.

Sleep well

Study shows that adequate sleep on regular basis improves your weight loss quality. You must take 7-8 hours of sleep which is recommended duration.

Avoid alcohol

Alcohol can ruin all your weight loss effort by stopping your progress in your journey, moreover, reducing alcohol can facilitate your weight loss is studied by research. as it not only suppresses the burning of fat but also leads you towards unhealthy food choices. Another study showed the connection of alcohol with weight gain and obesity.

Add fibers to your daily diet

 According to scientific research, fiber intake is inversely associated with body weight and body fat. Food rich in fiber like fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains,  can help you to break the weight loss plateau. Adding more fiber to your diet may help you break through a weight loss plateau.

Food rich in fiber may accelerate weight loss as the fiber not only lowers the number of calories that you absorb from other food items, but it also keeps your appetite under control by slowing down your gut movement making you feel satiated.

Do not use scale daily

Weighing yourself more often can be a source of being demotivated weigh yourself not more than once a week moreover, instead of relying solely on the number on the scale, assess your own feelings about yourself and the fitness of your clothes.

Never compromise on proteins

If you've hit the weight loss plateau increasing your protein intake may help you to move forward because;

• Protein boosts the rate of your metabolism more than either fat or carbs.
•  According to a study protein digestion increases calorie burning by 20–30%, which is more than twice as much as fat or carbohydrates.
• The study concluded that protein stimulates the production of PYY, hormones, that help in lowering appetite and make you feel full and satisfied.

Set a new goal

Always keep on setting new goals for your fitness, which may provide quality to your workout. Your motivation needs some sort of refreshment always, the new setpoints and goals may help to keep you energized and consistent in your diet plans and workout strategies.

Be moderate on carbs

According to research, low carbohydrate diets by lowering your appetite can be very effective for weight loss, and reducing carbs tends to minimize your appetite and help to break through the weight loss plateau.

A low-carb diet, for some people, allows them to feel satisfied,  with a little amount of food and still lose weight without counting calories. moreover, an alow carb diet helps burn belly fat fast.

The number of carbohydrates a person should eat daily for breaking the weight loss plateau varies depending on their age, sex, activity levels, and body type.

Some additional tips

• Track the nutritional value of your meal
• Avoid night snacks
• Plan wise and realistic workout plan
• Drink plenty of water
• Drink coffee 
• Avoid stress