07 Apr Three Ways To Break Through The Weight Loss Plateau

For anyone who has been on a weight loss journey, there comes a point where we hit the dreaded ‘plateau’. The plateau is that horrible point where no matter what you do, the weight loss seems to stall as slow as peak hour in the city.

Sometimes it seems no matter what you do, nothing works right? Like climbing Mount Everest it seems to a daunting position and the end point moves further and further away.

Accredited Exercise Physiologist (AEP), Carly Ryan, understands that this can be really frustrating time. “Your key health goals should always be about improving your overall health and well-being, but when you do hit a stall in weight loss – it’s time to stop, think and act.”

Sometimes external factors can have an effect on weight without us even realising, says Accredited Exercise Physiologist, Carly.

Top Three Tips To Break the Weight Loss Plateau

1. Change It Up

Carly suggests that the first thing you need to do is to change up your routine.

“Too often we see people doing the same activities every day, remember your body can get used to these movements and improves its efficiency at undertaking the same routine over and over again.”

“Try and think of new ways to get your sweat on. My advice is to look at two key things, try and find something that will make increase the amount you ‘huff and puff’ and think of creative ways to move more during the day.”

“For example if you use the treadmill at the gym, mix it up from a long 30 minute jog to a high intensity interval session made up of short, sharp sprints. As for moving more during the day, why not park further away from the gym and walk?”

2. Re-Focus

“A weight loss stall can sometimes be due to small differences in your routine, sometimes so insignificant you might not even notice. When you hit a plateau it’s time to stop, analyse your daily routine and work out what has changed to affect your body.”

“Perhaps you have a couple of old habits creeping in? Has the 3pm chocolate fix suddenly appeared again? Have you been swamped with work?”

“All of these factors may seem small, but can have a real knock on affect to your weight loss. It’s at this point you need to refer back to your original goals and motivation for weight loss and try and get yourself back on track.”

3. Don’t Ignore Others Factors

“Sometimes external factors can have an effect on weight without us even realising. I believe there are two key points to look at.”

“Firstly, stress. Have you been exposed to an increased amount of stress recently? Research shows that stress can increase the hormone Cortisol. Cortisol helps us deal with stress by shutting down unnecessary functions, like reproduction and the immune system, in order to allow the body to direct all energies toward dealing with the stress at hand.”

“This essentially means our bodies could be slowing our ability to burn fat, meaning a weight loss stall. Eliminating stress will not only make you not only feel better mentally, but will get your body back on track. Feeling tired is a key reason for your eating patterns and exercise habits to change for the worse”

“The second key factor is sleep. Scientists from all over the world have attributed a lack of quality sleep to both weight loss stall or weight gain. Are you getting the right amount of sleep for you and your activities? If not, time to work out how you can count the sheep a little better. Try implementing a consistent sleep routine.”