14 Easy ways to overcome weight loss plateaus
Reaching your target weight can be difficult. While weight tends to dwindle quite quickly in the beginning, there often comes a point later on where nothing seems to happen. This inability to continue losing weight is also known as a weight loss plateau and such a plateau can be quite frustrating and discouraging.
However, there are a number of strategies that can help you get your weight loss back on track. Here are 14 science-based tips for overcoming weight loss plateaus.
1. reduce carbohydrates
Scientific research has confirmed that low-carb diets are extremely effective for weight loss. A large study review that looked at 13 studies, including follow-up studies, that had a study duration of one year concluded that people who consumed 50 grams of carbohydrates or less per day lost more weight than people who followed traditional diets (1).
Reducing your carbohydrate intake could cause your weight to move back in the desired direction once you have reached a plateau.
Whether restricting carbohydrate intake leads to a metabolic benefit that causes your body to burn more calories is a question that is still debated among nutrition experts.
Some controlled studies have found that very low-carbohydrate diets increase fat burning and promote other metabolic changes that are conducive to weight loss, while other studies have not observed such effects (2, 3, 4, 5).
However, very low carbohydrate diets have consistently been shown to reduce hunger and promote satiety more than other diets. In addition, they stimulate the body to produce ketones, which have been shown to reduce appetite (6, 7, 8).
These effects could cause you to unconsciously eat less, making it easier to lose weight without hunger and unnecessary effort.
Summary: Scientific studies have found that low-carb diets help control hunger, promote satiety and support long-term weight loss.
2. increase your exercise frequency or intensity
Upping your workouts could help you overcome a weight loss plateau. This is because, unfortunately, your metabolic rate slows down when you lose weight.
A study of more than 2,900 people found that for every pound (0.45 kilos) they lost, the subjects burned an average of 6.8 kcal less per day (9).
When weight drops, this progressive reduction in metabolic rate can make further fat loss very difficult. The good news is that exercise has been shown to help counteract this effect.
Resistance training promotes the maintenance of muscle mass, which is a primary factor in the amount of calories you burn during activity and at rest. In fact, of all sports, resistance training appears to be the most effective type of exercise to aid fat loss (10, 11).
In a 12-week study, obese young women followed a low-calorie diet and exercised with weights for 20 minutes each day. These women lost an average of 6 kilos and 5 centimeters in waist circumference (12).
Other types of physical activity, including aerobic exercise and high-intensity interval training (HIIT), have also been shown to protect against a slowdown in metabolic rate (13, 14, 15, 16).
If you are already exercising, then adding 1 or 2 extra training days per week or increasing the intensity can help to increase your metabolic rate.
Summary: Exercise - and especially strength training - can help prevent a slowdown in metabolic rate that occurs during weight loss.
3. monitor everything you eat
Sometimes it seems like you're not eating much while you're still having trouble losing weight. Scientific studies have repeatedly observed that many people tend to underestimate the amount of food they eat (17, 18).
In one study, obese subjects reported eating around 1,200 kcal per day. However, a detailed analysis of their food intake over a 14-day period showed that they actually ate almost twice as much on average (18).
Monitoring your calorie and macronutrient intake - protein, carbohydrate and fat - can give you concrete information about what you are really eating. This will allow you to modify your diet if necessary.
In addition to this, scientific research suggests that the very act of monitoring your food intake can encourage and support your weight loss efforts (19, 20). There are now a number of apps that can help you control your calorie intake efficiently.
Summary: Monitoring your calorie and macronutrient intake can keep you accountable to yourself and help you see if you need to make dietary adjustments to lose weight again.
4. don't skimp on protein
If your weight loss has stalled, increasing your protein intake could help.
First of all, protein increases your metabolic rate more than carbohydrates and fat. This has to do with the thermic effect of food (TEF) or an increase in metabolic rate due to the digestion of food. Protein digestion increases calorie consumption by 20 to 30%, which is more than twice as much as fat or carbohydrates (21).
In one study, young women followed a diet that provided 30 or 15% of their daily calories in the form of protein on two different days. Their metabolic rate increased almost twice as much on the high-protein days after meals (22).
Secondly, protein stimulates the production of hormones such as PYY, which help to reduce appetite and promote a feeling of satiety (23, 24).
In addition, a high protein intake may help protect against a loss of muscle mass and a reduction in metabolic rate, both of which usually occur during weight loss (25, 26, 27).
Summary: Increasing protein intake can help overcome a weight loss plateau by increasing metabolic rate, reducing hunger and preventing loss of muscle mass.
5. control your stress
Stress can also stall your weight loss. In addition to promoting the proverbial stress eating and stimulating food cravings, stress also increases the body's production of cortisol.
Cortisol is also known as the stress hormone. While it helps the body respond to stress, it can also promote fat storage in the abdominal area. In this regard, the effects of cortisol appear to be stronger in women than in men (28, 29). For these reasons, excessive cortisol production can make weight loss very difficult.
It may seem like you have little control over the stress in your life, but scientific research has shown that learning to cope better with stress can promote weight loss (30, 31).
In an eight-week study of 34 overweight and obese women, a stress management program that included muscle relaxation and deep breathing resulted in an average weight loss of 4.4 kilos (31).
Summary: The increased cortisol production associated with stress may interfere with weight loss. Stress reduction strategies can help promote weight loss.
6. try intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting has become very popular recently. This dietary strategy involves extended periods without eating, usually in the range of 16 to 48 hours.
This practice appears to promote fat and body weight loss while providing other health benefits. A study review of several intermittent fasting studies concluded that this dietary strategy can lead to a weight loss of 3 to 8% and a reduction in waist circumference of 3 to 7% within 3 to 24 weeks (32).
Alternate-day fasting is a form of intermittent fasting in which people alternate between consuming very few calories one day and as many calories as they want the next day. One study review found that this type of fasting was more effective in protecting against loss of muscle mass than daily calorie restriction (33).
Summary: Intermittent fasting could help you eat fewer calories and maintain your muscle mass and metabolic rate during weight loss.
7 Avoid alcohol
Alcohol could sabotage your weight loss efforts. Even though an alcoholic drink such as 100 ml of wine, 40 shots of liquor or a small beer only contains about 100 kcal, it has no nutritional value. In addition to this, many people drink more than one alcoholic drink.
Another problem is that alcohol is disinhibiting, which can lead to overeating or poor food choices. This could be especially problematic for those trying to overcome impulsive eating behavior.
A study of 283 adults who completed a behavioral weight loss program found that a reduction in alcohol consumption led to a reduction in overeating and greater weight loss in subjects who were prone to impulsive behavior (34).
In addition, research has shown that alcohol reduces fat burning and could lead to an accumulation of belly fat (35).
If your weight loss has stalled, then it may be best to avoid alcohol or consume it only occasionally and in small amounts.
Summary: Alcohol could affect weight loss as it provides empty calories, can make overeating easier and can promote the storage of belly fat.
8. eat more fiber
Including more fiber in your diet could help you overcome a weight loss plateau. This is especially true for soluble fiber - the type of fiber that dissolves in water or liquid.
For starters, soluble fiber slows the movement of food through the digestive tract, which can help you feel fuller and more satisfied (36).
Although scientific research suggests that all types of fiber can be beneficial for weight loss, a large review of numerous studies concluded that a type of soluble fiber known as viscous fiber is the most effective at keeping appetite and food intake under control (36, 37).
Another way in which fiber may support weight loss is by reducing the number of calories you absorb from other foods.
Based on a study that examined calorie absorption in diets with varying amounts of fiber, researchers estimated that increasing daily fiber intake from 18 to 36 grams can lead to a reduction in the amount of calories absorbed from food by 130 kcal (38).
Summary: Fiber promotes weight loss by slowing the movement of food through the digestive tract, reducing appetite, and reducing the calories the body absorbs from food.
9. drink water, coffee or tea
While sugary drinks lead to weight gain, some beverages can help overcome a weight loss plateau. Studies have found that pure water can increase metabolic rate by 24 to 30% for 1.5 hours after drinking 500 ml of water (39, 40).
This could lead to greater weight loss over time, especially if water is consumed before meals, which could help reduce food intake.
In a 12-week study of older adults following a weight loss diet, the group that consumed a serving of water before meals lost 44% more weight than the group that did not (41).
Coffee and tea could also support your weight loss efforts. These drinks typically contain caffeine, which has been shown to boost fat burning and metabolism by up to 13% (42, 43, 44, 45).
In addition to this, green tea contains an antioxidant known as EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) which, according to one study, can increase fat burning by 17% (43).
In addition, scientific research suggests# that consuming caffeinated beverages can increase the metabolism-boosting, fat-burning effects of exercise (46, 47).
Summary: Drinking water, coffee or tea can help boost your metabolic rate and support weight loss. Caffeine and EGCG have been shown to promote fat burning.
10. spread your protein intake throughout the day
When it comes to protein, it's not just the total daily intake that is relevant. Consuming protein throughout the day provides you with multiple opportunities to boost your metabolic rate through the thermic effect of food (TEF).
There is also a growing body of research showing that consuming protein at every meal of the day has benefits for weight loss and maintenance of muscle mass (48, 49).
Experts in the field of protein metabolism recommend that adults should consume at least 20 to 30 grams of protein per meal, based on three meals per day (49). Summary: To boost your metabolic rate and promote weight loss, you should eat at least 20 grams of protein at every meal.
11. make sure you get plenty of sleep
Sleep is extremely important for good mental, emotional and physical health. It is also becoming increasingly clear that too little sleep can lead to weight gain via a reduction in metabolic rate and changes in levels of hormones that promote appetite and fat storage (50, 51, 52, 53).
In fact, too little sleep may be a contributing factor to a weight loss plateau. One study found that healthy adults who slept only four hours per night for five consecutive nights experienced a 2.6% reduction in resting metabolic rate. After the subjects had slept for 12 hours, their metabolic rate returned to normal (53).
To support weight loss and overall health, you should therefore aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night.
Summary: Insufficient sleep can interfere with weight loss by reducing metabolic rate and shifting hormone levels, which promotes hunger and fat storage.
12 Be as active as possible
Although exercise is important, other factors also influence the amount of calories you burn per day. For example, your metabolic rate increases when you "fidget", change your body position or perform similar activities.
These types of activities are also known as non-exercise-induced thermogenesis (NEAT) (54). Scientific research has shown that NEAT can have a major impact on your metabolic rate, with the extent varying from person to person (54, 55, 56).
One study found that when people sit and fidget, their metabolic rate increases by an average of 54% compared to lying still. Fidgeting while standing even increased the metabolic rate by 94% (57).
An easy way to increase your NEAT is to stand more, which can include using a standing desk instead of a desk. One study found that people who stood instead of sitting during the afternoon part of their work burned an average of nearly 200 extra calories (58).
Summary: Increasing non-exercise-induced physical activity can help increase metabolic rate and promote weight loss.
13 Eat vegetables at every meal
Vegetables are the ideal food for weight loss. Most vegetables are low in calories and carbohydrates, but high in fiber and beneficial nutrients.
Studies have shown that a diet that includes a lot of vegetables tends to produce the greatest weight loss (59, 60). Unfortunately, many people don't eat enough of these healthy foods.
However, it is quite easy to add some cooked or raw vegetables to every meal of the day, including breakfast.
Summary: Vegetables are packed with many important nutrients, but are still low in calories and carbohydrates. Adding vegetables to every meal could help you overcome a weight loss plateau.
14. don't rely solely on the scales
If you're trying to lose weight, then weighing yourself in the morning is probably part of your daily routine. However, it's important to realize that the scale may not accurately reflect your progress because it doesn't pick up on changes in body composition.
However, your goal is not just weight loss, but fat loss. If you exercise regularly, you may well build muscle, which is denser than fat and takes up less space.
So if your weight on the scales doesn't change, you may well be building muscle and losing fat at the same time without changing your weight.
In addition to this, your body may retain water for a number of reasons including food choices. The most common reasons for water retention are changes in hormone levels that affect water balance, which is particularly common in women (61). Fortunately, there are numerous strategies and ways to get rid of this water retention.
Instead of focusing solely on the scale, evaluate how you feel and how loose your clothes fit. It's also a good idea to take body measurements such as waist circumference, hip circumference and thigh circumference each month to keep you motivated when your weight loss seems to have plateaued.
Summary: Your scale may not reflect your body fat, especially if you are exercising or suffering from water retention. Assess how you feel, how your clothes fit and whether your body measurements have changed.
Conclusion Weight loss plateaus can be frustrating and demoralizing. However, they are a normal part of the weight loss process. In fact, virtually everyone reaches such a plateau at some point in their weight loss efforts.
Fortunately, there are a number of strategies that can help you lose weight again and reach your goal.
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Source: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/weight-loss-plateau#section1