This question came up with a group I am working with on long term lifestyle change and weight loss. A plateau is when your progress seems to have stalled and of course, that feels discouraging. It may be something you also have experienced, so I am sharing these strategies with everyone.
12 Strategies for Breaking Weight loss Plateaus:
1. Make breakfast your largest meal. A recent study has shown that people eating a larger portion of their calories at breakfast had better weight loss, glucose control, insulin sensitivity and satiety than those who ate more of their calories at dinner.
2. Eat more protein at breakfast. Eating protein at breakfast boosts our metabolism for the rest of the day. Protein increases glucagon production (a fat releasing hormone), and helps reduce late afternoon blood sugar drops that leave us craving and cranky.
3. Make sure you eat every 3 hrs during the day: a low glycemic breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack and supper. Try not to eat after 8 pm at night. By fuelling your body regularly you burn calories more efficiently and keep your blood sugars more stable.
4. Try interval training: Increase the intensity of your cardio workout for 30 – 60 seconds, then slow down to your normal pace for 2-5 minutes, then do another fast interval for 30 – 60 seconds and repeat this for the duration of your cardio workout. Studies have shown that not only do you burn more calories during your workout, but you continue to burn calories at a higher rate for hours afterwards. This routine also strengthens your cardiovascular system and capacity.
5. But there is a CAUTION – don’t do #4 if you are experiencing chronic stress. Instead, take up Tai Chi or yoga or another exercise that involves slow movement and deep breathing and make sure you do deep belly breathing 3 or 4 times a day for 5 minutes each time. This will help lower the stress hormone cortisol which is one of our fat storing hormones.
6. Increase your muscle mass by adding strength training to your exercise routine. Lean muscle mass burns more calories than fat, boosts your metabolism and maximize your body’s ability to burn calories and lose fat. Muscle also takes up ‘less space’ than fat so your measurements are less. Here’s a great article on the benefits of strength training for women.
7. Try eliminating grains and gluten for 3 weeks. Avoid bread, pasta, cereals, rice and anything that is a grain or made with grains. For many people, this can make a significant difference not just in weight, but mental and physical energy. Slowly add back whole grains and notice how they make you feel. If grains don’t agree with your system, you might notice stomach or digestion issues, feeling sluggish, headaches or congested. If this is the case, it is wise to eliminate these from your diet. As a rule, we should keep our servings of grains to 2 per day of WHOLE grains.
8. Do my favourite 5-Day Detox Cleanse. This is one of the fastest way to get your fat storing insulin levels down and your fat releasing glucagon levels up and reducing cravings. This can give your body the boost it needs to break a plateau. The average weight loss over the 5 days is 4-5 lbs. Contact me to learn more about this healthy, effective detox.
9. Keep a Lifestyle Journal to track your food & water intake, exercise and so on. You can often spot some areas that you have slipped or can make improvements. For example, are you eating regularly or skipping meals (or snacks) and then getting so hungry you overeat at the next meal?
10. Add more greens and raw or lightly steamed veggies to your meals. Adding more of the good stuff makes less room for the not so good stuff.
11. Don’t beat yourself up. That just increases your stress hormones which contribute to weight gain. Congratulate yourself on how far you have come. Accept gradual progress.
12. Get your THYROID levels checked. Check your TSH, T4 and T3. Hypothyroidism can contribute to weight gain and/or inability to lose weight, as well as fatigue and low energy levels.
Listen Up Men . . . Did you know that no matter what your cholesterol levels are, exercise helps you live longer? Studies indicate that men who are physically active cut their risk of dying from heart disease in half, no matter what their cholesterol level!
If you would like more on this topic, this is an excellent article on Conquering Midlife Weight Gain by one of my favourite experts, Dr. Christaine Northrup.
Be happy! Be healthy!
Gerry
Debbie Smith says
Great article Gerry,
Concise, informative and doable.