They've hit what fitness experts call a "plateau." But how do you overcome a plateau and get back on the right track?
First, you want to understand why plateaus crop up. Fitness experts say most dieters will experience their first plateaus after about six months, regardless of what type of program they’re following.
You experience a plateau when your metabolism—the rate at which your body burns calories for fuel to keep chugging along—gets adjusted to a lower level of calories and burns energy more slowly. When you strength train, you also may hit a plateau when your muscles feel they are no longer challenged by the weight you’re lifting.
• Determine the cause of the plateau. Could you possibly be eating more extra calories or exercising less than you really believe? Most people under-report the number of calories they eat because they don’t know how to measure such things accurately or they begin eating without knowing it.
Are you bored with your exercise regimen? Feeling ho-hum could mean less dramatic results.
• Remind yourself why you want to reach your weight goal, such as keeping your cholesterol and blood pressure under control, or to just feel better about yourself. This will keep you motivated to continue exercising and eating right.
• Don’t go overboard with weighing. If you are prone to retaining fluid, for example, premenstrual bloating or eating a salty meal can add two or three pounds. Weigh just once a week, and judge your success on how better your clothes fit and how you feel. Measuring your waist also is good, but keep in mind that you may need up to eight weeks to notice any changes.
• Find a weight-loss support group, online fitness forum or somebody experiencing a plateau. Here, you can find encouragement to keep going and learn ways and secrets to get over the hump. Support groups and “exercise buddies” also keep you accountable and on track to ultimately reaching your goals.
• Continue to keep track of what you eat. One sure-fire way of taking steps back in your weight-loss program is to forget about watching and chronicling what you eat. If you return to your old eating habits, the weight will come back—and you’re back to square one.
• Refigure how many calories you’ll need to consume and burn off to get over the plateau. These new figures will give you a roadmap on what exercises you could take up and at what speed to do them.
But don’t reduce your calories too much. Your body still needs many nutrients from food to function properly and restricting your calories too much or exercising too heavily will make your body start hoarding calories and fat to prevent starvation. Fitness experts say a good moderate plan includes no more than an hour of exercise a day and reasonable calorie intake, usually no less than 1,200 per day for women, 1,500 for men.
• Make changes in your exercising. Generally speaking, aim for 30 minutes of moderate activity on most of the days of the week. Then, as you get more fit, increase the intensity and duration gradually.
For instance, walk faster and farther, or lift more weights. Or try a new intense exercise, such as an aerobics class at your local Y. If you believe you need to increase the intensity, get help from a fitness pro on how to avoid injury and burnout.
• Get rid of excess water. Many times, fluid retention causes plateaus, so cut back on your salt, drink more water, exercise, and eat more fruit, especially cantaloupe, honeydew, oranges, and bananas, all of which contain water-eliminating potassium.
It happens to everybody trying to lose weight and get in shape. They eventually struggle to lose those last few pounds, or halfway through their program, they simply can’t lose any more weight.
