Ways to Change Your Diet Plan and Break Through that Weight Loss Plateau

 

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It is common to start a new exercise or diet program and see results right away. The pounds will start melting off and then all of a sudden the scale gets stuck and it seems impossible to lose anymore weight. This is called a weight loss plateau, and though the causes behind it are complex there are some simple ways to break through them.

To begin with, when trying to lose weight you should only weigh yourself once a week. This is because you may think you’ve hit a plateau when you are really only experiencing a normal fluctuation of weight. It is common for the human body to retain and expel water in cycles, so measuring yourself daily may be misrepresenting your actual weight loss progress.

It is also important to set reasonable expectations for yourself. People lose weight at different rates, so don’t be disappointed if the pounds don’t come off as fast as you had expected. In general the more weight you have to lose the quicker they will come off. I realistic expectation of weight loss is about one percent of your total body weight weekly.

Another way to break your weight loss plateau is too eat something bad. Though this may not seem logical it often works. Your body gets stuck in a routine and by adding something completely different to our diet your metabolism might be jumpstarted again.

It is also important to not skip meals or starve yourself. Limiting your food intake in this manner can trigger your body to go into starvation mode, which will actually slow down your metabolism. Eating less than 1000 calories a day means that you are denying your body of essential elements necessary for survival. Your body’s only defense is to slow down your metabolism in order to store energy in the form of fat. In order to jumpstart your metabolism, and break through your weight loss plateau you should eat 4 to 6 small meals a day.

Another tip for breaking your weight loss plateau is flushing out excess water. If your plateau is due to fluid retention you should limit your salt intake and drink plenty of water. Keeping your body hydrated with water has other benefits as well; it can give your metabolism a jumpstart. If the body is deprived of water the kidneys will begin to focus their attention on retaining water instead of burning fat. Experts agree that you should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily.

Exercising can also push you past your plateau. When you are dieting or eating less your body’s natural response is to slow down your metabolism. You can stimulate it again by exercising. Experts recommend doing some sort of physical activity for at least 60 minutes a day.

If none of these helpful hints helps you break through your weight loss plateau you may want to try changing your diet for a few days. Experts recommend that your normal diet be made up of at least 50 percent carbohydrates. However, you may want to lower your carb intake and raise the amount of proteins in your diet for a few days to get off the plateau that you body has stalled out on.

Hitting a weight loss plateau can be frustrating and cause you to lose your motivation and give up. To avoid this it is important to understand that it is normal to hit a plateau despite your best efforts. You should stay dedicated and realize that you will break though your weight loss plateau eventually and continue to lose weight if you stick to your plan.