If youâve been dieting and working out for a while and have hit a weight loss plateau, donât worry! Youâre not alone. Around two-thirds of people who lose weight will eventually hit a plateau. But donât give up yet â there are ways to break through. Here are five tips for successfully overcoming a weight loss plateau:
1. Try increasing your exercise intensity.
If youâve been doing the same workouts for a while, your body may have become used to them. To break through the plateau, try increasing the intensity or adding some new exercises to your routine.
2. Make sure youâre eating enough.
When youâre trying to lose weight, itâs easy to cut back on calories too much, which can stall your progress. To make sure youâre still eating enough to fuel your workouts and help with weight loss, make sure to track your food intake using a calorie tracker app or website.
3. Eat more protein and fiber.
Both protein and fiber help keep you feeling full after meals, so eating more of them can help you eat less overall and break through your plateau.
Add some high-protein foods like chicken, eggs, fish, lentils, quinoa or tofu to your diet, and include plenty of fiber-rich fruits and vegetables like berries, apples, broccoli or carrots.
4. Try a cheat day.
A cheat day can help break up a weight loss plateau by giving yourself a day where you can eat anything you want guilt-free. Just make sure that overall your diet is still healthy and balanced â one cheat day wonât undo all of your hard work if youâre not careful!
5. Give yourself time to lose the extra pounds.
Donât get discouraged if it takes a little longer than usual to break through a weight loss plateau â sometimes it just takes a bit more time and patience!
6. Stay hydrated
If youâre not drinking enough water, your body may mistake dehydration for hunger and trigger cravings. Aim to drink at least eight glasses of water per day (more if you exercise frequently).
7. Adjust your calorie intake
If youâve been following the same calorie intake for a while and havenât lost weight, itâs time to make some adjustments. Try reducing your intake by 250-500 calories per day to see if that jumpstarts your weight loss again.
8. Move more
In order to break a weight loss plateau, you may need to start moving more. Add in an extra 20-30 minutes of cardio or strength training to your routine.
9. Eat more protein and fiber
Both protein and fiber can help promote weight loss by keeping you feeling fuller longer. Make sure to include plenty of high-protein and high-fiber foods in your diet.
10. Check your thyroid function
If youâve been working hard to lose weight but havenât seen any results, itâs worth checking your thyroid function. An underactive thyroid can slow down your metabolism, making it difficult to lose weight.
