If you’ve been dieting and working out for a while and have hit a weight loss plateau, don’t worry! You’re not alone. Around two-thirds of people who lose weight will eventually hit a plateau. But don’t give up yet – there are ways to break through. Here are five tips for successfully overcoming a weight loss plateau:
1. Try increasing your exercise intensity.
If you’ve 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 you’re eating enough.
When you’re trying to lose weight, it’s easy to cut back on calories too much, which can stall your progress. To make sure you’re 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 – one cheat day won’t undo all of your hard work if you’re not careful!
5. Give yourself time to lose the extra pounds.
Don’t get discouraged if it takes a little longer than usual to break through a weight loss plateau – sometimes it just takes a bit more time and patience!
6. Stay hydrated
If you’re 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 you’ve been following the same calorie intake for a while and haven’t lost weight, it’s 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 you’ve been working hard to lose weight but haven’t seen any results, it’s worth checking your thyroid function. An underactive thyroid can slow down your metabolism, making it difficult to lose weight.
