Weight Loss Plateau | Doctorliberoni

Weight Loss Plateau

Have realistic goals for weight loss. Weight loss takes time. It is a marathon, not a sprint. Losing 1-2 pounds per week is a realistic goal. Some will lose weight faster than that, others slower. If you have been dieting for months or longer and your weight loss progress has stopped it’s possible that the extended period of time you have been in a calorie deficit has slowed your metabolism. If one eats at a calorie deficit for many months (or years) then eventually your metabolism will slow down. Consider then if you have been dieting for an extended period of time to plan 4-6 weeks of adding some muscle mass thru weight training but maintain your current weight by increasing your overall caloric intake by 30%. I recommend that you slowly start adding in more healthy food to your eating plan. The advantage to a high protein low carbohydrate diet is that you can easily add calories without adding in extra foods. Add more olive oil or coconut oil to salad dressing. Add a tablespoon of butter on top of meat, fish or low carbohydrate containing vegetables. Focus on eating more satiating healthy fats that keep you full and stimulate your metabolism.

Some people are more carbohydrate sensitive than others. If your weight starts to plateau, then cut back on carbohydrates even further. For 5-7 days consume as close to zero grams of carbohydrates per day. Gradually increase your carbohydrate intake to not exceed 20 grams of carbohydrates per day for an additional 14-21 days.

Have realistic goals for weight loss. Weight loss takes time. It is a marathon, not a sprint. Losing 1-2 pounds per week is a realistic goal. Some will lose weight faster than that, others slower. If you have been dieting for months or longer and your weight loss progress has stopped it’s possible that the extended period of time you have been in a calorie deficit has slowed your metabolism. If one eats at a calorie deficit for many months (or years) then eventually your metabolism will slow down. Consider then if you have been dieting for an extended period of time to plan 4-6 weeks of adding some muscle mass thru weight training but maintain your current weight by increasing your overall caloric intake by 30 %. I recommend that you slowly start adding in more healthy food to your eating plan. The advantage to a high protein low carbohydrate diet is that you can easily add calories without adding in extra foods. Add more olive oil or coconut oil to salad dressing. Add a tablespoon of butter on top of meat, fish or low carbohydrate containing vegetables. Focus on eating more satiating healthy fats that keep you full and stimulate your metabolism.

Some people are more calorie sensitive than others. At the end of the day calories do matter. One of the reasons that a high protein low carbohydrate diet is so effective is that it causes a reduced appetite so that one consumes less overall calories. If you're not losing weight but are doing all the right things, then try counting calories for one week. Aim for a deficit of 500 calories per day which theoretically should make you lose 1 pound of weight per week (doesn't always work in practice).

Some people are more sensitive to cheat days/meals. For some who are able to control themselves having cheat meals or cheat days every now and then may be fine. For others, especially those who are prone to food addiction, having cheat snack/meal/day will do more harm than good. Some people can eat carbohydrates from time to time without ruining their progress. This doesn't apply to everyone.

It may be possible that you are losing fat and that you don’t realize it. Weight loss isn't a linear process. If you weigh yourself every day, then there will be days where the scale goes down, other days where it goes up. It doesn't mean that the diet isn't working, as long as the general trend is going downwards. Of course, losing weight is not the same as losing fat. It is possible, especially if you're new to weight lifting, that you are gaining muscle at the same time that you're losing fat. To make sure that you're losing, use something other than just the scale (which is a big, fat liar). Use a measuring tape to measure your waist circumference and have your body fat percentage measured every week in our office. Also, take pictures. Take note of how your clothes fit. If you're looking thinner and your clothes are looser, then you ARE losing fat no matter what the scale says. In conclusion weight loss isn’t linear and there’s a lot more to weight than just body fat. Be patient and use other ways of measuring than just the scale.

Weight loss plateaus may be caused by consuming too much artificial sweetener. Despite some sweeteners having no calories, they can affect our appetite level and impact your weight loss progress. Several studies show that artificial sweeteners can affect appetite, either negatively or positively. All sweeteners, whether zero-calorie or not, cause your blood insulin levels to rise which turn off fat burning mode. In some cases artificial sweeteners may cause one to consume more overall calories and therefore is associated with weight gain. This likely depends on the individual. Consider that if you are consuming a lot of artificial sweeteners and aren't losing weight then try removing them for 2 weeks and follow your progress.

It’s possible for weight loss plateaus to be caused by in between meal snacking, eating too many nuts, too much dairy(milk), using too many artificial sweeteners, not drinking enough water, using breath mints/chewing gum(even sugarless), tension/stress, not getting enough sleep, and shift work.

Are you stressed?

Unfortunately, it isn't always enough to just eat healthy and exercise. We need to make sure that our bodies are functioning optimally and that our hormonal environment is favorable. Being stressed all the time keeps the body in a constant state of "fight or flight" - with elevated levels of stress hormones like cortisol. Having chronically elevated cortisol levels can increase your hunger and cravings for unhealthy foods. If you want to cut back on stress, try meditation and deep breathing exercises. Cut back on distractions like Facebook and news media, read more books instead. So chronic stress can have negative effects on your hormonal environment, making you hungrier and preventing you from losing weight.

Weight loss plateaus can be caused by not eating real food too. A high protein low carbohydrate diet is about more than just lowering your intake of carbohydrates. You have to replace those carbohydrates with real, nutritious foods. Throw away all processed low-carbohydrate products like protein bars because they are not real food and they are not good for your health. Treats like paleo cookies and brownies can cause problems even though they're made with healthy ingredients. They should be considered as occasional treats, not something you eat every day. What is also important is to eat enough fat. If you try to cut back on carbohydrates and fat you will be ravenously hungry and feel awful. Stick to meats, fish, eggs and cheese to create the optimal hormonal environment to burn body fat.

It is a myth that eating 5-6 small meals throughout the day is the best way to lose weight and maintain weight loss.

This has been studied thoroughly and no advantage has been found to eating more frequent and smaller meals. It is natural for humans to eat fewer meals per day go long time periods without food. Intermittent fasting is accomplished by eating in an 8 hour window each day or doing 24 hour fasts 1-2 times per week. This can be very useful to break through a plateau.

If your weight loss progress has stopped or slowed down consume fewer meals and consider giving intermittent fasting

a try for 2-3 weeks.

Weight loss plateaus may be caused by inadequate or misdirected exercise. Overtraining is possible. With exercise focus on your overall health, both mental and physical not on the calories burned during a workout. Calories burned during a workout are insignificant. It’s true that exercise assists in weight loss by boosting metabolism, increasing muscle mass, and giving you more energy. But it’s important to exercise smart.

Nothing but cardio on the treadmill, elliptical or recumbent bike is unlikely to give you good results, and may even be detrimental to your weight loss goals.

The benefits of resistance training/weight lifting increase as we age. Aging doesn’t cause weight gain,

it’s because you’re losing muscle mass. Muscle burns calories. Weight lifting helps to improve your hormonal environment, boost your metabolism, and lose weight. I personally make sure I add some form of resistance training to my workouts at least 3 times a week.

High Intensity Interval Training is the best way to do your cardio workouts. H.I.I.T. improves your metabolism and helps burn more calories. If possible do H.I.I.T. training for 15 – 30 minutes, 3 times a week.

Low intensity training includes walking and yoga and also can be successful for long term weight loss and weight loss maintenance. Just being active during your day and going for a walk is often helpful especially if it controls your stress level.