You might have heard of something called plateau especially when you start a new diet, or maybe the plateau stopped you once during your weight loss journey, but what does it mean? In this article, we will learn what weight plateau is and how to deal with it.
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What is plateau or weight loss stall?:-
When you start following a new diet plan to lose weight, things go well at first making you feel satisfied, you start losing a lot of weight and feel like your goal is within reach. Then your body surprises you by stopping the weight loss. This is called weight loss stall or plateau.
Even though you might be working hard to lose weight, your body also works to keep a balance between energy use and production, because your body actually doesn't want to lose weight. So your efforts might end up slowing down the process of weight loss, and cause the plateau.
Even though almost everyone might face what's called a plateau, it feels really frustrating and can make many lose hope and maybe even quit everything.
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Reasons for a plateau or weight loss stall and how to handle it:-
There are many reasons why weight loss can stall or hit a plateau. So if you understand what’s happening during this stall and why, you can figure out how to deal with it and fix things. This will help you keep going and reach your goal.
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Cutting calories too much:-
While your goal is to burn calories , burning calories needs energy, meaning it needs calories. When you reduce food intake to cut calories, your body lowers metabolism in response.
So you should eat slightly less than your body needs to keep your metabolism working. Keep in mind cutting more than 500-700 calories will make it hard to keep your metabolism normal.
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Wrong calorie counting :-
You might be tracking your daily calorie and nutrient intake in a diary, but if you enter your food just from memory, there's a good chance you'll add extra food here or there.
So you should rely on a smart way to track your calorie intake, like using a phone app or writing notes regularly in your diary.
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Eating too many calories :-
If you've lost weight successfully so far, it's likely that the calories your body needs daily have started to drop, because when your body weight gets lighter, it needs fewer calories for normal daily activities.
So you need to reassess your calorie needs based on the weight you reach, and be honest and realistic about your physical activity. This way you get the right amount of calories your body needs accurately.
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Your body adapts to changes :-
When you start a new workout program, your body starts making changes. At this stage your muscles rebuild themselves, which needs some energy, so your body burns calories to get this energy. But as you repeat the exercises and your body gets used to them and muscle building, it will need fewer calories to produce the energy it needs.
So the solution is to make sure your body doesn't get time to get used to the workout routine you do, so you can include interval training and make some changes to your training program. For example, if you have been running on the treadmill for two weeks, now switch to the bike.
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Not getting enough training :-
Do you make up for your workout by sitting on the couch or staying still all day? If you do that, you’ll lose many of the benefits of exercise.
So you should boost your burn by adding movement to your daily tasks. For example, stand while working on the computer, take the stairs instead of the elevator, and do simple house chores while watching TV.
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Reducing protein intake :-
It has been proven that protein balances after metabolic changes that happen in the body when losing weight, and researchers think the reason is that Protein Helps the body keep the muscles it has and can also build new muscles.
So you need to make sure your body gets enough protein, tobuild muscles that you need to maintain a healthy metabolism.
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Loss of motivation :-
When you start a new health plan, motivation is high at first. But after making lots of changes, especially if they are strict, you might lose motivation after a short time. So you should set short, realistic, and clear goals to keep it long-term.
You should also take your time to recognize and celebrate the progress you've made so far. A plateau is actually a sign you're on the right track, so try to set a short-term goal for yourself, and use new motivators.
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Some medical reasons are:
While weight loss stalling or a plateau is normal and almost everyone faces it when starting a new diet, if you find nothing breaks your plateau, you should see a doctor. There might be a medical cause.
Fitness Garage offers sports programs and diets with certified trainers to match your weight management goals, whether to gain or lose weight. For details, you can visit Fitness Garage's Facebook page at here.
Source :- 1.
