Are you stuck in a weight loss plateau? If you’ve stayed the same weight for the last three weeks, this is considered a plateau. It is annoying and can be depressing, especially if you’re trying really hard. The good news is that many have been through this before and you can kick it. Here are six tips to give you that kick start you need.
Do More Exercise
The first trick is to increase the amount of activity that you do. You could focus on walking more steps in the day, or just do five extra minutes on the bike.
The results may not happen the first week, but you will usually see them by the second as long as you stick to it. There are times that you will see a gain the first week, but stick with it and you will start seeing a loss.
Eat a Little More
Your metabolism may have gotten a little stagnant.
You should only drop your calories so much, so you need to give your metabolism a boost by increasing the amount you eat. It doesn’t need to be a lot. Just an extra 300 calories a day (one slice of toast with some beans) is usually enough to give your system the kick it needs. Yes, a weight gain is likely the first week, but you can then go back to your diet and will likely see losses from here on.
Try Drinking More
You may not get enough water in your body. When this happens, your body will hold onto the water it has in fear that you will dehydrate yourself. Help your system out by drinking more water.
This also helps to flush out the toxins and helps your digestive system work a little better. You will soon start seeing losses at the scales again.
Cut Out the Snacks
Have a few snacks crept into your diet? Your plateau will usually happen when you’ve been on the diet for a while.
You start to get complacent, and you eat bigger portions or more snacks throughout the day. Really look at your diet and go back to the start. Cut out all those extra snacks; you know you don’t really need them.
Are You Eating Breakfast?
It’s common to skip breakfast, especially if you’re in a rush on the morning. Not eating breakfast means your metabolism doesn’t get the kick it needs on a morning.
Make sure you eat something every single morning, even if it is a couple of pieces of fruit. As your metabolism gets the kick it needs, your body will burn more throughout the day.
Cut Back on the Fruit
You may find that you’re actually eating too much fruit! Fruit is full of natural sugars.
While this is not so bad in moderation, it’s not at good for you as vegetables. Switch your orange for a carrot or your apple for a stick of celery. It may not sound that appetising right now, but you’ll be thankful when you see the scales shift.