You've been clocking in extra hours at the gym and watching your diet, but that scale refuses to budge. The dreaded weight-loss plateau can happen to even the most committed dieter and fitness buff, but you don't have to stay stuck there forever. Here are some simple tips and strategies for getting beyond a weight-loss plateau and finally reaching your fitness goals:
Change your exercise routine. If you've been sticking with your regular exercise routine each week, your body may have adapted to the energy output and won't necessarily shift into weight-loss mode. An easy way to overcome this is to modify your routine so you're either trying an entirely new exercise or increasing the intensity of your existing one. The goal is to "surprise" your body with some new movements that challenge new muscle groups or require you to workout harder. The result will be a stronger calorie burn, which can then help you start losing weight again.
Modify your diet. One of the biggest mistakes most dieters make is eating the same low-calorie diet day after day, week after week. It's likely that your body has simply adapted to your eating schedule, so it may be time to change things up and add some different foods to your plate. Consider adding more protein, trying new vegetables or cutting back on carbs and starches for a few days to jumpstart your metabolism. This is a simple strategy for resetting your metabolism, but it won't take long for the changes to take effect.
Assess your diet. If you've been following a diet for a few months, you may have gotten into a habit where you're no longer measuring your portions when you first started out. This is great when you're actually losing weight and getting the results you want, but if you've suddenly stopped losing weight, there's a good chance that you may be eating more than you realized. Start measuring and weighing your food again, or simply keep a diet journal for a few weeks to make sure you're still eating a low-calorie or healthy meal that started your weight loss cycle in the first place. A few days of mindful eating can help you get on track and ensure you're truly sticking with your plan.
Change your meal frequency. Modifying when you eat and the number of times you eat throughout the day can help you get over a weight-loss plateau and shift your body into weight-loss mode. If you've been eating the same portions at the same time each day, your body may have adapted to your schedule. Change things up by cutting back at a certain meal and adding a snack, or just changing the times when you eat to help your body reset itself.
Making some simple changes to your workout routine and diet could be all you need to get that metabolism into high gear and get back on the weight-loss cycle again. Try any of these strategies to get over that plateau and reach your fitness goals with ease.