You might feel like you’ve been exercising and eating healthy, but your body is not responding in the way you hoped. The fact is, weight-loss plateaus are VERY common because our bodies are resistant to change.
Here are some tips that can help you to continue improving in your fitness goals when you’ve reached a plateau:
1. Avoid yo-yo dieting. I always recommend a good lifestyle forever! That includes a healthy and smart diet, balanced and with moderation in the food that you normal crave.
2. Eat more protein. Lean protein will help you to feel fuller longer, and also will help in different functions in your body. Protein has an important role in muscle building.
3. Vary your physical activity. Push harder, change your routine, try different cardio exercises, do more intervals. Be creative and your body will recharge.
4. Check your calorie intake. If you were losing weight, maybe your calorie, carbs, protein and fat macros have to change too. Sometimes eating more calories or more macros in your diet will not help you to lose more weight.
5. Avoid starvation. Don’t try to skip meals, or eat fewer macros and calories than you require— this will slow down more your metabolism even more. Find a nutritionist or monitor the calories that you need for your specific goal! If your goal is to lose weight, you will need to have a good diet.
6. Relax yourself and check your calories. Sometimes we overeat in stressful situations without realizing it. Practicing yoga, listen to good music, or some other activity that will help you reduce stress and feel relaxed.
7. Visit your doctor and check your hormones. If you still can’t lose more weight, visit a doctor and have your hormones checked to see if your body is working properly.
8. Be realistic and be patient. Weight-loss results come with time and discipline. You can’t lose 15 pounds in a week!
9. Lift heavy. Consider adding resistance exercises to your routine, because increasing your muscle mass will help you burn more calories and accelerate your metabolism as well.
10. Increase your activity. Use the stairs in your office instead of the elevator! Try to incorporate more activity in your normal and daily routine.
References
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/10-ways-to-move-beyond-a-weight-loss-plateau?page=3
http://www.builtlean.com/2012/05/22/weight-loss-plateau/