How to Break a Weight Loss Plateau
Have you hit the dreaded weight loss plateau?
Are you frustrated because the weight loss has just stopped?
Here are 4 simple ways to break through a weight loss plateau.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
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The first thing you need to do is make sure that you are following your diet program. We frequently lie to ourselves in order to justify cheating on our diets. If you haven't been fully following your diet plan then you need to start there before reading on.
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Before we move on to the steps to break a weight loss plateau, we must understand why it happens. Your body desires to be in a state of homeostasis, it does not like change. When change occurs it has to work harder. That's why changing your routine is so important in order to continue your weight loss.
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Tip #1 - Increase your calories. The first tip to break a plateau is by increasing your calorie consumption by 500 calories per day for 7-10 days. That doesn't mean go off your diet. You just need to give your body a little nudge to get it going in the right direction.
Increase your carbohydrate intake to give your body a break from carb restrictions. After the 7-10 days cut your calories back to where they were. This will help give your body a nice little shock that can you get back on track.
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Tip #2 - Your intensity level. When trying to drop those last few pounds it is often an issue of intensity that is causing your weight loss plateau. In these situations you need to crank up the dieting and exercising for a few weeks to help you blast through it.
Exercising a little harder or being a little stricter on your diet can give you that extra little boost that you need.
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Tip #3 - Change your exercise routine. The way you exercise can play a vital role in how you burn fat. Doing the same routine for too long allows your body to adapt and work more efficiently. If you have been using the same workout routine for more than 4-6 weeks it's time for a change.
A Simple solution to this problem is to change how you workout. For example, add weight training to your program or increase your sets and reps or change how many days a week you workout. Do this every 4-6 weeks to keep your body from adapting.
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Tip #4 - Reduce your carbohydrates. Yes this is the opposite from the first tip but it can work really well to help you break through your weight loss plateau. By lowering your carb intake down to a ketogenic level it forces your body into a fat burning mode. This works best if you aren't already on a low carb diet (less than 100g/day).
Try lowering your carb intake to 20-40g/day for 2 weeks whenever you hit a plateau. This is the most difficult of all of the tips but also the most shocking to your body.
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As frustrating as weight loss plateaus are, they are a normal physiological occurrence. That's why it is always important to change up your routine in order to keep your body from adapting. By using one of the strategies listed above you will be able to break through your plateaus and continue to lose weight.
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While you are here please take a moment to check out the resources area below for more tips and information. For other how to tips don't forget to check my profile and to take a look at other articles on ehow.
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