How To Break a Weight Loss Plateau

Many people encounter a plateau period during their weight loss. Even with diet and exercise, your weight remains unchanged for a period of time, which is generally referred to as the "plateau period". This article will let you know the real and fake plateau period and 4 ways to break through it, so that you don't have to feel annoyed by the stable weight any more!

5 Stages In Weight Loss Process

The weight loss period can be roughly divided into 5 stages, and each stage has different results.

1.Adaptation period: When you begin to lose weight, your body needs time to adapt, so your weight will slowly change at this time.

2.Fat loss period: After the adaptation period, you will enter the fat loss period, and you will lose weight faster.

3.The plateau period: The is the most difficult period which can last anywhere between eight to twelve weeks. The length of time varies for each person, and the weight will remain unchanged for a period of time.

4.Harvest period: After the plateau period, the effort of weight loss has finally paid off. During this time, weight and body fat will change every day.

5.Desensitization period: There will be a weight memory period for 3-6 months. During this period, you need to adhere to the exercise and eating habits when losing weight. If you don’t want to gain weight again, don’t immediately return to normal diet.

Understanding The Real And Fake Plateau Period

After adjusting diet, exercise and living habits, the body weight will begin to decrease. But after a certain period, the weight will not change. When it does not change for two consecutive weeks or even longer, it means that the body has entered into a plateau period for weight loss.

This is because when the body adapts to new diet and exercise habits, it will reach a new state of balance. Many people will encounter this situation after losing weight for a month. This is a very common thing, so there is no need to worry too much and be discouraged, as long as you find a suitable way to improve the situation.

The "fake plateau period" means that the weight has not changed for only a few days, so it is not a real plateau period. During that time, don't give up on the diet because you may damage the body's adaptability.

4 Ways To Break Through The Plateau Period

1.Don't go on a diet

Many people will go on a diet in order to change their weight because of the plateau period. While starting a diet at the plateau may see a little change in weight numbers, it turns out that it doesn't last. Especially for people with a small weight number, dieting will reduce the body's basal metabolic rate. In addition to malnutrition, it will also affect future weight loss. Therefore, if you really want to break through the weight loss plateau, you should not go on a diet or reduce normal food intake.

2.Break your diet

When losing weight, everyone will plan their own eating habits and rules, but over time the body will adapt to the rules, resulting in a plateau period for weight loss. Therefore, if you want to break the plateau period, you must break the original dietary rules and let the body re-adapt. For example, choose to eat more in the morning than before, improve the metabolic level of the day. Only by breaking the original eating pattern will the body change from the habit and the weight will change accordingly.

3.Change the recipe

Some people who lose weight regularly may formulate a weekly weight loss diet. When a plateau period occurs, the diet can be changed to break the plateau period. For example, check the protein and carbohydrate ratio in the recipe, increase the intake of protein foods, and reduce the absorption of carbohydrates. In addition, you can eat a "cheat meal" once a week to satisfy your body's energy needs, and you can also make your body feel the change in your eating habits.

4.Break the rules of exercise

Leave your exercise comfort zone and challenge more strenuous exercises to help break through the weight loss plateau! If you don’t have the habit of exercising and you only control your diet, then you need to start exercising. You can simply start with jogging, skipping rope, etc. If you already have a regular exercise habit, you can change it according to the type of exercise. For example, if you only practice aerobic exercise, you can add muscle training; if you only do a single exercise, you can enrich the form of exercise, change the intensity or time, etc. So you can increase the efficiency of consuming fat. If the daily exercise intensity is high, it is recommended to reduce the amount of exercise and change to aerobic exercise and anaerobic exercise every other day, so that the body does not get used to it too easily, which will have a better effect on weight loss.