How to Break Past a Weight Loss Plateau

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Nothing is more frustrating then when the scale suddenly stops moving. Especially when you feel like you are already doing all of the right things. You are watching what you eat and you’re hitting the gym, but the scale just isn’t cooperating. This is usually when most people would throw in the towel and quit. But that’s not you! Instead of giving up all together, try these few simple tips for how to break past a weight loss plateau. 

What is a plateau & how to know if you’re in one

A weight loss plateau is basically when you have already been successfully losing weight and then it suddenly stops for an extended period of time. This doesn’t mean that you didn’t lose any weight for 1-2 days. This is a few weeks or more. And this is totally different from if you never actually started losing weight in the first place. If you never started losing weight, then you need to take a closer look at your diet and exercise routine. I would recommend speaking to a professional about ways to tweak it. Check out my article below about 8 reasons you might not be losing weight.

RELATED POST: 8 Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight

Check your caloric intake

Step one is to check out your caloric intake (aka how many calories you’re consuming). The best way to do this is by tracking your food intake for a few days. There are so many apps available these days to help make food tracking 100x easier. I personally love MyFitnessPal. If you’ve never used MyFitnessPal before, then check out my article How to Track your Food Intake or Macros Using MyFitnessPal.

Simply put, if you’re eating too many calories each day you won’t lose weight. If you’re not sure how many calories you should be eating each day I recommend either doing some research on your own, or hiring a professional. I offer one-time custom macros where I will calculate how many calories, carbs, fat, and protein you should consume each day based on your size and activity level. 

Check your caloric expenditure

The next thing to analyze is your caloric expenditure (aka how many calories you burn).  Basically you need to make sure you’re moving enough to burn calories. This could be done via walking more during your daily activities, but most likely this will be accomplished via structured exercise. 

If you’re not exercising at all, then it might be time to start! Choose any form of exercise that you enjoy. You can go for a walk, try biking outside, take a class at the gym, or start a weight training routine. 

If you are currently exercising, then it might be time to change up your routine a bit! Our bodies get bored doing the same thing over and over again, so if you don’t have some variety in your routine, then you will eventually stop seeing results. If your routine doesn’t include any strength training, then I highly recommend you add some in. Strength training helps boost your metabolism by building muscle. If you need a great strength training routine, check out my 8 week Lean Strength program. 

Check your protein intake

The last thing to analyze is your protein intake. If your caloric intake and your caloric expenditure are in line, then most likely your macronutrient intake is off. Basically if your diet is too heavy in one area, or too light in another, then that’s not healthy. For example, a 1500 calorie diet of all carbs is not nearly as healthy as a 1500 calorie diet balanced with healthy fats, lean protein, and whole grains. 

Typically for most people protein is the culprit. Protein is a crucial macronutrient because it’s what helps us build muscle and keeps us full longer. Protein is found in things like meat, seafood, eggs, dairy, nuts, protein powder, and more. You should be consuming a good portion of protein at every single meal. In fact, your meals should focus on protein. 

If you struggle eating protein, then check out my article on How to Easily Eat More Protein. 

The Takeaway Points

Basically if you have hit a weight loss plateau then you need to analyze three things: 

1. Caloric Intake
2. Caloric Expenditure
3. Protein Intake

Most likely one or more of these areas is a little off. With a little tweaking you should be back on track with your weight loss in no time! If you need help losing weight, check out my 4 and 8 week macro coaching programs.