7 key strategies to get off your weight-loss plateau

Does this sound familiar…

You’re working hard at losing weight and the pounds are steadily dropping, and then bang… nothing for weeks.

You’ve suddenly stalled and those extra pounds just don’t want to budge.

It’s certainly frustrating but one thing is for sure, you’re not alone…

Research has determined that most weight-loss efforts result in a weight-loss plateau at around the six-month mark.

While we’ve all heard the weight loss philosophy: Calories in versus calories out.

It turns out there’s a bit more to it than that…

During weight loss your body goes through several adaptations that change metabolism and energy expenditure, which is why you need to change things up when you find yourself stuck on that plateau…

#1: Eat more fiber-rich vegetables

A negative energy balance is one key factor in achieving weight loss – for the simple reason that if you eat too much, you won’t burn fat. And that’s where fiber can help out…

Fiber-rich vegetables provide lots of bulk that fills you up but they have the benefit of being naturally lower in calories — which means, you have an instant calorie deficit.

More than this, fiber-rich vegetables help feed beneficial gut bacteria that are involved in speeding up metabolism.

#2: Quality versus quantity

While the amount of calories you eat is important, the quality of food you eat is much more important. If you eat a 1200-calorie diet of junk, your metabolism is not going to function optimally.

Instead, when you stick to whole, natural food sources, you’ll be giving your metabolic flame a big kick.

#3: Weight training

No, we’re not talking about becoming the next Arnold Schwarzenegger — that doesn’t happen unless you train hours and hours and hours, every single day. But, it’s time to skip the hours on the treadmill for more weight training…

As we lose weight, we also lose muscle and this is one of the major reasons metabolism slows down. By doing regular weight training, you build muscle and therefore, give your metabolism that needed push.

#4: HIIT your workouts

If you’ve been cruising a little too much with your workouts, it’s time to change things up and aim for some high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

These short, intense workouts will help spark your metabolism and kick start that calorie burning once again. It’s also the best form of exercise to blast stubborn belly fat.

#5: Keep a journal

It’s not uncommon to overlook habits that are undermining your efforts.

When you record your food intake, exercise, sleep, stress and daily thought patterns, you can uncover a few downfalls that may need tweaking.

#6: Sleep soundly

Lack of sleep disrupts a range of hormones that control hunger and appetite. It also makes you experience daytime fatigue, which leads to increased food intake and decreased energy for exercise.

Try to get at least 8 hours of sleep per day to help support your weight loss goals.

#7: Meditate mindfully

Our minds are involved in the weight-loss journey more than anything else, and when a weight-loss plateau hits, the last thing you want to do, is see yourself going backwards.

Instead, use meditation to tune into deeper thoughts and feelings that may arise to limit your progress. Don’t allow yourself to become obsessed with the weight-loss plateau. Instead, focus your mindset on health and taking care of yourself even better.

Refocus your goals and use problem-solving to find creative ways to stay engaged and prevent relapse.

Don’t give up; just change it up. That’s what will get the number on the scale moving once again!