Have you come to a point that no matter what you do, your weighing scale won't budge? You probably have hit the weight loss plateau. This happens when you see no or little improvement in your weight status after two weeks of regular workout and dieting. Let's see what you can do to break out from this plateau. It all comes down to your workout and diet.
Not So Obvious Workout Routine
If you are following the same fitness routine, in less than a month your body will adapt to it. It is best that you have several types of workouts. This allows you to have different workouts each day without any obvious pattern.
If you want to escape from the plateau, be more active a few times a day. This can help you to burn more calories and increase your metabolism. For example, you can schedule to have your aerobic workout in the morning and strength training in the evening. It is fine to combine both aerobic exercises such as running, kick-boxing, and swimming and weight training or strength training such as squats and lunges on the same day.
To prevent boredom in your fitness regimen, include high intensity workouts to maintain your high metabolism and burn fat faster.
Don't forget weight training. It can develop lean muscle mass. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn. And you can use lighter weights to enjoy the same benefits as heavier weights. The secret is to lift until your muscles reach the point of exhaustion.
By being creative with your workouts, you can burn more fat and increase your metabolism which will break the weight loss plateau.
Tweak Your Diet
Be careful about how much carbohydrates you consume because your body tends to pile up carbs when they are not used. The more carbs you eat, the more glycogen your body will store. Glycogen is the result of unused carbs. Another fact you must know is that your body will retain 3 to 4 grams of water for each gram of glycogen your body keeps. As your body accumulate more glycogen, your weight will increase because of the water retention.
If you have been eating processed high carbohydrate foods, then stop. Instead substitute them with natural carbs like whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruits that contain lots of water and air. Eating these healthy carbs will make you eat less because of their rich content of water and air.
You may resort to low-carb diet to crush weight loss plateaus. It is a mistake. Over time, your body will starve. And it is natural for your body to respond to starvation. This will stop the low-carb diet from working.
A better way is eat more frequently. Don't get the wrong idea that you are eating more. Basically, you break down your three main meals to four or five times a day. Make sure that you have sufficient calories for the whole day. Smaller meals not only boost your metabolism but also stop you from feeling hungry.
Are you getting enough fiber? Do you know a gram of fiber can get rid of seven calories? Start eating more fibrous foods. It also helps to speed up your digestion. That requires fuel. In other words, you use more calories.
Don't forget to drink water before meals. One study highlighted that subjects who drank two cups of water before meals not only lost significant weight but consumed less calories.
By making these adjustments in your workout and diet, you should be on your way to seeing more movement on your weighing scale.
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