Understanding Weight Loss Plateaus

For weeks or even months you have been watching the scales go down, feeling proud of your continuing weight loss. In addition to dieting, you have exercised regularly, helping speed your progress. Then, one day you get on the scale and the pointer hasn't moved, even though you have done nothing different. It's the same story the following week.You have reached what is known in the dieting world as a plateau.

Features

According to the Mayo Clinic, a weight-loss plateau occurs when you stop losing weight despite continuing a reduced-calorie eating plan and exercise. Hitting a plateau is actually common among dieters. It happens because your metabolism begins to slow down as you lose lean tissue. Michael Lowe, PhD, professor of clinical health and psychology at Philadelphia's Drexel University, confirms that about one-quarter of the weight you lose is actually lean tissue -- muscle -- rather than fat. Once the metabolism slows, it requires extra effort to rev it up again. You will maintain your weight loss but not forge ahead until something changes.

Causes

In the first few weeks of any weight-loss plan, the pounds roll off easily.The body releases its stores of glycogen to compensate for the calories it's not getting. Because glycogen holds onto water, when glycogen is burned for fuel it releases water. This results in the water weight people first lose. As the body makes the switch to fat-burning, weight loss predictably slows down.

Other Factors

Weight Watchers' chief scientist, Karen Miller-Kovach, notes that our actions may be the cause of up to 90 percent of plateaus. "It's the little relaxing that does people in," she says. People often overestimate portion sizes and the amount of exercise they're engaging in. While they may monitor very closely in the beginning, as time goes on they become a little lax in their habits.

Jo Ann Yust, a Weight Watchers leader in North Carolina, says that the group's formula for figuring a plateau goes like this: Divide four weeks of weight loss by four. If the result is less than 0.5 pound, it is considered a plateau.

What To Do

Moving past a plateau will require action on your part. Increasing physical activity is one way to burn more calories, whether it's adding minutes to your workout or parking the car farther from your destination. Keeping close track of what you eat and writing it down will show you if you're following your program the way you intend. Including more fiber-rich fruits and vegetables will help contribute to your overall health as well as help keep you full. Staying busy and involved in life will leave less time to spend in your kitchen. Trying different food choices, perhaps adding some interesting spices, will help you feel satisfied. If you have another way of checking your progress, try that. Sometimes the scales don't reflect what the measuring tape or your clothes do.

What Not To Do

Don't become discouraged. Plateaus are an integral part of any weight-loss program. Don't use them as an excuse to shirk your weight-loss goals. Keep on plugging until you leave the plateau behind.