After successfully losing weight, sometimes the dreaded weight loss plateau occurs. Don't get discouraged by stalled weight loss. While the situation may be frustrating, you may be able to make some simple changes to help get you back on track and get the scale reflecting your efforts.
Monitoring
Monitoring your habits in a journal can help you track progress and pinpoint where adjustments might be needed. The American Council on Exercise reports that most people under-report the amount of calories they consume. Therefore, keeping a record of everything that you eat and drink can help you keep better track of your calorie intake. It is also beneficial to keep track of your exercise or physical activity. Recording the amount of exercise may indicate when you need to make some adjustments to your workout.
Calories
Reducing the amount of calories you are consuming may be enough to help you to continue to lose weight. MayoClinic.com suggests that if you reduce your daily calorie intake by an additional 200 calories, that may be enough to help get you back on track. Use the food journal to help make adjustments in the amount of calories you are consuming. According to the American Council on Exercise, men should not go below 1,500 calories per day and women below 1,200 calories per day.
Exercise
Use the F.I.T.T. Principle to help make your workouts more effective for weight loss. F.I.T.T. stands for frequency, intensity, time and type. You may need to adjust one or more of those components to help you burn more calories. You may possibly want to add an extra day of exercise, try to make the workout a little more vigorous, add an extra 10 to 15 minutes to your workout or try some new calorie-burning exercises. Modifying your workout routine in combination with slightly reducing your calories may be the winning formula for continued weight loss. Also, adding strength training or increasing the level of your current resistance training program, can help you increase muscle mass, which can help raise your metabolism.
Other Factors
The number on the scale is not the only measurement that you should be concerned with. Monitoring your body fat percentage, Body Mass Index, BMI, circumference measurements and paying attention to how your clothes fit are also good indicators of progress. Keep in mind that small changes in body weight can make significant improvements in your overall health. According to MayoClinic.com, for those who are overweight or obese, even modest weight loss improves chronic health conditions related to being overweight.
Warning
Always consult with your health care provider before beginning an exercise program or modifying your diet.
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