1. Don't Beat Your Head Against It
You've stuck to your diet and workout routine, but the pounds have stopped falling away at the same speed as before. The human body is an incredible machine which is designed to become accustomed to periods of hard labor and periods of rest, times when food is plentiful and temporary fasts. For that reason, the natural mechanisms of the body will eventually start working against you, even if you are doing everything right. If you recognize your plateau and work against it, there is no reason why you should beat yourself up.
2. Breaking the Boredom
Sometimes a weight loss plateau simply means your body has become accustomed to your fitness routine. If you practice a the same activity for every workout, it is time to break out of your old routine and start something new. If you usually run or do aerobics, try riding a bike or practicing a martial art. Additionally, you might consider adding or taking away 15 minutes from your workout to trick your body into breaking that plateau.
3. Using Weights to Lose Weight
A fantastic way to boost your regular fitness routine and trick your body into moving past that plateau is to supplement your workout with stretching and weight training. There are a number of ways you can do this, adding yoga sessions to your weekly schedule, strapping on some wrist and ankle weights when you workout or even using resistance bands. As little as 5 minutes of stretching before your workout and 20 minutes of strength training 2 or 3 times a week will quickly get you back on track.
4. Balancing the Caloric Scales
When you have reached a plateau, it can be extremely confusing trying to figure out just how much you should be eating. On one hand, as you lose weight, you should eat less as your body requires less energy to keep you moving. But on the other hand, as you increase your performance and begin to work out harder, you have to eat to make up for burned calories. One of the most common culprits of a weight loss plateau is not eating enough. Trying adding 100 calories a day, one week at a time and watch your scales. When the weight starts coming off again, you know you are at the right caloric level for your new, fitter body.
5. Give it a Rest, Already
You feel strong, healthy and have stuck to your routine, but have you overdone it? Ask yourself how often you workout and how often you allow yourself a break. Even the best athletes know that the body needs time for rest and recuperation. That doesn't mean you should throw in the towel; however, sometimes a week off, or even just a few days, can be enough to jump start your body and beat your plateau.
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