You're down to the last 15 lbs. of weight loss, but the scale won't seem to budge. It can be incredibly frustrating when you hit a plateau in your weight loss, especially when you're so close to reaching your goals. Once you understand what's causing your plateau, you'll be able to make the adjustments necessary to finish strong.
Muscle Loss
When you lose weight, your body draws on both fat and muscle tissue for energy. The more muscle mass you lose, the slower your metabolism becomes, as muscle burns more calories than fat. If strength training hasn't been part of your weight-loss program, the last 15 lbs. become more difficult due to the muscle you've lost along the way.
Metabolism Changes
Your body works hard to maintain your current weight, and the more weight you lose, the harder your body holds on to the remaining stores of fat. When you reduce your caloric consumption and increase your exercise time, your body adjusts to help preserve your energy stores, so while 1,800 calories per day and 30 minutes on the treadmill may have been enough to produce weight loss at first, it may only be enough to maintain your current weight now.
Too Much Too Fast
If you began your weight-loss program with significant changes to your diet and exercise routine, the last bit of weight may be difficult to lose because you left yourself little room for improvement. For example, if you reduced your caloric intake to 1,200 right off the bat, you'll be unable to safely reduce your calories further when your rate of weight loss slows. Similarly, starting with too much exercise early on can make it difficult to add time or intensity to your workout to burn off those final 15 lbs.
Motivation
Motivation is typically higher when you're just starting out and seeing the quick results that come during early weight loss. While most of the weight you lose early on is water weight and not fat, seeing the pounds drop may be all the push you need to continue exercising and eating right. As your weight loss slows, your motivation may suffer, making it seem more difficult to hit the gym or pass up the fatty snacks or fast food.
Breaking Through a Plateau
Evaluate your diet and fitness program to identify where you can make changes to help power you through the last few pounds. As long as you don't drop below 1,200 calories per day for women or 1,500 per day for men, consider trimming another 200 to 250 calories from your daily meal plan. Add 15 to 30 minutes to your aerobic workouts or bump up the intensity to burn more calories.
If you're not strength training already, add at least two sessions to your routine each week to preserve and build metabolism-boosting muscle tissue. Refresh your motivation while challenging your body by switching up your workout. If you usually jog on the treadmill, give cycling a try instead. If you are unsure about what to do, consult with your doctor or a fitness professional.
Member Comments