NUTRITION - Hit A Plateau? Try These Strategies

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Summary - 

Anyone who has undergone a successful weight loss journey, will be all too familiar with the inevitable plateau that shows up right when you feel like momentum starts to kick in. It can be very discouraging to continue working hard when you can’t see the fruits of your labour. Fortunately, I’ve been able to help many of my clients through a plateau and in this episode, I’m sharing some of the strategies that helped them get back on track with their health & fitness goals.

Things I Mention - 

  • The unexpected first step you should take before looking at your diet & exercise

  • How to assess your current exercise schedule to increase your metabolism

  • Why it’s important to take a “diet break” during a weight loss plateau 

PLUS, I remind you why you should put your hand up to mow the lawn or make the bed if weight loss is your goal. 

Links & Helpful Resources - 

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If you’ve ever been on a successful weight loss journey, you will have experienced how good it feels to see all of your hard work and consistency start to pay off. That feel-good feeling though can often be short-lived as the inevitable plateau starts to show up, by way of little to no progress despite doing all the same things that delivered results previously. This roadblock often occurs just after your initial weight loss, and again when you can’t seem to lose those last few kilos. I’ve been there many times before and it’s very discouraging to continue working hard when you can’t see the fruits of your labour. To make things worse, a weight-loss plateau can last several days to months.

I’ve been really fortunate to have helped a few of my clients through a plateau and today, I really want to share some of the strategies that helped them come out the other side and back on track to achieving their health & fitness goals. 

First and foremost, I will always suggest getting a DEXA scan done by an experienced & qualified technician. A DEXA scan is the gold standard for measuring your body's composition. The technology uses a low-dose x-ray to break the body up into three major components - 

Bone mass (i.e. the weight of your bones)
Lean mass (muscle + organs + fluid) and
Body fat (the sum of all the body fat in your body)

Simply put, DEXA scans are one of the fastest ways to learn more about your body.

Standing on the scales tells you nothing about your body composition or your health. The number on the scales does not tell you how much of your weight is made up of muscle, fat, fluid or bone. A DEXA scan is far superior to scales, skinfolds, Body Mass Index (BMI) and InBody scans. No other measure provides the level of detail and information that a DEXA scan does. A DEXA scan can identify changes in body fat and muscle mass of as little as 200-300g and the best part, the scan itself only takes 5-10 minutes and all you need to do is lay down. 

I like to recommend a DEXA scan first because a plateau could very well indicate that you are trying to lose weight when really your body fat percentage sits within the normal and healthy range for your age & height. Your body naturally tries to maintain a certain weight where it is most comfortable. If you find yourself stuck at the same weight time and again, you may have reached your comfort zone. Reducing much further typically results in regaining weight.

Whilst, I can’t give recommendations for locations outside of Brisbane, I can give a shout out to Oz Radiology at Morningside. They always perform a thorough DEXA scan and really take the time to sit down and chat to you about your results and what your results actually mean. 

Following a DEXA scan, I’d then suggest the following - 

STOP DIETING/ RESTRICTING

And by stop, I don’t mean throwing in the towel. Stop dieting/ restricting/ altering your diet for at least one meal per week. By being flexible with one meal, you’ll shock your body which will work for you rather than against you. Also, ensure you aren’t fasting too frequently during the week. 2-3 times is ideal. You want to keep your body guessing and anticipating when the next meal might be. 

INTRODUCE PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD TO YOUR WORKOUTS

In a nutshell, progressive overload is the gradual increase of “stress” placed upon the body during a workout. If you’ve hit a plateau, reassess your workouts to determine where you could add progressive overload. If you’re a regular gym goer can you up the weight, add in an extra training day or do a few more reps. If you’re a home workout beauty, can you decrease the amount of rest time between sets/ rounds, can you add a resistance band, can you add a pulse or a ¼ rep to an exercise? Strength training can help preserve and build muscle to get your metabolism humming again.

INCREASE NEAT

Aim to hit 10k steps per day or aim to increase the amount of “accidental exercise” you do. Your NEAT is the first thing to decrease when a calorie deficit or altered way of eating is enforced so keep an eye on this. Be the person that puts their hand up to mow the lawn, put the bins out, make the bed - you’ll reach your goals a lot faster by doing so. 

CHECK YOUR STRESS

Stress can often put the brakes on weight loss. A study published in the journal Obesity found that prolonged exposure to cortisol can lead to weight gain—or, if you're actively trying to lose weight, it can at least stall your progress. I’ve got an amazing episode coming up all about stress and some proven ways to help you reduce stress naturally. 

COUNT CALORIES FOR ONE OR TWO DAYS

I’m usually not one to suggest calorie counting unless you are required for serious health concerns. I do however think that counting the amount of calories you are consuming for a day or two here and there is an incredibly empowering thing to do. You will learn so much and it’s often very surprising to see how many calories there are in some of your favourite foods - ones that you perhaps consume regularly that are impacting your results and causing you to plateau. As your weight drops and your body composition changes, so do your nutritional needs. The truth of the matter is that most people let down their guard a little after their initial weight loss. You can download a free calorie counting app to see what’s really going on and how many calories you are actually consuming per day. My advice though - delete the app after a few days. 

If you’re currently going through a plateau, give a few of these a try and provided you’ve got the weight to lose, I guarantee you’ll push through and inch that little bit closer to achieving your goal.

Elisha CasagrandeBrisbane Personal Trainer, Brisbane Health Coach, FEEL BE LOOK, Womens Confidence, Confidence, IIN Health Coach, Healthy Eating, Womens Health, Diets, Womens Weight Loss, Diet Culture, Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, NEAT, Weight Loss Plateau, Oz Radiology, DEXA Scan, InBody Scan, Calorie Counting