Have you been losing weight at a steady pace and then suddenly find that you’ve stopped and are puzzled as to why? You could have hit a weight loss plateau. Stay positive and avoid letting frustration stop your progress by following a few tips to help you get past the plateau.

• Mix up your workout: Try altering your exercise routine by increasing the intensity of your workout, if possible or adding time to gently increase endurance. Consider changing your cardio routine and adding resistance training into the mix to strengthen muscle mass.
• Record everything: Keep track of what you eat, when you eat it and why you eat it. It will reveal patterns in your diet that are blocking your change to a healthy eating style and show you how to cut out things that are unnecessary. Monitor your progress and keep committed to making good choices.
• Cut back the calories: Once you start shedding the pounds with more exercise it’s still important to try reducing your caloric intake by 100 or 200 calories to move past your weight loss plateau.
• Keep calm: Reduce daily stressors by practicing activities like yoga, a walk or easy bike ride to avoid eating to find comfort and in the process maintaining your healthy lifestyle plan.
• Don’t diet: A diet can be thought of as a quick fix; instead try relaxing and incorporate small beneficial choices in what you eat that you sustain. More weight will be lost with time.
• Keep a positive attitude: Don’t get discouraged when the numbers stop dropping on the scale. Stay upbeat and you will see results in a timely manner.

Consider these tips when you feel as though you’ve hit a weight loss plateau to keep you motivated through the toughest times. Most importantly, remember the progress you have made thus far and stay committed to your development towards a healthy lifestyle.

Tess Zasuwa | Health Solution Intern
tess.zasuwa@kapnick.com