One of the most common scenarios is an initial successful loss of
three to five kilograms after some diet modifications, then nothing.
Nothing happens on the scales for a couple of weeks and sometimes your
weight may even increase by a few hundred grams. Why? Most importantly,
what can you do to get off the dreaded weight loss plateau?
Weight loss plateaus can easily be overcome once you know a few human physiology basics. The body likes to be stable, and doesn't like losing weight. We know that once it has lost weight it works better, but to the body, weight loss is perceived as a negative energy state and, as a result, it will do everything it can to halt this loss.
If the body thinks it is receiving too few kilojoules from too little food, or if weight has been lost rapidly, the metabolism may in fact be slowed in order to conserve energy, which is the most common reason weight loss slows down when kilojoules have been reduced for extended periods of time.
There are several strategies to help you move off the weight loss plateau. Ironically, in many cases you may have to eat a little more. Following a very low kilojoule, or low carbohydrate, food plan for extended periods of time may have pushed your metabolism to breaking point.
To kick-start things try increasing your kilojoules slightly: just 500 to 800 kilojoules extra each day by increasing the size of your breakfast or lunch. This will keep your energy intake lower during the second half of the day.
Another option is to keep your diet strict during the first half of the week and then relax it a little over the weekend by enjoying larger meals or some extra alcohol or dessert. Other tricks include eating breakfast earlier (the earlier the better), as well as alternating the size of your breakfasts to keep your body guessing. Failing to experience hunger may mean that your meals are being consumed too late in the day, or are too large.
Your breakfast should keep you full and satisfied for two to three hours. If you are hungry after an hour, it does not have the right balance of protein and carbohydrates, is too large, or is being eaten too late. Try changing your breakfast choice so that you are hungry for a light snack mid-morning, which is a sign that your body is burning its food and your metabolism is firing.
Lastly, and just as importantly, remember to check your training intensity. Training before breakfast can be a great way to get the metabolism firing, as can changing the type, intensity and duration of your training. Remember, keeping your body guessing is the answer to both getting off a weight loss plateau and kick-starting your metabolic rate.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Rodan
Weight loss plateaus can easily be overcome once you know a few human physiology basics. The body likes to be stable, and doesn't like losing weight. We know that once it has lost weight it works better, but to the body, weight loss is perceived as a negative energy state and, as a result, it will do everything it can to halt this loss.
If the body thinks it is receiving too few kilojoules from too little food, or if weight has been lost rapidly, the metabolism may in fact be slowed in order to conserve energy, which is the most common reason weight loss slows down when kilojoules have been reduced for extended periods of time.
There are several strategies to help you move off the weight loss plateau. Ironically, in many cases you may have to eat a little more. Following a very low kilojoule, or low carbohydrate, food plan for extended periods of time may have pushed your metabolism to breaking point.
To kick-start things try increasing your kilojoules slightly: just 500 to 800 kilojoules extra each day by increasing the size of your breakfast or lunch. This will keep your energy intake lower during the second half of the day.
Another option is to keep your diet strict during the first half of the week and then relax it a little over the weekend by enjoying larger meals or some extra alcohol or dessert. Other tricks include eating breakfast earlier (the earlier the better), as well as alternating the size of your breakfasts to keep your body guessing. Failing to experience hunger may mean that your meals are being consumed too late in the day, or are too large.
Your breakfast should keep you full and satisfied for two to three hours. If you are hungry after an hour, it does not have the right balance of protein and carbohydrates, is too large, or is being eaten too late. Try changing your breakfast choice so that you are hungry for a light snack mid-morning, which is a sign that your body is burning its food and your metabolism is firing.
Lastly, and just as importantly, remember to check your training intensity. Training before breakfast can be a great way to get the metabolism firing, as can changing the type, intensity and duration of your training. Remember, keeping your body guessing is the answer to both getting off a weight loss plateau and kick-starting your metabolic rate.