If you've ever reached a point that seemed no matter what you did, your weight wouldn't budge, you've reached a plateau. That's one of the most common problems people face when they're trying to lose weight and often a reason people come to Habitat for Health and Fitness in Lakeland, FL. Not every plateau is the same. In some cases, you may not be losing weight, but are making progress. You may be replacing fat tissue with muscle tissue. Muscle tissue is denser and weighs more per cubic inch than fat tissue does, so you're actually losing inches and look thinner, which is the ultimate goal of weight loss.
Are you doing the same old routine?
Plateauing can occur if you don't change your routine. The more you do an exercise, the more adept your body becomes at doing it. It's muscle efficiency. While efficiency is normally a good thing, when it comes to exercise and burning calories, that's not true. It can stall your weight loss progress. At best, you won't be getting as much out of each workout and at worse, you'll level off weight loss and plateau. Varying your workout routine periodically can help you keep continuous weight loss progress.
Are you including strength training in your workout.
Not only is muscle tissue denser than fat tissue, it also requires more calories for maintenance. That means the more muscle tissue you have, the more calories you'll be burning 24/7. Strength training not only helps you burn calories, it helps burn fat, while building muscle tissue. Unlike aerobic training that burns both.
Maybe you're not varying your caloric intake enough.
The more you weigh, the more calories you burn. It takes energy to carry the extra weight and as you start to shed those pounds, every time you move you'll be burning fewer calories. Consider the number of calories burnt if you're walking a mile carrying ten pound weights, compared to walking a mile not carrying the weight. Of course, you'll burn fewer calories without the weights, the same is true for shedding weight. If you are eating the same number of calories and working out just as hard each day, as you get thinner, your weight loss will slow. Adjust your caloric intake as you shed weight.
- Maybe you've cut your calorie intake too low for too long. Consider a cheat day. Those are days when you eat a little more, but don't over do it or do it too often. Cheat days can help keep your metabolism higher.
- Is your workout routine well rounded? If you're constantly doing cardio, you may be burning muscle tissue, which can slow your progress. You need all types of exercise, strength, endurance, flexibility and balance.
- Are you getting adequate sleep. Lack of sleep can actually stimulate the production of ghrelin---the hunger hormone and diminish leptin---the hormone that makes you feel full.
- Are you drinking an adequate amount of water? Studies show that drinking water before a meal boosts weight loss. Water acts like a diuretic and flushes your system and helps fill you up, not out.
For more information, contact us today at Habitat Health & Fitness
