When you have been on a weight loss plan for a while, there comes a time when your weight becomes stagnant. While this can be demotivating, there are many ways to combat it. We spoke to some of India’s best fitness experts to learn about some simple ways to break through a weight loss plateau. Here are their insights.
6 simple ways to break through a weight loss plateau
1. Have patience
Everyone who is following a weight loss plan reaches a point where the results get slow or stagnant and it usually happens when one has lost a considerable amount of weight already. “You have to understand that if your diet plan did not lead to any deficiency or side effects, it is a good plan and sticking to it with patience is a good thing. As we reach near our ideal weight, the speed of weight loss on the scale might slow down but the body is still changing internally as per its fat and muscle composition. So staying on it with the same dedication is my best advice,” says Diksha Chhabra, fitness expert.
2. Adopt intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting is an easy way to break through a weight loss plateau. “Intermittent fasting requires you to abstain from eating for a specific period of time. The main reason behind the weight loss boost is that it majorly decreases your overall calorie intake. Moreover, it strengthens your metabolism and boosts weight loss, which helps you to exit the weight stagnation period,” states Aayushi Lakhapati, certified nutritionist and co-founder, UpNourish.
“Consume a more fibre rich diet with more fruits and vegetables and practise intermittent fasting. However, do not starve yourself. Intermittent fasting means just having your dinner early so your body gets enough time to digest food. It will help you break that plateau if your weight loss is stopped due to unfinished digestion of dinner,” adds Shweta Shah, holistic nutritionist and founder, Eatfit24/7.
3. Reassess your habits
If your weight loss stagnates, reassess your lifestyle habits. “Most times when weight loss has plateaued, we think the right thing to do is to increase the amount of exercise. However, I recommend reducing the intensity of the workouts a little so that you can reassess your calorie consumption. Doing too many high-intensity exercises back to back will make you want to consume more food. Furthermore, increased fatigue causes the release of ghrelin which can increase your appetite and food intake. When it comes to weight loss, it’s not the number of calories you burn, it’s the control over the number of calories you consume,” remarks Prateek Kumar, fitness expert and founder, FitCru.
“Look at your food diary and physical activity records. Make sure you have not relaxed the rules, letting yourself get by with bigger portions or less exercise. If you’ve been consistent with your food quality and quantity, you could consider further cutting your daily calorie intake, provided you don’t fall below 1,200 calories,” says Dr Nidhika Bahl, integrative nutritionist and founder, HealthTalkWorld.
4. Restrict your salt intake
“Oftentimes when we are on our weight loss journey, we tend to add salt-based dressings to add flavour to our food. This increases our overall salt intake throughout the day. Salt has water-holding properties. Hence, when the salt intake is higher, we tend to weigh higher as well, due to water retention. Restrict salt intake to up to 2,300 mgs per day. Also, it is important to cut down on added salt (sprinkled additionally over foods),” adds Shraddha Gadit, nutritionist, Gold’s Gym Fitness Institute.
5. Test for medical conditions
If you think you’re doing everything right but are still not able to lose weight, it’s a good idea to get expert consultation. “Speak to your doctor to rule out conditions like hypothyroidism, insulin resistance, sleep apnea etc. These are very common, especially in the Indian context. For men, it’s also important to check for low testosterone levels as that can cause the storage of fat around the abdomen. Insomnia is another big one because it causes the hormones, which control hunger and satiety to go out of whack. And let’s not forget chronic stress, which in itself can increase cortisol levels and high cortisol can cause fat storage,” says Dr Vishakha Shivdasani.
6. Eat unprocessed whole foods and stay active
Think beyond counting calories and just going to the gym. “Fill your plate with unprocessed whole foods that keep you feeling full and satisfied and focus on increasing your general physical activity throughout the day – even if it’s as simple as walking around your room or office while on a phone call,” states Shriya Naheta Wadhwa, founder, Zama Organics.
“When you hit a plateau on your weight loss journey, in order to expedite the kilo-shedding process, do a master cleanse. Stop all sugary, greasy foods that could obstruct your slim-down efforts and step up your intake of greens and fruits. Alongside, curate an exercise routine, which is a blend of heavy-duty cardio and rigorous strength training, and you’ll be on your way to a leaner belly in no time,” concludes Jilani Shaikh, fitness trainer and founder, JS9 Fitness.
