Why Has My Fat Loss Plateaued?
You can’t pick up a newspaper or magazine article without reading about the obesity epidemic that we’re all facing. There has never been a better time to get fit and eat healthily. The physical benefits alone should mean that we start reversing that trend as soon as we can. For many already on their journey to losing weight, there will come a time when your fat loss starts to slow down. Eventually your weight will begin to plateau. This doesn’t signify the end of the road, just a time to kick start your fat loss and take your achievements to the next level.
For all of us, we’re governed, for the most part, by the calories in and calories out ratio. If you take in more calories than you burn, your weight will generally increase. Burn more than you take in and your weight will go down. For those looking to lose weight but seeing the effects of the plateau, it’s time to reconfigure that equation. When your weight drops, so too does your need for calories. What this means is that, as your weight gradually decreases, the amount of calories you need will also go down. As the effects of your weight loss regime begin to take effect and you begin to see it leveling out, you need reduce your calories intake still further. Obviously, this needs to be done in a safe and sensible manner, but it will also need to be revisited every time you begin to see your weight leveling off.
One of the symptoms of being focused on losing weight is that you can often lose muscle too. When you lose muscle, your body’s metabolic rate will decrease. This means that when you’re at rest, muscle will burn more calories than fat does, so you want to hang onto your muscle. It may be worth building in some exercises that helps to support your fat loss, but also builds, or at the very least maintains, your muscle composition and structure.
It’s very easy for your training to become routine. You go to the gym regularly and do the same series of exercises time and time again. You get into a groove, but sooner or later, that groove needs renewing. When your fat loss begins to plateau, turn your training up a notch. When you start to train with more intensity, it creates a better physical environment for fat loss. If you’re running for 20 minutes, make it 30 or even 45. Run faster, train harder and the weight will soon start to come down again.
