How To Break Through A Weight Loss Plateau

Here at Fitness Together our clients lose a lot of weight. Some 15 pounds, some 50 pounds, and some over 100 pounds!

Regardless of your weight loss or fitness goal it's not uncommon to hit a plateau. Even our clients, who are doing things right, will experience them from time to time.

Breaking through requires balance in your physiological (body), emotional (feelings), and psychological (mind) being. You can always break through your plateau! Refer to these 5 tips when you hit the wall.


Medical Issues

Do you have a medical issue that resists weight loss? There are times when thyroid or hormonal problems, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), can be to blame. Some medications will also prevent weight loss. These issues need to be diagnosed and treated by your doctor.

Calories Expenditure

An important question to know the answer to is are you eating the right amount of calories and burning enough off?

Everyone has their individual formula for weight loss. Seek out a weight loss professional or personal trainer with a nutrition background who can assess your current eating and exercise status. There should be a balance between your energy intake and output.

For example, you might be taking in 1400 calories a day, but only burning 900 through your basal metabolic rate and exercise. It's scenarios like this that need to be analyzed.

In my experience, those that have the least to lose have a harder time losing weight. So if you’ve already reached a lower body fat level for your age, sex and height, then you have to work extra hard, especially when it comes to food quality, to lose the last few pounds.

Try keeping a journal to effectively monitor and evaluate your calories and food intake.

Your weight and diet history

Did you recently lose a lot of weight? If you started at a specific calorie level, let's say 1400 calories, lost 10+ pounds and are still eating the same amount of calories, you'll likely hit a plateau. Depending on how much weight you're losing every month you're calories should be reviewed and/or adjusted every month or so.

A general guideline would be to subtract 10 calories from your starting calorie intake for every pound of weight loss. That's assuming you've kept up the same exercise routine too.

So if you’ve already lost 20 pounds, then you should be eating 1,800 calories instead of 2,000 calories. Take note that individual calorie requirements differ, based on one’s fitness level, exercise types, weight, age and gender.

In addition to the amount of calories consumed, the type of calories consumed matters too.Stick to a balanced plan consisting of protein, whole grains, fat, fruits, and veggies to get the most important vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to improve your metabolism, increase energy level, have adequate recovery time, and function well during the day. If one of the food groups is missing, like carbohydrates, then your body's becomes inefficient and unregulated.

NOTE: If you're on a low-calorie or fad diet you're almost certain to hit a plateau. Because you cannot sustain a diet like that. These types of diets will also lead to muscle loss, slowing down of metabolism, and low energy throughout the day. It's what puts the "Yo-Yo" in diet!


Fitness Program

When I give a speech I tell a story of a guy I see at the gym. He's always on the same treadmill, in the same clothes, at the same time of day, and reading the same magazine. Everything about him, including his body, is the same!

Variety is a MUST to prevent and breakthrough plateaus.

To give you a little method behind our madness here at FT, we put clients in 1 of 4 zones, then 1 of 3 levels, then through 8 different phases. All the while changing exercise, reps, sets, rest times, etc...

That's A LOT of change!

This helps keep our clients engaged and having fun, as well as preventing any plateaus and creating muscle confusion. And this isn't just for weight training. It goes for cardio too. So walkers and joggers beware!

Stress and Emotions

How stressed are you? How much sleep do you get? Are you confused whether you're physically or emotionally tired? These are BIG reasons why you might have hit a plateau.

Rest and recovery are very important aspects to your diet and exercise program. If you’ve been exercising too much and eating right, but without enough recovery, then you will have a hard time adapting to your next training session. This would mean decline in performance and burnout.

If there is something going on in your life right now that needs to be resolved, then you should accept that things like this happen and should not pressure yourself about your weight loss. Maintaining your weight is already an accomplishment.

However, if you experience relapses, then you should think about resolving it. Sometimes adjusting your attitude or feelings toward something can be very beneficial for weight loss.

Next time you're stuck in a rut or think you've hit a plateau refer to these tips. Or call us! We're here to help. 

To your breakthrough!,

Tim Chudy
Fitness Together

The Problem With Fitness

Reuters published an article the other day on the problem facing older adults and exercise. It brings an important topic to light. (By the way, you'll see more and more articles, studies, surveys, etc... on baby boomers as there are more people age 50 and older than any other time in US history.)

The problem with fitness is it's not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. Put 5 people in line and I'll show you 5 very different fitness programs. And as those 5 people age, their programs differ even more.

This is why big box gyms do not work for most people. Just today my trainer (who used to work for a big box gym here in town) said he saw a ton of new people sign up, but always saw the same people come in. The crowd never changed. That's because 20% of gym members actually utilize their membership. And I'd venture to say 20% of the 20% know what to do and how to do it when they're there.

The gym is simply a holding place for a bunch of equipment. Yes, getting there is half the battle. But then what?

There are so many facets to a proper fitness program. Age, sex, height, weight, cardiovascular and muscular strength, gait, balance, range of motion, flexibility, mobility, and much, much more.

Just showing up for some pushups and treadmill time will put you on a quick path to nowhere.

Linda's Start

Linda is 54 years old and has plantar fasciitis along with some hip and back issues. It's  nothing that prevents her from exercise, but it does change the way we'll design her program.

We're still going to focus on progression. But she will move at pace that's suitable for her.

Customization is key. And it's why Dr. James Graves suggests in the article, "My recommendation is to work with a personal trainer or group leader..."

Hiring a professional saves time, and more importantly guarantees success.

Skip the wasted hours and failed attempts and call us today for help(314.909.9565). You'll receive a comprehensive health and fitness assessment, consultation, and fully customized program design and implementation. 

Linda wants to join a gym after she learns what to do and how to do it. And you know what? She'll be in the 20% of the 20% because she started out right. Learning from professionals. What to do and how to do it. You can bet she's already saved herself a lot of time, effort, and frustration.

To your fitness success,

Tim Chudy

P.S. Thick sweaters and fleece pants go back in the closet, and the sleeveless shirts, shorts, and swimsuits come out. Our Spring Slim Down starts next Monday, April 15th. Call me for details.