There is nothing more frustrating than doing everything that you are ’supposed’ to do but for whatever reason the weight loss just stops. Many of our clients here at the Body Project have struggled with weight loss plateaus in the past, but they were over to over come them with a progressive systematic approach.

Before we get into how our personal training clients smash through their weight loss plateaus and how you can to, it is important to determine if you have actually hit a plateau or perhaps you haven’t actually been following your diet and/or training program.

The first step is to do a gut check and make sure your compliance to your program is where it needs to be. If you haven’t been 90% compliant then stop reading this article and get back to focusing on doing what you actually said you were going to do. So many of our clients thought they were doing the right thing until they went through our 12 week weight loss coaching program and got a real education in what it takes to lose fat fast.

If you have been sticking to your program but have stopped losing weight then we have a problem.
Homeostasis.

The human body is all about achieving homeostasis, so what we need to do is shake things up and get our systems guessing. At the Body Project when someone hits a plateau we tell them their are 4 ways that you can disrupt homeostasis and blast through your weight loss plateau. You aren’t meant to do all of them instead just pick one at a time. Monitor your progress and see if it is working. If not, switch up your strategies.

1. Increase Calories for 7-10 Days
This doesn’t mean go off your diet. Instead, increase your calories (no more than 500 calories per day), mainly from carbohydrates to give your system a ‘break’ from calorie restriction. After the 7-10 day period cut your calories back down and your weight loss will start back up. This strategy works well if you have been dieting for a long time.

2. Crank Up the Intensity
Often times we find ourselves perpetually dieting and can just never seem to get those last 10 pounds off. In these situations cranking up the intensity from every angle (diet and training) for a set amount of time is a great way to blast through a weight loss plateau. With this method we are basically shocking your system out of homeostasis. Make sure you are doing both interval strength training and interval cardio training. If you are not implementing interval strategies in your routine, then make sure you contact us to set up a program for you.

3. Change Your Training Program
Sticking to the same training program for too long used to be a very common problem. Now with all the training resources available to most people, being on a program for too long isn’t an issue for many people (but it may be for you). You need to be switching up your program (sets, reps, exercises, how many days a week you train, etc) every 4-6 weeks. If you do need a new program we can write a new program for you. At our personal training studio we are constantly changing our clients workouts to optimize their weight loss success.

4. Reduce Your Carbs
This tip seems like it contradicts the first one, but it works just as well. Dropping your carbs down to a ketogenic level will demand your system uses fat as its primary fuel source.

This metabolic fuel switch works best if your carbs aren’t too low already (>100grams). Now to further enhance the effect of this technique, use the ketogenic diet induction protocol where you eat 20grams of carbs or less for 2 weeks. ( basically protein and veggies )
Weight loss plateaus are frustrating but don’t let them discourage you or stop you from reaching your goal.

If you have truly reached a plateau pick one of the techniques above and put it into action. When you hit another plateau, pick another one. Continue doing this until you have reached your goal. Remember that for the most part weight loss is not a linear process. Plateaus are a normal physiological occurrence, but using the same strategies we use here at our Eagan Personal Training studio you can beat homeostasis and achieve the body you want.