How to break through a weight-loss plateau

If you've stopped losing weight, you may have hit a common diet and exercise plateau. Sharecare fitness expert Wendy Batts explains why plateaus happen and how you can move past it and keep on losing.

Transcript

00:00

Our bodies are very adaptable. So every four to six weeks, you need to introduce some sort of change to continue

00:06

making that progress. [MUSIC PLAYING]

00:14

We all get excited when pounds and inches begin to fall off, and we feel like we're making great progress and that nothing can stop us.

00:22

And then, around week five or six, things often start to slow down. And then we wonder, what's going on?

00:29

Is something different? Why am I not losing the weight at the same pace I was when I started my program? Well, the dreaded plateau sets in.

00:37

A number of factors can play a role in this. So you need to take an honest look and see what you're doing.

00:43

Are you still logging your food and being faithful to healthy eating? Have you gone back to any of your old habits

00:50

that have sabotaged you in the past? Are you still exercising regularly? Are you getting a good night's sleep?

00:57

Has your health changed, or do you have a condition that can be impacting your ability to lose weight?

01:03

OK, let's assume that you're doing everything right and really focusing on a change in lifestyle. Take a hard look at your workout.

01:11

Our bodies are very adaptable. So every four to six weeks, you need to introduce some sort of change to continue

01:18

making that progress. These variables can include frequency, or how often, intensity, how hard,

01:25

time, how long, as well as simply mixing up the routine with variations of exercises to target those particular muscle groups.

01:34

Let's look at your cardio program. If you're always riding the bike, switch it up. Try going for a walk with a challenging pace

01:41

and then begin adding in a jog. Once you can maintain that constant jog, try mini sprints to really increase your heart rate

01:49

and challenge your body. Remember, the more you push yourself, the more calories you will burn during your cardio workout

01:56

because of the increased demand you're placing on your body. Start out for 20 minutes, and then begin working your way up to 30 and then 45 minutes each time.

02:06

And you will really start to see and feel a difference. Lastly, let's look at your exercise program.

02:13

We all have our favorite exercises that we feel comfortable doing. This comfort level will eventually lead you to a plateau.

02:20

Try going outside of your comfort level by adding in more sets or more weight to increase the intensity of your workout.

02:27

For example, if you were doing 2 sets of 15 repetitions, try increasing it to 3 sets.

02:33

If you're already doing three sets, try to increase your weight. Consider doing new exercises altogether.

02:39

Adding in lunges, squats push ups are just a few examples of exercises that will increase your heart rate

02:46

and lead you to great overall results. If you're already doing these, try looking into new exercises on Sharecare

02:53

to help you find alternatives to add into your program. These small adjustments make a huge difference and will keep you from hitting that dreaded plateau.