At Wellness Haven, we are invested in your health – your fat loss goals, your muscle building goals and your overall health goals. We go over and beyond to support you in all your wellness needs for we are with you every step of the way. When it comes to fat loss, our results are amazing for we stay with you until you have achieved it and beyond!
We especially help those with the following frustrations:
“I lost weight initially and now it has slowed down”
Or
“I am not losing any weight!”
Many in fact do not follow the guidelines strictly and instead of eating with awareness and caution indulge in emotional eating and wonder why they have not lost weight!
But for some others it may be that they saw amazing changes in their body when suddenly the progress stops! The weight loss is not so amazing after a few weeks of consistent weight loss!! In such a scenario when weight does not budge, instead of throwing your hands in frustration and disappointment and say in “I quit!” educate yourself and get excited about further action!
Weight Loss Plateau is reached when you do not see a loss in weight for 3-4 consecutive weeks. It is very much a reality but there are ways to counteract it and it definitely does not mean that it will never budge.
Let’s understand the words “weight Loss” first.
Weight loss could be changes in any of the following weights: Fat, Muscle and Water weight.
We measure once a week (and just once!) so that we can be disciplined, keep ourselves account table and track fat loss! Please do not weigh more than once a week and that too the best time is Monday morning! When we weigh ourselves we desire to see a loss in fat and not muscle or water weight. Most of the weight fluctuation (1-4 pounds) if you are eating correctly and exercising regularly is due to changes in water retention in the body. Those who consume high amounts of carbohydrates and sodium but drink very little water, retain a LOT of water resulting in increase in body weight. The key is to drink lots of water but stay low on carbohydrates and sodium and exercise to sweat it all out! You will lose the water weight and the result is loss in pounds when you weigh yourself. The more water you drink, the less you will retain it!
If you stay on track with correct habits, there is no need to feel disappointed, frustrated or lose confidence ever! When you see no drop in weight for 2 consecutive weeks, know that the first 2 weeks could be due to water retention. Check your water intake. If you continue to not see drop in weight in week 3 and 4, you may have reached weight plateau despite your very best efforts.
Weight loss plateau facts:
- It is common to experience 2-3 plateaus lasting many weeks as you make your progress towards your ideal weight. Why? Changing our body is never easy. You have let yourself go for so long; don’t you think you need to give it some time to get back in optimal condition? If it was that easy then there would be no one suffering from weight issues!
- The leaner you become, weight loss also becomes much more difficult, because percentage wise there is much less to lose! 0.5% – 1% loss in fat weight is quite a lot, and we always hope to see 15-25 loss in fat weight in week 1 and then at least 5% in 12 weeks! Trust me that it is a lot to lose! Know that as you lose weight, a smaller fat percentage loss equates to even more body weight loss!
Example:
Initial weight= 230 pounds
1st week Fat % loss=1% body fat weight = 2.3 pounds of fat approximately
New weight after losing 30 pounds= 200 pounds
Now 1% of fat is 2 pounds instead of 2.3 pounds!
Now you know that as you decrease in weight, it becomes slower over time!
- Not only does the weight loss slow down over time, it is also a fact that the leaner you become and the closer you reach towards your ideal weight, the body works harder to hold on to your fat!
How to overcome plateaus?
- Re-evaluate your calories intake after approximately every 10 pound weight loss:
As you lose weight, body metabolism also slows down. With lower body mass, the body does not require as much energy to support a smaller body frame! Re-evaluation will ensure that you are eating lesser calories than you are burning! - We eat more calories than we think we are eating if we are not consistently tracking and holding ourselves accountable! This when combined with metabolism decline from weight loss leads to plateaus!
Examples of mindless eating and creeping calories:
– frequently eating outside prepared foods and drinks be it at parties or office!
– not paying attention to portion control.
TRACKING and HOLDING ACCOUNTABLE are key factors towards weight loss! - Although eating right is the key in dropping weight, exercising and eating correctly go hand in hand. As we drop weight, we need to pay even more attention to eating right as well as looking at the intensity of our exercise routine. To maximize results in fat loss and muscle build program, one needs to stick to the structure and not keep jumping from one way to another ad confuse the body! Continuity in the exercise program is more important than continuous changing so that you are better able to track results. Our goal is to keep the basic structure of our exercise program the same and continuous but to progress you into a more intense routine so that you can track your health consistently.
How to overcome tough plateaus:
If you have followed everything to the letter and still unable to break the plateau, cleaning out the body followed by intermittent fasting method maybe needed. Also 80-20 rule in eating or eating optimally 5 days a week with some indulgence the remaining 2 days may just be what is needed to rev up the metabolism!
“Changing your body is a marathon, not a sprint!”
Remember that patience in anything you wish to achieve in life is a must. Some lose weight faster and others slower. Some may do it in months and some may take 1-3 years. One thing is a guarantee at Wellness Haven Nutrition: You become the healthiest you! We see to it that you do. We want your commitment, dedication and we want you to hold yourself accountable. Results are inevitable as you join in many health seeking individuals in our Jump-start Your Life Program for Unlimited Nutrition, Yoga, Breathing and Meditation Program for 3 months.
