Have You Hit a Plateau in Your Weight Loss Journey?

When a person makes up their mind to lose a desired amount of weight, they usually shed the bulk of it with a strict diet and exercise routine. Then somewhere along the end of their journey they reach a plateau and can’t lose the last 5 or 10 pounds. The reason being is that the body’s metabolic rate has changed.  Studies show that for every pound you lose, your metabolism slows by up to 20 calories a day.  So the thinner you get, the less calories you burn doing the same exercise routine as before.

The Switch Up

When you hit that plateau then it’s time to switch things up. I said it before and I will say it time and time again… 

• High Intensity Interval Training. Do your regular cardio routine and add in 30 to 60 second extra hard intervals. Example: While riding a stationary bike at moderate speed give it your all spinning as fast as you can for 30 or 60 seconds then go back to your moderate speed for 2 minutes or so and then repeat at least 5 times. Interval training is a great metabolism booster, for that reason more calories are burned. 

• Gain Muscle. Building and maintaing muscle accelerates our metabolism. Just a few 15-20 minute weight training sessions a week can tone up the body and burn extra calories. Studies show that a pound of muscle can burn up to nine times the calories. It’s okay to do exercises that rely on body weight if you don’t have access to a gym or weights such as push-ups, squats, and lunges. 
  

• Stress less. Studies show that stress makes it hard to lose weight and contributes to causing diabetes. Balance life, find a way to relieve stress, and get a good nights sleep. 

Bye Bye Plateau!