Hurdling a Plateau

If you have been losing weight steadily but find your progress has suddenly stalled, you may have hit a plateau. This can be frustrating, especially when it occurs despite following a healthy eating plan and exercising. Thankfully, there are some ways of hurdling a plateau and continuing your journey to better health.

Try a new exercise. 

Remember the first time you tried a new exercise program? Chances are, you were sore for a day or two afterwards. However, over time, it became easier. Once your body becomes used to a specific exercise, it requires less effort to perform it and you burn

If you've hit a plateau, maybe it's time to try something new with your exercise regimen. In many cases, a simple change in routine is enough to restart your weight loss progress.

Shake up your diet

When dieting, it's easy to get stuck in a rut with your meal plan. You know what foods fit your nutrition goals so you tend to stick with them. The problem is, as with exercise, the body gets used to things after a while. Try substituting some different foods.

Keep in mind that your caloric intake needs may have changed since you initially started trying to lose weight. Put your current stats in one of the many calculators available online to see if the results say you need a different amount. You can also try reducing your calorie intake by 100-200, keeping in mind that you don't want to drop below 1,200 calories a day.

Pump some iron

If you don't have a strength-training aspect to your weight loss plan, you should. In some ways, the body isn't too smart. When you lose weight, you don't lose just fat. You also lose muscle and water. Metabolism slows as muscle decreases. Adding strength training will help rev your metabolism and get you back on the road to your goal.

If you already are strength-training, look for a way to add some variety. Add components to your existing exercises or try a totally new move.

Check to make sure you're still on plan

If you're not measuring your food, it's possible you may be taking in more calories than you think. Over time, it's easy for our eyes to deceive us into believing that we are taking the same small portion. In reality, the portion may be larger. A 3oz boneless skinless chicken breast has around 94 calories. If you are a single ounce off with your intake, your chicken just jumped to around 125 calories.

Make sure you're counting everything you eat or drink. It's easy to forget the bite you took from your partner's dessert plate or the bites you took of supper while you were cooking. However, these little things can add up.