Very few things are as tough as achieving your goal weight.
While your weight may tend to come off rapidly initially, at some point, things begin to go south, like your weight won’t budge.
The inability to lose weight is referred to as a stall or a weight loss plateau. It is usually discouraging or frustrating.
There are several reasons why one may experience a weight loss plateau. We will discuss 7 of these reasons in this article.
1. You’re eating way too little or too much
Cutting down on excess calories from junk foods or processed foods can help you burn off some weight. Before eating, take a second look at the food on your plate and ensure that your
portions are measured according to your current weight.
Eating minimal amounts of food or cutting back on calories can trick your body into starvation mode. This will cause you to feel hungry because your body thinks something is wrong somewhere and wants you to regain that weight.
2. Your diet is deficient in fiber and protein-rich foods
Eating an adequate amount of dietary fiber and protein keeps you feeling fuller for a more extended period. Protein has a suppressing effect on ghrelin, the hunger hormone. Protein-rich foods help maintain muscle weight and boost metabolism while burning fat. Food rich in protein includes chicken, eggs, legumes and pulses, seeds and nuts, and milk and milk products. Foods that are rich in fiber include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lentils, and legumes.
3. Take a gym holiday
You head that, didn’t you? Overtraining or lack of rest may arise from continuous exercise and training. Your body probably needs nothing more than some rest to beat the weight loss plateau, and a brief period of recovery and recharge is more than necessary for this. So, taking a few days off will prevent your body from being overstressed.
4. Your medications could be at fault
Certain medicines like insulin, antidepressants, steroids, or blood pressure-controlling drugs may interfere with weight loss and stall your progress. It would help if you discussed with your healthcare provider whether your medications could interfere with your weight loss efforts or not.
5. Sleep deprivation
A late-night Netflix binge isn’t chilling. You’re killing your metabolism. Lack of sleep can cause tiredness and a dizzy feeling and cause metabolic activities in your body to derail. When you’re deprived of sleep, the level of cortisol in your blood will rise. Cortisol is a stress hormone. Increased level of cortisol leads to fat and weight gain, mainly in the abdominal area. To arrest this, schedule an 8-hour sleep daily. Always go through your bedtime routine so you can know where you might be wrong.
6. Your hormones aren’t within normal range
Medical conditions like polycystic ovarian syndrome or hypothyroidism can make it hard to lose weight. These medical conditions can cause you to retain a more significant percentage of your weight. Eating a nutritious and healthy diet and engaging in regular physical activity will reduce the symptoms of these conditions and enhance weight loss.
