What is the plateau effect when losing weight and how to overcome it. The plateau effect when losing weight: reasons and ways to overcome it

Often, while doing active training and following a proper diet, there are no results. Today we will talk about the causes of body failure, find out what the plateau effect is when losing weight, how to overcome the barrier to weight loss and analyze the reasons for its occurrence.

What is the plateau effect?

The plateau effect is a certain hormonal imbalance in the body that prevents weight loss. Simply put, despite all your actions, fat and muscle tissue stops at a certain dead point. A weight break is a completely natural protective reaction of the body and does not harm health.

Why isn't my weight losing?

If at the beginning of your workout and diet you were able to quickly lose a couple of extra pounds, don’t rush to rejoice. When the body adapts to a sudden change in regime, there is a risk of a plateau effect. Let's look at the most common reasons for weight loss.

Alcohol consumption

Even a small amount of low-alcohol drinks can cause weight loss. This happens due to the retention of excess fluid in the body and the formation of salts. It is worth noting that any alcohol has a high calorie content, especially in tandem with various snacks.

Lack of proteins

With intense training, the protein norm increases by 2 times. But with a combination of physical activity and diets, muscles often experience starvation. Under such stress, the body reaches a plateau effect in less than 10 days. It is recommended to comply with the norm of necessary substances and increase the percentage of protein in the diet.

Drying plateau effect

Oddly enough, the plateau effect can also occur with an excess of protein foods. Most often, this can be encountered when drying the body, where the main component of the diet is protein. Despite the fact that drying is intended to launch active metabolism, the body gets used to a certain sequence and begins to work in a monotonous mode. In this case, further continuation of the diet is impossible, since it will be extremely difficult to quickly restore protein balance.

Diet plateau effect

Balanced diets have a beneficial effect on the process of losing weight, but strict dietary restrictions lead to a slowdown in fat breakdown. The reason lies in the low caloric content of the diet or the monotony of eating patterns.

How long does the weight loss plateau last?

It is impossible to name the exact duration of the plateau; it depends on your body. On average, weight changes begin to appear after a month of stagnation. If you have been on a strict diet, the plateau period can last up to 3 months. But you shouldn’t wait for the weight to move on its own. A slight shake of the body can significantly shorten the plateau pause.

How to deal with the plateau effect?

If you do achieve a plateau effect, you need to promptly take a number of measures to combat weight stagnation. There are several effective methods for starting the active work of the body.

Loading day

Give up your usual diet and give yourself a fast day. The loading process, better known as a “cheat meal,” is accomplished by eating higher-calorie foods. Simply put, this is an artificial diet disorder. However, it is not recommended to consume fatty and unhealthy foods, as you risk heartburn and indigestion. It is enough to increase the calorie content of foods by 500-700 kcal. Thus, the body will recover from stress and stop retaining fat deposits.

Unloading

Unloading the body should only be done if you have not followed strict diets and using a loading day does not help you. It is not recommended to radically limit yourself in food; it is enough to reduce the calorie content of food and eat it in small portions. Loading or unloading should be done no more than once every 10 days. Otherwise, you risk putting your body under even more stress, so you will have to wait even longer for results.

Changing your workout mode

From regular physical activity of the same type, the plateau effect occurs much faster than from a diet. In this case, it is recommended not only to change the set of exercises, but also to diversify with more gentle sports. For example, jogging can be supplemented with cycling or skating. Walking long distances will also shake up the body.

Period of stagnation in the process of losing weight

If you are engaged in weight loss with the help of diets, excluding active training and exercise, but still have a weight gap, it is recommended to change your diet. The plateau effect occurs when the body becomes accustomed to the constituent foods of diets. As a rule, in this case, the problem is solved by changing the carbohydrate part of the regime and increasing the calorie content of the total daily food intake. In this way, you can not only “calm” the body by suggesting that you are not going to deprive it of a full diet, but also move away from the plateau-pause.

Everyone who is losing weight wants quick and significant results. The first steps aimed at losing weight usually turn out to be effective if the issue is approached competently and seriously. But sooner or later the weight stops and doesn’t want to give in, no matter what you do. The so-called plateau phase begins. What is the problem with this stop, how to overcome the plateau effect, and what to do next in such a situation?

When dieting, you need to take into account the following factor - if you consume less than 1200 kcal per day, the process in the body will decrease. And this entails a slowdown in the weight loss process.

The main mistake and reason for failure when losing weight is a lack of patience and awareness of how this complex process occurs in the body. Regardless of how you decide to reduce weight or volume, you should understand that losing extra pounds should happen gradually. To abruptly get rid of fat deposits means to knock the body out of the already familiar metabolic circles that have become the norm for it, and therefore you cannot expect a linear reaction from it in response to your measures.

The plateau effect: why the weight stopped

Nutritionists, through numerous experiments and observations, have long established that in the process of losing weight, any woman faces a period when her weight stops at one point. This phenomenon is called by experts the “plateau effect.” And it arises for several reasons.

Firstly, the initial kilograms quickly disappear with excess water, which tends to linger in fatty tissues. Weight loss measures are usually the first to get this process off the ground. The higher the weight, the more excess water. Next, the body slowly begins to lose fat, and then “catches on.” As adipose tissue disintegrates, it releases special substances that signal the body about its loss of strategic reserves of energy and water. The body responds by taking all measures to stop the process.

In response to your actions, the intensity of the basal metabolism slows down, and the thyroid gland especially sharply reduces its activity. The more drastic actions you took, the more starvation diet you used, the more deeply all metabolic processes are disrupted, and the activity of the thyroid gland is simply at risk.

Beware of starvation diets

It is strictly not recommended to be on very low-calorie diets (less than 700 kcal) for more than two weeks, otherwise the metabolic rate drops to the limit, and then the thyroid gland cannot be brought out of its hibernation. You feel disgusting because hypothyroidism develops with all the “delights”: weakness, depression, low blood pressure, dizziness, etc. In this state, the slightest expansion of the diet leads to the formation and storage of fat, and the muscles do not receive energy.

Therefore, it is better to lose weight slowly but surely, on a caloric intake that does not cover your expenses by 30 percent, without falling below 1200 kcal, when the process of reducing metabolism begins. And even under such conditions, the body periodically needs to stop to adapt to a new style of existence. Let your weight stand for a while after defeating him. If you do not deviate from your goal, a new stage of weight loss will soon begin. Otherwise, the risk of regaining the lost kilograms and, in addition, a few more will increase significantly!

How to overcome the plateau phase

The main thing is not to despair and not to panic. With the right approach, the plateau period will soon be left behind, and you will again notice a decrease in weighing results. It has already been said that the phenomenon occurs due to a slowdown in metabolism. Sometimes this is felt already in the first week, and sometimes after several months.

What eating behavior should you choose for this period, the main task of which is to maintain your weight? Don’t even think about cutting calories if your weight isn’t growing but just standing there! There is no need to strive to eat as little as possible, you just need to stick to a healthy diet.

Look at your diet to see if it contains sufficient amounts of protein and low-fat foods: boiled lean meat, low-fat cottage cheese. Carefully introduce porridge from whole grain cereals (buckwheat, millet, oats) into the menu. Try to eat more vegetables and unsweetened fruits of various varieties. The more types of fruits and vegetables in your weekly diet, the less chance you have of regaining lost kilograms. The presence of high-quality vegetable oil in the amount of tbsp. spoon a day. You can add an egg, some rye or bran bread.

Factors contributing to the plateau effect

• Lack of water in the body. It suppresses the desire to snack and enhances metabolic processes, due to which accumulated fats begin to melt.
• Abuse of salt. Because of this, fluid accumulates in the body, and the weight is maintained due to the retained water.
• Menstruation. During menstruation, most women experience weight gain due to the hormone estrogen, which causes fluid retention. This leads to weight gain.
• Excessive consumption of foods allowed during the diet in limited quantities. Only the consumption of vegetables and fruits with a low glycemic index is not limited (all types of cabbage, zucchini, cucumbers, pumpkin, green leaf lettuce and herbs, unsweetened apples, gooseberries, red bell peppers, etc.). There are special reference tables for the glycemic index values ​​of foods - the lower it is, the more suitable the product is for those losing weight, and even for people with diabetes.
• Insufficient protein intake. Without it, it will not be possible to achieve the desired result even if all previous conditions are strictly observed.
• You don’t move much: physical activity is necessary in any form acceptable to you.
• Not enough iodine in the diet. Add foods and iodine-containing herbs.

The plateau effect is a stop in the weight loss process, which can last from 2 weeks to several months. This condition often deprives a person of the desire to continue working on himself and is therefore very dangerous. Lack of results is one of the reasons for failing to diet and skipping workouts. Strategies for overcoming a plateau depend on the cause of its occurrence.

Possible reasons

1. Too strict diet. If you decide to lose weight quickly using an extreme low-calorie diet, at some point your weight loss will slow down. Typically this effect occurs within 1-2 weeks after starting the program. Calculate how many calories you need for your lifestyle using any of the publicly available formulas. Subtract 20% from this figure and then get the value you need for weight loss. Reducing calories by a greater amount is not advisable.
2. Cutting down on fats and proteins. With a balanced diet, proteins should account for about 30–35% of calories, and fats 15–20%. Reducing the content of these nutrients in food negatively affects the body’s condition and provokes a plateau effect.
3. Long-term use of mono-diet. Mono-diets have nothing in common with healthy eating. If you limit your diet to one product, for example, kefir or buckwheat, your metabolism will inevitably slow down. Remember that the use of mono-diets is allowed only during fasting days and no more than once a week.
4. Use alcohol. Even low-alcohol drinks retain fluid in the body. And this is not to mention the rather high calorie content of many drinks and snacks. A complete abstinence from alcohol will have a positive effect on the process of losing weight.

In general, any actions aimed at losing weight at the very beginning lead to visible results. By limiting your diet and adding physical activity, you lose a kilogram, then a second... But few people wonder what exactly is lost in the first days. But, in fact, it is just water that has been retained in the body. After some time, the body adapts to the new harsh conditions and a pause occurs. There is no more excess water, but the fat remains in its place.

The dietary plateau depends on the adequacy of the chosen weight loss program. If this condition occurs quite often and lasts more than 1 month, think about revising your nutritional principles and reworking your training system. Specialists – a nutritionist and a trainer – can help you with this issue.

Ways to overcome a plateau

How to overcome a plateau? There are several strategies that will gently shake up your body and get you back on track to losing weight.

Continuation of the diet

We have already found out that a dietary plateau is a normal physiological reaction of the body. If you are following a healthy and nutritious diet, just stick with it. Sooner or later your metabolism will adjust and you will see the desired results. How long you need to wait depends only on your body. On average, changes begin within 1–1.5 months.

To make this happen faster, use the following ideas:

1. Try doing a fasting day once a week. Use any mono-diet - limit yourself to 2 kg of apples, 2 liters of kefir or 5 small portions of buckwheat without salt. If you are losing weight following the principles of proper nutrition and eating nuts and honey, you can simply remove these products from your menu once a week.
2. Exercise in the morning. It is absolutely not necessary to go for a run; you can limit yourself to a few yoga poses or stretching exercises. They will help activate your metabolism and speed up weight loss.
3. Treat yourself. A cheat meal is a planned diet violation. It is usually used by professional athletes, as it makes it easier to accept constant restrictions and speeds up the metabolism. You can also use this idea. Once a week, allow yourself 1 unhealthy meal. It could be your favorite dessert, grilled meat, or a bowl of macaroni and cheese. The main rule of a cheat meal is to limit yourself to only 1 meal, relieve emotional stress and be able to stop at the right moment. After this, immediately return to your normal diet.

This strategy is suitable for those who adhere to proper nutrition and conduct moderate training 3-4 times a week. But, it will not help those whose plateau arose due to a reason such as a strict diet.

Sports activities

In order to overcome the plateau effect on healthy eating, you do not need to make any changes to your usual diet. Adjusting the sports program will be quite enough. For example, add variable-intensity cardio twice a week.

Below is an example of a 45-minute interval session that can be done on any cardio machine.

1. Low intensity warm-up – 5 minutes.
2. 15 minutes of medium intensity.
3. 1 minute high intensity.
4. 2 minutes of medium load.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 4 more times.
6. 10 minutes of moderate to low intensity cool down.

This approach to getting out of a plateau is suitable for those who love to exercise and do not have problems increasing their appetite with regular exercise.

Visit to the SPA

Continue to train and diet, but add a visit to the SPA center or bathhouse to your schedule. It's best to go there immediately after a strength training session and try not to overeat that day. Procedures based on heating the body increase the need for oxygen and nutrients. This speeds up metabolic processes in the body.

How many of these procedures per week are needed to overcome a dietary plateau? There is no exact answer to this question, since each organism is individual. On average, 1-2 times a week is enough. If you combine them with self-massage and a contrast shower, the result will appear faster.

This method can be recommended when many methods have already been tried, but the stage of stagnation in losing weight has not ended. Warming is contraindicated for those who suffer from any chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system.

What to do with a plateau on a strict diet?

The plateau effect when losing weight on a strict diet is one of the most common problems faced by nutritionists. The strategy for getting out of the plateau requires abandoning strict restrictions. If the diet has been followed for a long time, leaving it can lead to weight gain. To avoid this, increase your daily calories gradually - by 150-200 per week.

By the time you return to normal eating, your metabolism will have accelerated. The weight loss plateau effect will be overcome and you will be able to lose weight with a healthy diet and regular exercise.

If you want to lose weight by eating right, but now your menu is far from ideal, use the plan below. It will help you change your lifestyle without much difficulty and will prevent your body from going into plateau mode.

• Week 1. Focus on the frequency of your meals. How many times a day should you eat? Eat 4-6 times a day, but in small portions, and remember to drink enough water. In addition, eliminate all ready-made sauces from your diet, leaving olive oil for salad dressings.
• Week 2. Skip baked goods in favor of whole grain bread. Replace refined sweets with dried fruits, nuts, and honey in small quantities.
• Week 3. Avoid all alcoholic drinks completely.
• Week 4 Change your approach to cooking. Skip frying in favor of stewing, steaming and baking.
• Week 5. Track the amount of protein you consume. If necessary, enrich your diet with fish, low-fat dairy products and legumes.
• Week 6 Listen to yourself. At some point, you will be able to hear your body's signals and understand what it needs. With careful attention to their well-being, many people switch to intuitive eating.

Don't make the common mistake of trying to overcome a weight loss plateau by further tightening your diet. This will put your body into a state of severe stress, and it will burn fat even more slowly. In this case, there is no need to talk about effective weight loss.

Improving the quality of your diet and introducing sports activities will give more significant results that will last for a long time.

The plateau effect when losing weight is frustrating and demotivating. But don't worry. We can overcome the period of stagnation in weight loss. Below you will find 14 science-based recommendations that, if followed, will help you start losing weight again.

Reduce your calories

If you are following a weight loss plan that involves strictly tracking your calorie intake, then when you reach a plateau, try cutting back a little.

Because your body has shrunk in size, it now uses less energy than it did before. Therefore, the number of calories consumed should be reduced.

How long?

A metabolic rate test, which is done in private clinics and elite fitness centers, can accurately answer this question. However, it is expensive. Therefore, if you do not want to pay for the test, then just try to reduce the number of calories by 100-200 per day.

Attention! Never lower your calorie intake below 1200 per day. This will lead to rapid weight gain as the body enters a state of stress and begins to store fat.

Switch to a low-carb diet

If you are not yet losing weight on such diets, then it’s time to switch to them, since it has been scientifically proven that. Because they promote changes in metabolism that lead to weight loss. They also reduce appetite.

Eat carbs

But if you are already on any of the low-carb diets, then when you reach the plateau effect, you need to switch to a menu rich in these compounds within a few days.

When you lose weight, you reduce the volume of adipose tissue, which produces the satiety hormone leptin. . But if it is extremely low, too. Since the body, as with an extremely strong reduction in the number of calories, will begin to perceive what is happening as a threat of starvation and will go into energy conservation mode.

Therefore, he needs to demonstrate that you are not starving. To do this, you need to eat foods rich in carbohydrates for several days. This will increase leptin production and calm the brain. Then you need to go back to a low-carb diet.

More plant fiber

Fiber is important for weight loss and is absolutely essential for breaking the plateau effect.

When you reach a level of stagnation in weight loss, you should consume at least 30 grams of fiber per day. Moreover, special emphasis should be placed on soluble plant fibers, which slow down the absorption of food and reduce its calorie content.

Do strength training

The main reason for the development of the plateau effect during weight loss is a slowdown in metabolism associated with a decrease in the volume of muscle tissue.

To maintain a high metabolic rate, you should not allow your muscles to melt away while losing weight. This can be achieved through strength training, which is equally beneficial for both men and women.

Moreover, the higher a person’s initial weight, the more attention he should pay to strength training when losing weight. And women too!

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) also helps overcome stagnation in weight loss. In the article “” you will find detailed instructions for these workouts.

Move more all day

In this case, we are not talking about fitness classes or active walking. All that is meant is physical activity called NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis). NEAT refers to muscle activity that we wouldn't normally think of as active exercise. This could be walking around the room, sitting in a straight back position, standing, fidgeting in a chair.

This physical activity may seem insignificant to us. But it helps maintain the volume of muscle tissue when losing weight, and in addition, it unusually accelerates metabolism.

So if a person sits rather than lies, he spends 54% more calories. And if he also fidgets in his chair, then by 94%.

Be careful - don't overtrain

Do not exhaust yourself with fitness classes under any circumstances. Be sure to take breaks of several days between active workouts. Let the muscles recover.

Some people who lose weight, especially when they reach the point where they are losing weight, begin to exhaust themselves with physical activity. And this only worsens the situation, as the body enters a state of stress and sharply reduces the metabolic rate.

So don't exercise every day. NEAT is daily physical activity, but not strenuous sports.

Lean on the squirrels

Digestion of protein, in contrast to the absorption of carbohydrates and fats, increases metabolism by 20-30%. And this is important for losing weight. However, to overcome stagnation in this process, it is also important that protein helps preserve muscle tissue, which becomes thinner during weight loss. And this thinning slows down the metabolism and prevents you from losing body weight further.

It is important to consume protein more than once a day, but 20-30 grams of pure protein at each meal.

Please note that the mass of pure protein does not correspond to the mass of the product itself. So 100 grams of boiled chicken breast contains only 23 grams of protein itself. In you will find a list of protein foods with an exact indication of their protein content.

Introduce intermittent fasting

Intermittent, or cascade, fasting is the refusal of food for 8-16 hours. The method helps you lose weight and is useful for overcoming the plateau effect, as it forces the body to lose weight only by reducing the amount of fat, but not muscle.

Replace coffee with green tea

However, when the plateau effect is reached, it is better to replace it with green tea, since this drink will give you the same amount of caffeine, which is necessary to speed up metabolism, but will also supply the body with the antioxidant EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), which significantly speeds up the metabolic rate.

Give up alcohol

Even though alcoholic beverages do not contain many calories, they are known as a food that sabotages weight loss.

• First, alcohol weakens a person's control over his physical desires. And while taking it, people often transmit it.
• Secondly, the effect of alcohol on the body is such that it slows down metabolism and promotes the deposition of fatty deposits in the liver.

Try to normalize your sleep

Experts have noticed that people who do not get enough rest during the night, that is, have less than 7 hours of good sleep, reach a weight loss plateau faster and have a harder time overcoming it than those who have a good night's rest.

Of course, improving sleep is often not easy. But the efforts are worth it. You can achieve better sleep by normalizing melatonin levels.

From this article you can learn about what melatonin is, how it affects the human body, what foods and dietary supplements it contains.

Many people who lose weight make this mistake. They track weight loss only by the numbers they see on the scale. But it's not right.

Since your goal is not to reduce body weight, but to free your body from excess fat. Therefore, if you are losing weight correctly, and getting rid of fat, maintaining muscles and even increasing their volume (which is extremely important for maintaining health), your body weight may not decrease or almost not decrease. And you will decide that you have reached a plateau.

And this will not be the same as how voluminous light fat will be replaced by dense, heavy muscles. This will not allow the readings on the scale to change significantly. But it will be the right healthy weight loss.

Therefore, track your results not only in lost kilograms, but also in centimeters, clothing sizes, and body proportions. And definitely in your health. Proper weight loss doesn't have to be exhausting. You should feel better, not worse.

Also pay attention to whether you have excess water, which could prevent the desired values ​​from appearing on the scale. To be sure that there is no moisture retention, use 10 methods that make it possible without harm to your health.

Stay motivated

Even if you lose weight absolutely correctly, reaching a plateau effect when losing weight is inevitable. At this moment, the main thing is not to despair and maintain the desire to lose weight. Gradually, the stagnation will end, and you will achieve the results you want.

Unfortunately, during the period of stagnation, many people who are losing weight begin to behave incorrectly.

Someone does “everything possible” to get rid of excess weight: exhausting themselves in the gym, minimizing the amount of food consumed, etc. All these actions lead to a slowdown in metabolism. And they only make things worse.

Usually, after such a breakthrough, which does not produce positive results, despair sets in. And the person gives up the idea of ​​losing weight.

For others, despair occurs immediately upon reaching a period of stagnation.

And most importantly, do not forget that the occurrence of the board effect when losing weight is a normal phenomenon. Everything is going as it should. There is no reason to worry.

This effect is called a “plateau”, and when such a problem occurs, it is recommended to learn about the main reasons for stopping weight loss and ways to combat them.

What is the plateau effect?

The plateau effect when losing weight is usually understood as the cessation of weight loss for no apparent reason. In this situation, despite all the efforts of a person in the form of strict diets and increased physical activity, body weight remains constant. This situation is explained by the fact that over time the body gets used to increased stress and dietary restrictions and reacts to stress by stopping the weight loss process.

Many reviews contain confusion about the concepts of “plateau” and “slowing weight loss.” At first, weight loss is easy in most cases, which is largely due to the removal of excess fluid from the body. A person can lose up to 2 kg per day, especially if he previously had swelling. Fats that have been gained recently, are loose in structure and have not had time to gain a foothold in the body are burned more easily; they easily respond to physical activity, diet and are easily lost. Over time, it becomes more difficult to remove every extra kilogram, since it is much more difficult to “melt” old fat deposits.

Changes in the rate of weight loss are called deceleration of weight loss. A plateau means a complete stop in mass change over a long period of time. At the same time, the body does not react in any way to exposure in the form of a strict diet or grueling exercise. The danger lies in the fact that a person gives up in such a situation, which can result in failure of the diet, refusal to exercise and the nullification of all previously achieved weight loss results.

The main reasons for the plateau effect

The plateau effect when losing weight is associated with the body getting used to the regime of restrictions. As a result, he establishes new rules of balance and stops responding to all external influences by losing weight. The situation is aggravated by the fact that after losing weight there is no need to maintain metabolism at the same level. A person reduces the amount of calories consumed, while burning them during training and the body stops working. Blood moves along a shortened path and metabolic processes decrease significantly, which leads to a lack of weight loss results.

You can avoid stopping weight loss if you exclude the following reasons:

• very strict diet;
• insufficiency of fats and proteins in the body, as a result of which muscles begin to burn and the need for energy is reduced significantly;
• long-term use of mono-diet or abuse of fasting days;
• drinking alcoholic beverages, which are always high in calories and lead to fluid stagnation.

Instructors say that if no significant changes in weight loss are observed within 1 month, then it is necessary to look for the reasons for the appearance of the plateau effect and take serious action. This situation is described by many people who are losing weight, confirming the presence of a pause in weight loss for 2 months. Today, there are several basic strategies for losing weight.

The plateau effect: the main mistakes of losing weight

Reviews of people losing weight call for dietary restrictions, which is wrong. You should not go on a strict diet and force yourself to literally starve. With such actions you can achieve a very short-term result, but in the future the plateau effect will worsen and it will be almost impossible to force the weight to shift in the desired direction. It is worth remembering that it is impossible to endlessly reduce the level of calories consumed. Maximum restrictions can lead to the opposite effect and the body will begin to store a significant part of the incoming nutrients in reserve.

It is worth remembering the right psychological attitude. Feelings of anger and worries about the numbers on the scale negatively affect the functioning of the entire body. Depression often becomes the cause of a breakdown and a person begins to “eat” his failures, which is fraught with the appearance of new kilograms gained.

The main mistake of those losing weight when the plateau effect appears is refusing to exercise due to their supposed ineffectiveness. Instructors say that fixing weight at a certain value for 1.5 months should be perceived as a positive thing. At the same time, the body remembers and records a certain weight, which means it is difficult to gain weight in the future. One of the main rules in losing weight is to achieve stability and long-term results.

How to overcome the problem?

There is no universal way to overcome or avoid the plateau effect, so finding an effective method will require experimentation. All of them can be divided into two main groups:

• make adjustments to your diet;
• diversify and “break” the usual training regimes.

Nutrition

In order to move the weight from a dead point, it is necessary to create a kind of stress for the body, to force it to get out of the “frozen” position. By doing this, you can arrange a loading or fasting day for yourself. In the first case, the daily calorie intake is exceeded by an average of 25%, that is, by 400-500 calories. This technique will “deceive” the body, an increase in calories will signal that there is no need to accumulate reserves and the fat burning process will resume. At the same time, you should avoid fatty and unhealthy foods.

You can overcome the problem in another way and arrange a fasting day, providing food with a calorie content of 1,000 to 2,000 calories with a further return to the normal diet. Such a shake-up for the body should not be repeated more than once a week.

You can experiment with the following options:

• make changes in meal times before and after exercise;
• arrange a “swing”, eating food with a calorie deviation within 250 up and down, alternating them by day;
• change the traditional diet, shift the time of main meals;
• introduce new, previously unused foods into your diet.

You don't have to reduce the number of calories you eat to get the effect. It is enough to change the nature of the diet, for example, move away from the protein-carbohydrate diet and try the “swing” diet.

Workout

How to overcome the plateau effect when losing weight:

• change the nature of training - a radical change in the training program, the inclusion of new types of exercises, taking advantage of previously unused types of exercise in the form of yoga, step aerobics, kickboxing and other types of techniques;
• switch to outdoor activities - variety in the form of jogging, skiing and skating, cycling and walking;
• use high-intensity interval training - such exercises are considered one of the most effective, the burning of fat deposits increases significantly, the increased metabolic rate persists for several hours after training;
• take advantage of bathing procedures, visiting saunas - the effect of thermal procedures is to create a deficiency of oxygen in the body, which restarts metabolic processes and causes it to increase calorie expenditure;
• connect cosmetic procedures - lymphatic drainage, anti-cellulite massage, body wraps have always been considered the best helpers in the process of losing weight.

Instructors advise changing the nature of your workouts in order to overcome the problem of the plateau effect when losing weight. For example, get away from strength training and switch to using free weights.

You can experiment with the number of repetitions and approaches when performing basic exercises to force the body to respond to innovations.

This method will allow you to avoid the main mistake of novice athletes in the form of using the same training program for a long time.