How to break the weight loss plateau?

Most people who wish to lose weight desire a smooth and quick weight loss.

Weight loss can suddenly pause even after following a healthy weight loss diet and exercising. The weight may not move for days or weeks, resulting in the most frustrating situation. Many people on weight loss programmes term the "weight loss plateau" a nightmare of their weight loss journey. However, weight loss plateaus are an important part of the weight loss journey since the body tries to adjust itself to the metabolic changes and the fat loss in an attempt to regularise and accept the new change.

According to my observation and experience with my clients over the years, the best way is to let the body experience the weight loss plateau for a minimum of three weeks and then try to break the plateau without giving up on weight loss diet and exercise. The body is like an elastic band. If you stretch an elastic band, you have to make sure you make it loose, or it will come back to its original shape at a greater speed. The same is true with our bodies. If you lose weight, you have to make sure you maintain it, or else it goes into a yo-yo effect, meaning you go back to your original weight.

Here are a few steps that can help break the weight-loss plateau effect:

• Carbohydrate cycling. It has been found that low-carb diets increase fat burning and promote other metabolic changes that favour weight loss, but it's important to suddenly cheat the body and brain with a higher amount of complex carbohydrate in the diet. The low carbohydrate diet days will help with weight loss and insulin sensitivity, while the high carbohydrate diet days can aid in recovery, replenish glycogen, and support muscle growth.

• Introducing or increasing the frequency or intensity of strength training exercises can help break the weight loss plateau effect quickly.

• Maintaining a food diary and keeping track of every food and quantity consumed is essential. Tracking your calories, protein, fat, and carbohydrates can help provide accurate information about how much food you’re taking in. If a food diary is maintained correctly, it can act as a key to breaking the weight loss plateau. Unfortunately, many people, due to time constraints or laziness, skip the activity that is considered an important and essential part of the weight loss programme.

• Increase your protein intake. It has been found that protein digestion aids calorie burning by 20–30%, which is more than twice as much as fat or carbohydrates. Including high-biological protein and protease-rich foods can help break the weight-loss plateau.

• Introduction to intermittent fasting .One can introduce intermittent fasting along with carbohydrate cycling during weight loss plateau. This combination can aid in breaking the weight-loss plateau efficiently.

• Eat dietary soluble fibre. Soluble fibre takes time for digestion and gives fullness to the stomach, delaying hunger pangs and thereby leading to weight loss. You can eat soluble fibre like oats, psyllium husk, citrus fruits, apples, beans, peas, chia, lentils, flaxseeds, etc.

• Eat home-cooked foods. Most ready-to cook foods are high in sodium. The sodium can lead to water retention and thereby interfere with breaking the plateau effect. Eating less than 1 teaspoon of salt per day can significantly help in breaking the weight loss plateau effect.
• Patience and consistency. Without losing hope, keeping patience, and maintaining the consistency of eating healthy food and exercising can suppress the cortisol hormone (stress hormone). The cortisol hormone is often responsible for weight gain and can prevent breaking the weight-loss plateau effect.

Conclusion: The weight loss plateau effect needs to be dealt with well planned diet, exercise, and a happy mind.

Akanksha Kulkarni