When you are starting on a diet and a new training plan, you usually feel great and motivated to keep going. The number on the scale keeps going down. You start noticing a difference when you look at yourself in the mirror or when you put on your old clothes. Your motivation to make changes and resist old habits is flying high. You could say the beginning of your healthy lifestyle has been a bed of roses... until it isn’t, and your strategy no longer brings measurable benefits. Find out what causes a weight loss plateau and how you can overcome it.
Energy balance, or the non-negotiable condition of weight loss
In order to lose weight and burn fatty tissue regularly, you need to have a negative energy balance, or an energy deficit. The energy deficit occurs when your energy input (i.e. the food you consume) is lower than your energy output (i.e. when your body uses energy, for example, for physical activity, mental activity or any other activities of daily living). When the amount of energy from food does not fully cover the energy expended, the body starts to burn the fatty tissue, which is the energy warehouse of our body.
That is why the first element you should check when you’ve hit a weight loss plateau is whether or not you have an energy deficit which is the result of your calorie requirement. You calculate your daily calorie requirement upon accounting for the body weight, among other things – if the difference in body weight after a few weeks of weight loss is significant, your calorie requirement will also change significantly.
Consequently, by keeping an energy deficit assumed at the beginning of the weight loss journey, you may find out after some time that... you no longer have an energy deficit. Now what? If you’ve noticed that your weight loss has stalled for more than one week, calculate your calorie requirement again and account for your “new” body weight.
Rev up your metabolism again
Any tool that has been excessively used for a long time will break down at one point or another. The same can be said about our metabolic rate, which we rev up to the maximum with the right diet and training when we start the weight loss process. As the time passes, the results are not as spectacular as they used to be, even if you keep your diet and physical activity as intense as they were in the beginning. The reason behind that may be the so called “metabolism slowdown”, which in reality is your body’s way to adapt to the current conditions.
A human body is excellent when it comes to adapting to changing conditions while functioning in the most energy-efficient way. It is due to those adaptation processes that after some time in the weight loss journey your body starts to get used to the lower amount of energy input and greater intensity of training. Your first reaction to solving this stagnation could be to “rev up” again, i.e. to increase the energy deficit and the intensity.
However, it’s not that – if your body got used to a new situation, you need to break that habit so that the same stimuli (a diet and training) remain effective. In order for your body to get out of the habit of losing weight, you could try a diet break, or a short controlled break in a weight loss diet.
A diet break, or a controlled break in your weight loss journey
The idea behind a diet break is to go back to the energy consumption corresponding to your calorie requirement and to lower the intensity of your training. The break can take from one up to four weeks. As a result, your body returns to its old metabolism patterns, and the reintroduced stimuli, i.e. diet and exercises, have an effect that is similar to the one in the beginning.
Many people are afraid of making a diet break because they worry that they might gain weight again. However, it is highly unlikely in such a short time after a hypocaloric diet. A study involving athletes who had a one-week diet break after 12 weeks of restrictions showed that the body gain was minor (statistically insignificant).
On the other hand, a one-week break improved their muscle endurance, increased their mental alertness, and lowered their appetite and irritability caused by having to observe dietary restrictions. The researchers also observed an increase in the daily energy expenditure; in other words, the respondents’ metabolism sped up.
Your health vs your weight loss
You keep hearing people say in different situations that health should be your priority. The same is true for losing weight. In case of any medical conditions, energy restrictions should be put aside. If you have maintained an energy deficit, took a diet break and you still don’t see an improvement, you should visit a doctor.
There can be many medical reasons behind that – from vitamin and mineral deficiency to incorrect functioning of the digestive system to hormonal imbalance. In such a case, it is advisable that you perform basic diagnostic tests, such as blood test and urine test.
While talking to your doctor, you might want to draw his/her attention to somatic symptoms. If you notice:
- changes in your energy levels throughout the day,
- grey skin,
- hair loss,
- bowel problems,
- lower libido or any other issues – those might be the factors that will help the doctor arrive at the right diagnosis.
An energy deficit diet followed for a long period of time may result in deficiencies. It is a good idea to watch your body and the changes that are taking place in your body, and react fast if you notice anything of concern. Depending on your health situation, you might need to break your diet. You do not need to worry though – once your health gets back to normal and you resume your diet, it will be much more effective.