Weight loss is never a smooth journey. Many people start out with great enthusiasm, lose weight quickly in the first few weeks, but then suddenly their body “stuck”. Despite maintaining a diet and exercise regimen, their weight does not change. This is a very common phenomenon when losing weight.
The good news is that this condition is temporary, and with the right strategy, you can completely overcome it to continue achieving your goals.
How to break through and lose weight?
A weight loss plateau is a natural part of the journey, not a failure. The important thing is that you maintain a healthy lifestyle instead of looking for short-term “miracle plans”. By combining reasonable calorie management, increasing cardiovascular exercise, changing your exercise routine, strength training and keeping a relaxed mind, you will definitely overcome this stage and get closer to your sustainable weight loss goals.
1. Stay motivated but reduce stress
One of the common mistakes is to focus too much on weight and force yourself to lose weight quickly. When you are too stressed, your body releases more stress hormones, slowing down your metabolism, making it more difficult to lose weight.
Experts advise: be patient, stay motivated and allow yourself to “let go” a little. Instead of checking your weight every day, try spending time on meditation, yoga or other relaxing activities. This will help you stay mentally relaxed and continue your weight loss journey without getting exhausted.
2. Control your energy intake and expenditure
The core principle of weight loss is simple: the amount of calories you consume must be less than the amount of calories you burn. If your weight has remained the same for weeks, you may be eating the same amount of calories you burn. The only solution is to adjust: either cut down on your calorie intake or increase your activity to burn more calories.
You can check yourself with a small checklist:
- Are you eating enough green vegetables every day?
- Are you avoiding high-calorie snacks and sugary drinks?
- Do you do regular cardio and strength training?
If you answered “no” to many of these questions, that’s where you need to make changes. Gradually change your “no”s to “yes”s, and you’ll see the difference.
3. Increase your cardio
When you plateau, your body has often adapted to your current workout intensity. The solution is to increase the challenge by increasing your cardio time to about 90 minutes a day (or split it into two 45-minute sessions). This will help burn more calories without exhausting you in one long workout.
In addition, take advantage of small daily activities to increase energy expenditure: walk while on the phone, take the stairs instead of the elevator, or do some standing exercises while watching TV. These seemingly small habits can have a huge impact on overcoming a weight plateau.
4. Change your exercise routine
The body tends to adapt to familiar exercises, causing the calorie-burning effect to gradually decrease. So, try “cross-training” by changing the form of exercise. If you usually run, try swimming, cycling, dancing or kickboxing. If you are used to lifting weights, try free weights or bodyweight exercises.
Variation not only helps the body mobilize many new muscle groups but also makes you more interested in the training process. Even participating in a favorite sport with friends or family can increase energy expenditure and make the weight loss journey more fun.
5. Don’t ignore strength training
Many people focus on cardio but forget the important role of resistance training. Strength training helps maintain and develop lean muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, even at rest. Although muscle weighs more than fat, so it may slow down weight loss, the payoff is a leaner, more toned, and healthier body. Many people who lose a little weight find themselves wearing 1–2 clothing sizes smaller, thanks to changes in body composition.
