Last Updated on July 28, 2019

Plateaus are frustrating… disappointing…. infuriating. Especially when you’re busting your butt eating clean and exercising. When you’re doing everything right, why is the scale showing you a number that’s so wrong?  In this post I share tips on how to break through a plateau and lose stubborn fat.  If you’re struggling to lose weight, this post is for you.

How to Break Through a Weight Loss Plateau

When you diet and exercise consistently and hit a plateau and can’t lose weight, there are only a handful of reasons why.

Why you have a Weight Loss Plateau

1. Your calories are off:  you’re eating too much or not enough
2. Your nutrients aren’t balanced
3. Your body has adapted to your workouts

Reason #1:  Your Calories are Off

When it comes to Calories think of Goldilocks and the Three Bears… If your calories are too low?  Your body isn’t getting enough fuel and you’ll trigger starvation mode and stop losing fat.  If you have too many?  They extra calories will be stored as fat.  Your calories need to be jussssstttt righhhhhttt.

Too many calories or not enough – Cut your calories too low and it’ll think you’re  in danger.  Your body can’t tell you’re in a self-inducing a famine.  It thinks you’re starving to death.  Your body reacts by slowing the metabolism, holding onto fat, to protect you…. just in case more calories don’t come soon.

On the flip side when you eat too many calories your body knows it doesn’t need all of the leftover cals so it stores it….  “Hey, lets save this cheeseburger for a rainy day.”

The unused ‘leftovers’ turn into love-handles, and are stored as fat for future use.

The Solution!  To know how much fat and protein to eat first you have to know if you’re too low or too high.

Riddle me this:

How many calories are you eating?

Are you measuring out portion sizes and tracking calories?

How often do you exercise?  A lot of people hit plateaus or can’t shake stubborn fat because they aren’t eating enough calories to fuel exercise.

• Crunch your numbers to re-calculate your calorie deficit.
• If you’re eating too many cut back.
• If you’re not eating enough then add some more.

If you exercise regularly (4+ days a week) it’s likely you need to eat more…

Reason #2:  Your Nutrients aren’t Balanced

Vegan, vegetarian, carnivore, … it doesn’t matter.

• Your body needs complex carbs to lose fat.
• Your body needs fat to lose fat.
• Your body needs protein to lose fat.

If you’re not eating enough calories it’s important you add foods that will help accelerate the metabolism i.e. lean proteins!  However, a lotta people think if they cut fat they’ll lose fat.  Right?  Right?????  Not so much!  I used to think that too.  I was in absolute denial when I was told to increase my fat consumption.

Are you crazy?!  Eating fat will help melt my muffin top??  After a 2 week protest, I gave in and reluctantly added some almonds and fish oil supplements.  Shapow!  I lost 2 pounds in 1 week and thought Well, I be damned!  

I strongly advise that you add the extra calories via lean protein, healthy fat or a combination of both as needed, based on your needs.

For 1 week: try adding one serving of a lean proteins and healthy fats like:  Eggs, nuts, olive oil, avocado, quinoa, beans, whatever you want add a protein and a fat to each meal…  only 1 serving of each though, so be sure to measure out your serving size.  If you don’t have too much room to play with your calories double down with foods that are good sources of both protein and fat like eggs and nuts.

Abs are Made in the Kitchen

Weight loss is 60-80% what you eat and 40-20% how you exercise.  (Your percentages are based on your body type).  It’s highly likely that your eating habits are responsible for the plateau.   Start by adding to or taking calories away from your meals first.  Then balance your nutrients as needed.

When week 2 beings start Experimenting with Exercise.  You need to do a mix of weight training and cardio workouts.  I also advise that you exercise in a way that’s best for your goal look.  That way you can make sure you’re losing fat and get the goal you want… Otherwise you could get big and bulky, when you’re trying to get itty bitty.  So starting incorporating cardio and weight training exercise into your program and your plateau problems may be solved.  If you are working out then it’s time to confuse your body to get fat loss flowing again.

Reason #3:  Your Body’s Bored – Switch it Up!

Cardio

Every time you hit the gym do something different.  For example, if you’re a treadmill person, do the elliptical.  If you bike, try the stair climber.  Whatever you switch to…

Make sure you sweat.  If you’re still pretty when you’re done, you’re not doing it right.  Warm up, and then keep your heart rate between 140-155 beats per minute.  Check your pulse throughout your workout.  For every 10 seconds, there should be at least 23-25 beats.  If your heart rate is in that range, trust me… you’ll be sweating.

If you are following the exercise program you’ve probably adapted.  Now’s the time to do something different to confuse your body.

• Try a new exercise
• Increase intensity speed or resistance
• Add another 10 minutes or
• Add a day and exercise 5 days a week instead of 4

Weight Training

The 4 easiest ways to blast through a plateau with weight training is to one or a combination of 2 (or more depending on how low you’re trying to drop your body fat percentage) of the following:

• Switch up the types of exercises you do
• Switch up the equipment
• Add more weight or resistance
• Add another set

The scale used to ruin my day.  Step on – die inside – step off – curse.  

I hated it and if you do too follow the above steps as needed and you should be doing a happy dance shimmy when you weigh yourself.  If you aren’t dropping lbs within the next 2 weeks.  Hormone imbalances, toxins and metabolic dysfunction could be to blame.  If you take my free metabolic analysis I’ll be able to tell you if you have something bigger going on and suggest a program that will help you fix it so you can start losing weight and feeling great fast!

As always the tips in this post can only work, if you work it!  So work it, you’re worth it!

Your Coach and Biggest Cheerleader

xxoo

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Heads up!  These tips aren’t going to do much if you’re not following a meal plan, cardio and full body weight training program that’s a good match for your body type and goal look.  If you truly want to lose weight and improve your health and confidence join my Total Transformation Challenge.  You’ll get noticeable results in DAYS not weeks!!  Guaranteed.