There is nothing like stepping on the scale and seeing the first inklings of weight loss progress. One week in, one pound down. Two weeks in, three pounds lighter than when you started.
Your food choices are stellar, and your workout plans are giving you the results you want. Six weeks in, 10 pounds gone! Then nothing. It stops.
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Why You’re Plateauing After Losing 10 Pounds
How Are Your Workout Plans Holding You Back?
Despite your eating habits, your gym membership, your workout plans, and the great feeling you had when you got started, you are ten pounds lighter and seemingly unable to achieve anything more. You’ve officially hit a weight loss plateau, one of the most frustrating experiences that just about everyone trying to lose weight will hit at one point in their journey, whether early on at the 10-pound mark or later on as you are trying to lose those last pesky pounds.
A weight loss plateau is not the end of the weight loss journey; it is just one obstacle that you are likely to hit along the way. Figuring out what is causing the weight loss plateau can help you blast past this frustrating stopping point in your weight loss progress and get you back on track towards reaching your goals.
Why Am I Plateauing?
There are a few common reasons that people start to plateau in their weight loss progress, especially after losing about 10 pounds. For example:
– Your body may be retaining water, especially if you aren’t staying hydrated properly. When you lose weight quickly, a lot of that initial weight loss is water weight. You need to drink a lot of water to stop your body from retaining it. Remember, the more active you become, the more water you need.
– You may not be eating enough protein, which means that your body is breaking down muscle and is not able to rebuild it correctly. Muscle weighs more than fat and breaks down more slowly. Try increasing your protein intake by changing up what you eat a bit to include protein shakes or more lean proteins at dinner.
– You may be using less energy to do the same routine, as is common when you lose a bit of weight. Whereas once your mile-long walk around the block was sweat inducing, by now it might be simple. Rather than pat yourself on the back, try adding distance to your walk, or even up the difficulty by attempting to jog instead.
As your body hits weight loss milestones, you are going to have to continue making slight changes to your eating habits and exercise habits so that you can keep working towards your larger weight loss goal. Making small changes to your food choices, like swapping out a morning bowl of cereal for a protein-rich breakfast shake or altering your workout plan to include weight training in addition to cardio might be all that it takes to see the pounds start to move again. Reassessing your caloric intake and calorie expenditure after every 10 pounds lost can help you blast past any plateaus.
