It's frustrating to be stuck on a weight-loss plateau and not know what you can do about it. Our team of experts are here to help break through the plateaus holding you back from achieving your goals!

If you've been trying to lose weight for a while, then you know how frustrating it is when your progress stops.

You may feel like giving up and going back to the way things were before and falling back into old habits. However, if you're dedicated to losing weight, there are some things that you can do in order to break through this plateau and continue making progress towards your goal.

The most important thing is not getting discouraged if your body doesn't respond the way that it did when you first started your weight loss program and progress was easier. Instead, try switching up your methods until something works for you!

In this post, we will talk about ways you can overcome obstacles so that you can continue on with your weight loss journey!

What Is A Weight Loss Plateau?

The term "plateau" has been used to describe a period of time in which there are no significant changes in your weight, despite your best efforts to exercise and diet.

A weight-loss plateau is when you're stuck at a certain weight and it's impossible to lose the pounds. Weight loss plateaus are frustrating, but they're also common. You can't just give up when you hit a plateau; it is simply an obstacle in your journey and there are many different ways that you can fight back against it!

The truth is that life can be hard and sometimes we just need a break from our fitness routine. But if you want to reach your goal weight, then it's important to keep your motivation up and move forward with a plan for how you're going to get back on the horse.

How Plateaus Can Affect Your Fitness Journey

A plateau is detrimental to your weight loss journey. The reason is when you hit a plateau, the weight loss comes to halt. You will notice that your body is in homeostasis meaning that your body is in its physiologically stable and it no longer wants to lose weight or gain muscle.

Causes of weight loss plateau:

• Lack of sleep: Not enough sleep can affect your appetite as well as slow down your metabolism.
• Stress: When you're stressed, cortisol is released which can make it difficult to lose weight through exercise and dieting alone.
• Alcohol consumption: Excess alcohol will cause more fat storage and affect metabolic function negatively.
• Inadequate calorie intake: Not consuming enough calories can cause your body to hold on to fat.

The end result is a plateau. The body becomes complacent and will not lose or gain weight, even if you keep exercising the same amount as before (or less). You may also notice that your muscles are no longer growing after working out because they have reached their maximal capacity.

The good news is that the weight loss plateau can be overcome by making key changes to your diet and exercise routine.

Best Ways to Overcome Your Weight Loss Plateau

There are many different ways that people fight against weight loss plateaus. Some of these include changing up their diet or adding in some extra workouts at home or at the gym. If none of those work, then you may want to consider a different workout type (take a break from resistance training and start doing more cardiorespiratory training).

We've gathered the best ways to overcome your weight loss plateau, and we encourage you to try them all out!

1. Change it up

Change up the type of workout that you're doing. Some people find success by changing their workouts from cardio exercises to resistance training or vice versa.

2. Take a break

Take a break from working out for a day or two, and then go back to your normal routine. Need to relax and focus on muscle recovery? Try a Hydromassage lounger for muscle recovery at Vim + Vigor Fitness.

3. Do more

Try adding in some extra workouts on top of what you're already doing. This will keep up the intensity that is needed if you want to lose weight.

4. Focus on nutrition

Eat a more balanced diet with foods that you enjoy but stay within your calorie limit for the day. Also, keep a track of your daily calories, journal of what you eat, or both in order to stay on track with healthy eating habits.

5. Adjust your timing

Change up the timing of when you exercise. Some people find success by exercising after a meal to boost their energy and help control hunger.

6. Reduce the frequency of your workouts

Reduce the frequency of your workouts if you're feeling too tired or not seeing any weight loss progress. Try and keep up the intensity, but not doing so many sessions per week, and make sure to focus on muscle recovery.

7. Get help

Hire someone to help you stay accountable: a personal trainer, friend, or coach. Vim + Vigor's team of certified personal trainers has the knowledge to periodize your workouts to help you stay motivated and progress towards your weight loss goal.

8. Be patient and be kind to yourself

Be patient and persistent in your weight loss journey! Weight loss plateaus are often temporary setbacks, and if you keep working hard on a regular basis then you will continue to see progress over time.

Moving Forward

We understand how frustrating it is to be stuck on a weight-loss plateau and not know what you can do about it. Our certified personal trainers are waiting for your call to help break through the plateaus holding you back from achieving your goals.

Remember, just because there isn’t any change in scale weight doesn't mean the work being done outside of the gym or kitchen isn't paying off; sometimes people need more time with their new lifestyle before they see results! Also remember, weight loss doesn't need to be the end goal. Overall body composition (the ratio of muscle to body fat) can actually be more important for improving your health. 

The critical thing to remember is that weight loss plateaus are a temporary setback and if you utilize the tips we've created, you will be back on your weight loss journey in no time.

Contact one of our trainers today if you're ready to get started breaking those pesky plateaus so that we can finally start seeing some changes happen again.