How to Break Weight Plateaus

You're dieting and exercising religiously, but for some reason your weight loss has suddenly stopped just short of your goal. It's frustrating to hit a weight loss plateau, but it's not uncommon, according to Dr. Katz, a physician and writer for "O, The Oprah Magazine." Dr. Katz explains that your basal metabolic rate, the minimum level of metabolic activity required to keep your lungs, heart and other essential organs doing their jobs, accounts for 60 to 70 percent of the calories you burn. Your basal rate slows when your weight drops, making it harder to shed those pounds as you slim down.

Instructions

• 1

  Review your diet to make sure that you aren't taking in too many or too few calories. Keep a detailed food diary to help you stay honest with yourself. Sampling sauces while cooking, munching mindlessly in front of the TV and clearing your kids' plates for them can all add up quickly. The Mayo Clinic suggests cutting 200 more calories per day from your diet, provided you don't let your daily intake fall below 1,200 -- and you continue to eat at regular intervals. Don't skip breakfast. Eat small amounts regularly throughout the day to encourage calorie burning.

• 2

  Drink plenty of water. The website That's Fit says that as your fat cells shrink, your liver, digestive tract and kidneys need to clear out toxins. Without water to do the job, your hormones may interact with these chemicals and stall your weight loss progress. Water also has the added benefit of helping you feel fill, curbing your temptation to eat that extra serving of bread at dinner. If you're not sure how much water you should drink, multiply your weight by 0.55 and divide by 8. The resulting number tells you how many cups of water you need to drink every day.

• 3

  Change up your exercise routine. Although Dr. Katz suggests that the science behind altering your workout to overcome a plateau is limited, the strategy may help you by renewing your enthusiasm to exercise. When you're more excited about you're workout, you're likely to put in more effort and keep at it for longer. You need at least 150 to 200 minutes of exercise per week to see weight loss results. If you're getting less, consider ramping up your effort by an extra 30 minutes, or increasing your intensity.

• 4

  Bulk up those muscles. Building more muscle actually boosts your basal metabolic rate, even as you continue to lose weight. Pump iron or work some extra resistance training into your routine to see those numbers drop on the scale.

• 5

  Work additional activity into your daily routine. Stand instead of sitting on the subway. Walk to the grocery store instead of taking the car. Spend an active hour running around with the kids instead of sitting in front of the television.

• 6

  Review your reasons for wanting to lose weight. If you feel your enthusiasm waning, write down all the reasons you wanted to get fit in the first place to fire up your motivation. Katherine Tallmadge, a dietitian interviewed by WebMD, recommends visualizing yourself looking slimmed down and fabulous. Picture yourself feeling confident in that swimsuit or having the energy to keep up with your kids at the park all day long to renew your commitment to your weight loss goals.