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How to Jumpstart Weightloss From Plateau

Few things are as frustrating as when you eat right and exercise plenty, and find that you are no longer losing weight. During the first month, you were losing two to three pounds per week. But now the scale is not budging, and your clothes have been fitting you the same for the last couple of weeks. It looks like your weight loss has plateaued. You should not worry. Plateauing is common, and with the right approach, fairly easy to break out of.

Things You'll Need

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Instructions

  1. Breaking a Plateau

    • 1

      Establish that you have indeed plateaued. Maybe you are just not trying as hard any longer. Licensed nutritionist and dietitian Martha Mckittrick says on her blog Citygirlbites.com that "it is possible that you have become less diligent with your diet and exercise routine. It is common to lose a little focus after the initial part of your weight loss plan."

    • 2

      Make sure you are not eating mindlessly. It is extremely easy to over-eat without noticing. Doctor David L. Katz, MD, of the Oprah.com site, points out to "Look for places where calories may hide---dressings, spreads, sauces, croutons and condiments." Even if you just eat a mouthful here or grab a couple of nuts there, it all adds up.

    • 3

      Mix up your diet. Mckittrick suggests that you try to eat six mini-meals instead of three big ones per day. "If you are on a low fat diet, try a lower carb diet for a few weeks. If you are eating late at night, try to stop eating at 7 to 8 p.m.," she says on her blog. Try cutting all alcohol. Vary the sizes of your meals.

    • 4

      Change up your exercise routine. Doing so will shock your body's metabolism. After about five to six weeks, your body will have gotten used to whatever you are doing. This means that you will no longer burn as many calories doing the exact same thing after a while. Try to do spinning if you have been running, or add small intervals into your jogging routine. If you weight train -- which you should be doing -- definitely changea round the exercises.

    • 5

      Both Mckittrick and Katz emphasize that you need to be patient. Even if you are not losing at the same pace as you did in the beginning of your efforts, you may still be losing weight. Sometimes the body will just adjust on its own.

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