Milly Gaines
Experiencing a weight loss plateau is common, and it can be frustrating when your weight loss journey stalls. Weight loss plateaus occur when your body adjusts to your new habits, slowing down your metabolism and becoming more efficient with calories. To kick-start your diet, consider a combination of dietary changes and increased physical activity. Studies have shown that high-intensity aerobic exercise combined with resistance training can maximise weight loss. Additionally, getting enough sleep can help curb cravings by regulating hormones associated with hunger. Diet-wise, increasing protein intake may help boost metabolic rate, while reducing alcohol consumption and sugary drinks can lower calorie intake. Ultimately, the best way to kick-start a stalled diet is to start now, focusing on nutritious eating habits, exercise, and adequate sleep.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Track calories and macronutrients | Tracking protein, fat, and carbs can provide information about intake, allowing modification if needed |
| Increase protein intake | Protein boosts metabolic rate more than fat or carbs, increasing hormones that reduce appetite |
| Avoid alcohol | Alcohol is high in calories, increases appetite, and lowers inhibitions, leading to unhealthy choices |
| Include more fiber | Soluble fiber dissolves in water, slowing digestion and increasing feelings of fullness |
| Drink more water | Water boosts metabolism and may reduce food intake, especially when consumed before meals |
| Exercise | Combining high-intensity aerobic exercise with resistance training maximizes weight loss and muscle maintenance |
| Get enough sleep | Sleep helps curb cravings by altering hunger hormones |
| Rapid weight loss | Achieving quick results can be motivating and reduce symptoms like fatigue and joint pain |
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What You'll Learn
Increase protein intake to boost metabolic rate
Increasing your protein intake can be an effective way to boost your metabolic rate and kick-start a stalled diet.
Protein has a much larger impact on TEF (Thermic Effect of Food) than carbohydrates or fats. TEF is the increase in metabolism that occurs due to the digestion of food. Protein digestion boosts calorie burning by 20-30%, which is more than twice as much as fat or carbs. This means that eating more protein can help you burn more calories, even when your body is at rest.
Additionally, protein helps to prevent muscle loss, a common side effect of dieting. Building and retaining muscle is important because muscle is more metabolically active than fat. Higher amounts of muscle will result in a higher metabolism. Resistance training and high-intensity interval training (if safe for you) can help build and retain muscle while also boosting your metabolism.
To increase your protein intake, consider meal prepping high-protein meals for lunch or dinner. Grilled chicken and roasted vegetables are great options. Keeping your fridge stocked with low-sugar, protein-rich drinks and snacks can also make it easier to grab a quick, healthy option.
However, it is important to be cautious when increasing your protein intake. A high intake of branched-chain amino acids in combination with a high-fat Western diet may contribute to the development of metabolic diseases. Additionally, when energy demand is low, excess protein can be converted to glucose, leading to a positive energy balance. Therefore, it is important to consider your overall diet and caloric needs when increasing your protein intake.
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Avoid alcohol, sugary drinks, and limit fruit juice
Alcohol is a primary source of fuel for the body, which means that when you drink alcohol, your body prioritizes burning it for energy over other sources of fuel. This can stall your weight loss efforts, even if you are otherwise eating healthily and exercising. Alcohol is also high in calories, and those calories add up fast. For example, a single serving of beer (12 oz.) contains around 150 calories, and a pina colada contains around 500 calories! If you're serious about losing weight, it may be worth trying a "dry week" or even a "dry month". If you don't want to cut alcohol out completely, you can still enjoy a drink, but be mindful of serving sizes and adjust your diet accordingly.
Sugary drinks are the leading source of added sugars in the American diet. Regular sodas, fruit drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, and sweetened waters all contain high amounts of added sugar. Even adding sugar and flavored creamer to coffee and tea at home counts. People who frequently consume sugary drinks are more likely to experience health problems, including weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cavities, and gout. To kick-start a stalled diet, it's important to avoid sugary drinks and choose healthier alternatives instead. Carry a reusable water bottle with you and refill it throughout the day. If you want to add some flavor to your water, try adding lemon, cucumber, basil, or blackberry.
Fruit juices can also be high in sugar and calories, even if they are marketed as healthy options. It's important to read the nutrition labels and be mindful of the amount of sugar and calories you are consuming. While small amounts of fruit juice are probably fine, it's best to limit your intake and opt for whole fruits instead, as they contain fiber and other nutrients that are beneficial for weight loss.
In addition to avoiding alcohol, sugary drinks, and limiting fruit juice, it's important to increase your water intake. Water can boost your metabolism and aid in weight loss, especially if you consume it before meals, as it may help reduce your food intake.
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Get enough sleep to curb cravings
Getting enough sleep is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and can help curb cravings. Sleep deprivation has been linked to increased cravings, especially for fatty and sweet foods. This is because a lack of sleep affects the same neural pathways as smoking marijuana, increasing activity in the brain's smell-processing region, the piriform cortex, and influencing the way your brain's motivation centers respond to the sight or thought of food.
Studies have shown that even a single night of inadequate sleep can alter our hunger and appetite hormones, making us hungrier. When we are tired, our bodies and brains send strong signals that drive us towards high-calorie food choices. This can lead to weight gain over time as we consume more calories than our body needs.
To get better sleep, you can practice good sleep hygiene. This includes practices such as maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, creating a relaxing sleep environment, and limiting screen time before bed. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night to help regulate your appetite and curb cravings.
Additionally, there are some simple strategies to curb your cravings and support your diet:
- Drink herbal tea: A hot cup of herbal tea can help you feel full and satisfied, reducing the urge to snack.
- Brush your teeth after dinner: This sends a psychological signal that you're finished eating for the day and can help prevent mindless snacking.
- Keep unhealthy snacks out of sight: Out of sight, out of mind. Remove tempting snacks from your home and grocery list.
- Healthy alternatives: Opt for healthy alternatives to satisfy your sweet tooth, such as blending frozen banana slices with skim milk and vanilla extract for a nutritious "ice cream."
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Combine aerobic exercise with resistance training
Combining aerobic exercise with resistance training can be an effective strategy to kick-start a stalled diet and enhance your overall fitness. This approach offers several benefits and has been the subject of various studies investigating its impact on weight loss and physical performance.
Aerobic exercise, also known as cardiovascular exercise, focuses on increasing cardiovascular endurance and improving the efficiency of oxygen uptake and utilization by the body. Examples of aerobic exercises include walking, running, swimming, and cycling. This type of training helps burn calories and can lead to effective weight loss, especially in overweight or obese individuals.
Resistance training, on the other hand, involves activities that build muscle strength and endurance by working against a force or weight. This type of training includes exercises like weightlifting, bodyweight exercises, and resistance band workouts. While resistance training may not directly lead to significant weight loss, it offers other important benefits, such as increasing muscle mass and improving glucose control.
Combining these two types of exercises in your fitness routine can provide a well-rounded approach to improving your health and fitness levels. A study on the effects of combining aerobic and heavy resistance training found that participants in the combined training group exhibited significant weight loss compared to the resistance training-only group. Additionally, the combination of aerobic and resistance training has been shown to improve power and athletic performance, as demonstrated in a study on Malaysian amateur weightlifters.
To incorporate this training methodology, you can structure your workouts to include a combination of aerobic and resistance exercises. For example, you could perform aerobic interval training sessions three times a week, consisting of 30-minute workouts with 8-minute work bouts at 60-70% of your heart rate reserve (HRR). Additionally, you can include resistance exercises such as weightlifting or bodyweight exercises for three days a week, performing three sets per day with 8-12 repetitions per set.
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Track calories and macronutrients to modify diet
Tracking your calories and macronutrients is a great way to kickstart a stalled diet. Macronutrients are the nutrients your body needs in significant amounts daily to function properly. The three macronutrients are proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Carbohydrates usually make up the greatest portion of people's energy intake, providing four calories per gram eaten. Proteins provide the same amount of energy per gram consumed, and depending on your age, health, and body composition goals, they should comprise between 10% and 35% of your daily energy intake. Fats, on the other hand, are the most energy-rich food source, providing nine calories of energy per gram.
Counting macros can be a great way to track your nutritional goals and ensure you are getting the right balance of nutrients. It may seem overwhelming at first, but with the help of various apps and tools, it can become easier. Apps like MyFitnessPal and Cronometer offer comprehensive nutrition tracking, allowing you to log your meals and view a complete nutritional breakdown. These apps have large food databases and some even offer barcode scanning for effortless entry. By tracking your meals, you can gain a better understanding of your personal nutrition and make informed choices to align with your health and fitness goals.
In addition to apps, there are other tools you can use to accurately track your macronutrients. Using measuring spoons, cups, and jugs can help you measure your food portions. However, for the most precise measurements, it is recommended to use a food scale. This ensures that you are precise with your nutrition, which is critical if you want to see results.
By tracking your calories and macronutrients, you can identify areas where modifications are needed. For example, if you find that your carbohydrate intake is higher than recommended, you can make a conscious effort to reduce it. Similarly, if your protein intake is lower than the suggested range, you can include more protein-rich foods in your diet. This way, tracking can help you make informed adjustments to your diet and get your weight loss journey back on track.
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Frequently asked questions
Here are some ways to kick start a stalled diet:
- Get enough sleep.
- Exercise regularly.
- Eat more protein.
- Drink more water.
- Avoid sugary drinks.
Studies have shown that combining high-intensity aerobic exercise (like HIIT) with resistance training can help maximise weight loss and muscle mass maintenance.
Try tracking your calories and macronutrients to understand how much you're consuming. Increasing your protein intake may also help as it boosts your metabolic rate more than fat or carbs.
