Good afternoon dear friends! If you came to our site looking for tips and advice on weight loss, healthy lifestyle and beauty, then you have come to the right place. Today, the Me and Fitness team has prepared for you a fascinating article in which we will tell you why weight stays the same when losing weight.
Anyone who struggles with extra pounds must have noticed that at first the numbers on the scales change constantly, and then the weight stops. It is important to understand why this happens, how to speed up the process of losing weight and whether it is realistic to do so. We will help you find answers and fix the situation.
Why there is no progress
When the weight has risen, there is no need to panic and think “I can’t lose weight.” In such a situation, the cause of the problem should be established. The state when, with proper nutrition and fitness, extra pounds remain in place, is called a dietary plateau. A similar effect occurs frequently. It is associated with the body's adaptation to the diet and the level of physical activity. Also, the reasons for stopping weight on a diet can be:
- Miscalculation of calories. When you lose weight, you need to monitor your daily calorie intake. It is generally accepted that in order to reduce body weight, it is necessary to consume 1200 kcal daily. When counting calories, you need to take into account every little thing, for example, the use of oil for frying a dish or mayonnaise in a salad.
- Fluid retention in the body. Water accumulating in the body does not allow tracking changes in weight, and also causes swelling. Contributes to this consumption of salty foods, taking certain medications and a number of diseases.
- Features of the menstrual cycle. Before menstruation, changes occur in the body - fluid accumulates, breasts swell, weight increases. After the end of bleeding, he will return to normal again, but be careful, during PMS, girls increase their appetite. Don't overeat.
- Hard limits for PP. should be comprehensive and complete. If you limit the body in some substances, it will stop burning body fat and focus on eliminating the deficiency.
- Protein deficiency. Protein is the basis of weight loss, in addition, the amino acids in its composition act as a building material for muscle growth. The lack of protein food will lead to the fact that the body will begin to draw amino acids from muscle tissue.
- Low physical activity. Often the weight has stopped and does not decrease due to the fact that the person is not active enough. Calories consumed are not consumed due to the lack of physical activity.
- Exhausting fitness. With daily intense training, the body experiences stress. Because of this, a metabolic disorder can occur, and the weight will stop or begin to grow.
- Redistribution of fat, water and muscle. When you lose weight for a long time, the moment of restructuring comes. Water and fat go away, and muscle mass grows. Muscle is heavier than fat, so the numbers on the scale don't change.
- Diseases of the endocrine system. Dysfunction of the thyroid and pancreas, as well as a lack of sex hormones, often cause weight to stop or increase.
- Renal and heart failure. Reviews of doctors indicate that edema, fluid retention, shortness of breath and weight gain are noted with these diseases.
These are the 10 most common reasons why it is difficult to make the body lose weight. But it should be understood that a dietary plateau is a solvable problem, it is enough to make quite a bit of effort to eliminate it.
How to make a difference
Often there is a situation when the weight stands, and the volumes go away. Most girls immediately think about what to do, how to get it off the ground? To do this, it is enough to follow a number of simple rules:
- Change your diet. Lose weight on cereals, change them to protein. Focusing on salads, pay attention. Make the menu more varied and complete.
- Increase your fluid intake. The daily rate of absorbed water is 2 liters. Make sure you drink at least the recommended amount. Water removes toxins and slags, cleanses the body, helps to normalize metabolic processes.
- Change your training program. Going in for sports, periodically it is necessary to change the training program. Enter new exercises, increase weight, add.
- Reduce your salt intake. No one says that you can not salt at all. It is desirable to reduce its use and replace the cookery with the sea.
- Add calories. If your diet is too meager and monotonous, contains very few calories, this will negatively affect weight loss and overall health. Introduce a few high-calorie foods into the diet, this will restore balance.
- Visit the sauna, sign up for a massage. Such procedures relax, help in the normalization of metabolism, fat burning, as a result, weight and volume decrease.
- Eat more often. Eat 5-6 times a day, but in small portions. The most voluminous and high-calorie meal is breakfast, do not neglect food in the morning. Fruits, boiled eggs, low-fat dairy products are suitable as snacks.
- Give up alcohol. Alcoholic drinks are empty calories. In addition, they retain fluid and cause swelling.
- Arrange boot days. Once a week, allow yourself to eat unhealthy food (a piece of cake, fried meat, a hot dog). This will reduce the emotional burden, allow you to endure more time on the diet.
The effect of a dietary plateau may occur a week or a month after the transition to a new diet and sport. On average, it lasts about 2-4 weeks. Do not be afraid and give up, the problem is solved. The main thing is to be patient and try a little.
We sincerely wish you good luck and hope that you will overcome all difficulties in one breath. If our recommendations were useful to you, take a couple of seconds and share the article with your friends on social networks. networks.
More and more people in the world are beginning to monitor their body weight. Gone are the days when it was an honor to be full. Today, people are ashamed of excess weight and seek to get rid of it in a variety of ways. To lose weight, you need to adjust your diet and do fitness. The first results will be visible after 2 weeks, but after a while, weight loss stops. The numbers on the scales do not decrease. This is where the question arises: what to do if the weight has risen while losing weight?
First of all - do not despair. For all people who want to lose weight, at some point, weight loss stops. This is the so-called plateau. You can overcome it in a variety of ways.
Why does weight stand still when losing weight? It's all about adaptive thermogenesis. This is the scientific name for the plateau phase. This effect is an adaptation of the organism to new conditions. That is, the human body gets used to a new diet, physical activity and ceases to burn fat reserves.
Doctors consider the plateau effect to be normal, but he drives many losing weight into discouragement. After all, the ultimate goal - rapid weight loss - is pushed back in time.
It is impossible to say how long the plateau effect will last, since the body of each person is individual. On average, weight loss stops for 3 weeks, but sometimes longer.
It should be understood that stopping weight is a very important stage in the process of losing weight. At this time, it is important not to break loose and wait out the difficult period of body restructuring. When it happens, then the weight will start to go away again.
Reasons for weight loss
You can find out the reasons why the weight stopped going away only after a detailed study of the techniques used by a person to lose weight. After that it will be possible to approximately determine the duration of the stagnation, because it largely depends on the program of training and nutrition. In addition, it will be possible to understand what to do if the weight stands still.
Weight loss can stop for the following reasons:
- The chosen diet is too rigid. It's about cutting calories too much. The body simply does not have enough energy and building material for a normal metabolism. As a result, the fat burning process stops.
- Lack of protein. This is the second most important cause of the plateau. For an effective fat burning process per 1 kg of weight, a person who is losing weight should receive at least 0.5 g of protein with food.
- Monotonous diet. If you regularly eat some dietary products, the weight will rise very quickly. You need to pamper yourself with sweets and fatty foods from time to time.
- Excess calorie intake. If a person believes that he can lose weight by simply counting calories, then he is mistaken. Without physical activity, it is impossible to achieve a calorie deficit, which is necessary for effective weight loss.
- Excessive physical activity. With exhausting sports against the background of a protein and calorie deficiency, the body begins to receive energy from muscle tissues. The vacated space is quickly filled with fat, since less energy is needed to create it, while it itself is the best energy depot.
- The wrong way to lose weight. If excess weight does not go away for a long time, you should review the diet and change the type of physical activity.
- Insufficient fluid intake. Drinking more water is advice for those who are wondering: the weight is standing still, what should I do? Reviews of people who have begun to drink more liquid eloquently prove the importance of water in the process of getting rid of excess weight. Each person should drink at least 1.5-2 liters per day.
It is important to remember that dieting alone will not effectively lose weight. Strict dietary restrictions give a quick, but short-term effect. After giving up the diet, extra pounds will return. But this is not the main danger. Nutritionists warn that if you go on a diet for more than 2 weeks, you can significantly slow down your metabolism and cause indigestion.
Methods to overcome stagnation in weight loss
Weight has risen, how to make the body lose weight again? Answers to this question have been found for a long time. But first, we should talk about simple rules to avoid stagnation in fat burning.
- You need to drink enough water. Metabolic processes are accompanied by the release of a large amount of toxins. They need liquid to get rid of them. Without effective cleansing of the body, the fat burning process will quickly stop.
- Eating enough calories. No need to start losing weight with a too strict diet. Perhaps, at the beginning of the journey, it will allow you to quickly lose a few kilograms, but then the lack of calories will cause the metabolism to decrease. The daily deficit should not exceed 200 kcal.
- Food must be healthy. From the diet you need to exclude sugar and too fatty foods. A healthy diet must be followed during the entire period of weight loss.
- Constant change in training regimen. The human body has an amazing ability to adapt. He gets used to a certain training program within 2 weeks, after which the effectiveness of physical exercises drops dramatically. Therefore, to maintain calorie expenditure at the desired level, you need to change the training program at least once every 2 weeks. You can also alternate sports: running, rowing, walking, strength training, exercise bike, etc.
- Use physiotherapy. They will allow you to keep your metabolism at a high level and will not allow the process of losing weight to stop.
Subject to these rules, extra pounds will go away evenly, but if you abandon them, then weight loss may stop.
The classic method of overcoming stagnation
If weight loss is based on a diet, but at the same time, extra pounds do not go away, then nutritionists advised to change the diet drastically for one day, make the so-called boot day. Professional athletes call this technique "cheat meal". On a busy day, treat yourself to plenty of fruit and protein. The main goal is to exceed the basic calorie content of the diet by at least 600 kcal.
Changing the training complex on a loading day will allow you to confidently overcome stagnation.
This method is best for those people who are losing weight on a diet and counting calories.
Changing the training complex
With this approach, the diet remains unchanged, but physical activity is significantly adjusted. For example, regular strength exercises are replaced with gymnastics or tabata-style circuit training.
This method of accelerating metabolism is based on a peak increase in energy costs. It should be understood that this method is most effective only if balanced diet. In addition, a person must be well trained to withstand sharply increasing loads.
Combined method
When it is not possible to determine what exactly caused the weight to stop, then it is recommended to try combine increased calorie intake with increased physical activity. If a person focuses on strength training, then he should choose equipment so that he can perform at least ten repetitions with him.
This method is well suited to those who seek to lose weight through diets, but it is contraindicated for athletes, as it can lead to overtraining.
Mistakes in overcoming stagnation
Many people on the way to a slim body make many mistakes that move them away from their cherished goal. As a rule, we are talking about an incorrect assessment of certain methods that allow you to overcome the weight stop.
- Exaggeration of the role of sport. Men and women, after reading articles on the Internet, are addicted to heavy physical exertion in the hope of quickly losing weight, but often get the opposite effect. The thing is that with excessive physical exertion and the wrong diet, there will be a set of muscle mass without significant fat burning. In the process of getting rid of extra pounds, preference should be given to feasible physical activity. Such loads should be daily: walking, exercising, swimming.
- Passion for spa and massage. Let's just say that it is impossible to get rid of fat using these procedures. Yes, in the sauna and during massage, weight can be reduced, but only due to fluid loss.
- Sex for weight loss. In particular, we are talking about interrupted sexual intercourse. Allegedly, with PPA, the body spends more energy than when achieving a full orgasm. This is a dangerous delusion. PPA is dangerous to the health of men and women. Sex should be full, but even in this case, it will not contribute to weight loss.
It is enough to avoid these mistakes so that weight loss takes place evenly, and the plateau effect takes very little time.
Whatever the reason for stopping weight when losing weight, the main thing is don't be discouraged and don't give up from reaching the goal. Stagnation in fat burning cannot last forever. Alternate methods of overcoming it and certainly achieve success.
My plateau effect lasted for 2 months. For a long time I could not figure out how to start losing weight again. A visit to a nutritionist helped. He advised me to drink at least 2 liters of clean water a day. It helped, the weight began to go away again.
Nikolai, Moscow
I dealt with the stagnation by changing my training program. I began to alternate weekly strength training and fitness.
Polina, Rostov
It was necessary to lose weight for the competition, but he still did not leave. The coach advised resorting to a "cheat meal". On his advice, I began to load carbohydrates on Saturdays. The plateau passed quickly and managed to get rid of extra pounds just in time for the competition.
Valery, Kemerovo
Attention, only TODAY!
You have thoroughly prepared and decided to lose weight as correctly as possible. We developed a nutrition system for ourselves, planned physical activities and even started a diary for fixing the results. But now the euphoria from the first dropped kilograms has passed, and the process has stopped. Weight stands still, what to do? The first thought is to tighten the diet, but take your time, this is a dead end move. As a result, you will still fail, and the kilograms will return with an increase. In this case, you need to wait a bit. But several weeks pass, and the arrow of the scales still does not move, the weight stands still. What to do in this case, we will decide together.
plateau effect
That is what this unpleasant phenomenon is called. Every nutritionist knows that there comes a time when the weight stands still. What to do? First of all, don't panic. If you do everything right, then the calm period will pass, and the kilograms will begin to melt again. The main reason for this phenomenon is a slowdown in metabolism. Sometimes this happens in the first week, and sometimes after a few weeks or even months. And all because, in an effort to get results faster, you try to eat as little as possible, in response, the body does not reduce weight, but energy consumption. As a result, it slows down, and the weight stands still. What to do? You don’t need to eat as little as possible, you need to eat right and eat healthy food.
Let's look at the process of losing weight soberly
Orienting ourselves to weight loss, we try to subordinate all processes to one rule - every day the scales should show at least a little less. In order to see at least a momentary result, a person refuses liquids, avoids large meals, even if they are vegetables, low-calorie and very healthy food. And in parallel, he also sits in the sauna, drinks diuretics and laxatives. It should be noted that it will come very quickly, and then the positive dynamics will stop. Frustration, relapse, weight gain - this is the cycle that so many go through. In the best case, a person will turn to a specialist and ask what to do if the weight stands still. The reasons that the doctor will voice, we will list a little later.
Our body is a complex system
Every second a huge number of biochemical processes take place in the body, each of which requires "fuel", energy. Breathing, heart contractions, maintaining muscle tone and body temperature, cell division - all this requires a constant supply of resources. The body can get energy from two sources - external (food) and internal (fat stores). Theoretically, if you reduce your food intake, the body should begin to empty its pantries. But there is a very important psychological component. If you perceive it as violence against yourself, and every day is like torture, then the alarmed body will protect the reserves by any means, the very first of which is to reduce energy expenditure. To prevent this from happening, you need a good psychological attitude. You are not on a diet, your lifestyle is just changing. You do not deprive the unfortunate body of the last chocolate bar, but change it for a full and healthy breakfast or dinner.
Cases from life
We will clearly demonstrate to you why weight stands still when losing weight. Imagine a person who for a long time did not want to notice the accumulated fat. At one fine moment, he “woke up” and resolutely set to work. And in the most radical way, with the help of a hunger strike. At first, the weight decreased quickly, about 3 kg per week, and then stopped. There was a strong weakness, and now a person can feel normal only while lying in bed. The last week of fasting - and the result is minus 400 g. And of these, only 150 g of fat, the rest is the most important protein, that is, cells of the liver, muscles, and blood.
Let's do some simple calculations. In a week, 150 g of fat was dropped, which is only about 1500 kcal. That is, it took only about 200 kcal per day. Normally, our body spends about 1700 kcal per day just to maintain all processes without taking into account external physical activity. That is, the metabolism slowed down ten times.
Refusal to lose weight
After the described stress, a person may decide to abandon the idea of losing weight and start eating as before. But it will not turn on in full force soon, which means that normal nutrition will serve as a source of new extra pounds. It should be borne in mind that any violence against oneself is remembered by the body for a long time. If after some time you try again to enter a strict regimen of food restriction, then the slowdown in metabolism will occur even faster, and it will take even longer to recover when you return to normal nutrition.
Reasons why the weight stands still
The first and most important reason is the reduction in calorie intake. The fewer calories you take in, the more likely it is that your consumption will decrease as well. But there is one caveat: with a moderate, comfortable reduction in the caloric content of the diet, the rate of metabolic processes, on the contrary, increases. No overeating means no sleepiness. The better your sleep will be, and in the morning you will be full of strength and energy. This is the most common answer to the question of why sometimes the weight is on the spot on a diet. At the same time, a smooth and gradual decrease in the calorie content of the diet, on the contrary, leads to an increase in the activity of hormones that have a fat-splitting effect.
The second reason, surprisingly, is the violation of the ratio of fats and carbohydrates. If there are few carbohydrates (and energy is the easiest to get from them), then the economy mode is turned on. Therefore (cereals) should always be in the diet. In general, this rule refers to the lack of any important element, whether it be amino acids, vitamins, minerals or omega-3. Therefore, it is very important that the diet is balanced.
Finally, the last reason is too serious physical exertion. A person limits his diet and begins to train hard, but after a week he notices that he has practically not lost weight. But intense physical activity does not increase the breakdown of fat, but more often vice versa. They spend energy that the body draws from carbohydrates, fats cannot be broken down so quickly.
How not to fall into the trap
First of all, you do not need to focus on weight loss. It often happens that the volumes go away, and the weight stands still. This indicates a loss of fluid, which is quickly compensated. You need to come up with a clear strategy that isn't too complicated or heavy, and stick to it. Do not resort to diets, the process of losing weight should not be reduced to a week of self-torture. Sleep well and enjoy. Eat right, the diet should be enough protein and complex carbohydrates. Refuse is worth only from sweet and fat. Don't tire yourself out with heavy workouts, regular walking is a sufficient remedy.
If you are already experiencing the plateau effect
Do not try to set yourself a regime even more severe than it was. As you can see, this path does not lead to good results. After a couple of weeks, the “crackdown” will stop working and the weight will stop again. And when you return to your usual diet, you will very quickly pick up the lost kilograms again. Try to take a few steps back. Add a small list of products to the diet, review the nutrition system. You need to make it as comfortable as possible, because this is not a diet, but a new way of life. Give yourself time to walk, at least a few stops after work, get enough sleep, and soon you will see how the weight slowly but surely begins to decrease.
Most of those who lose weight are faced with a situation where at first the weight is rapidly disappearing, and at a certain period this process simply stops. Many begin to make various attempts to renew it, often acting at random. As a result, they never manage to solve the problem. What to do if the weight has stood still and you are no longer losing weight? First of all, calm down and study this issue. In fact, there is nothing complicated in it.
Reasons for weight loss
plateau effect
The main reason for the weight to stop in place is called the "plateau effect". This is a natural part of losing weight. It is due to the fact that after the loss of a large mass of fat, the body begins to rebuild to a new mode of operation. His organs and systems adapt to the situation. Such internal processes provoke a temporary stop in weight loss. The duration of this period is always different - it depends on individual characteristics.
How to understand that you have a plateau effect, and not some kind of violation? You must eliminate all of the following factors.
stagnation problem
Sometimes during weight loss there is a so-called stagnation. Weight remains in place, despite following a diet that has previously worked well. Stagnation can be caused by various, sometimes imperceptible at first glance, reasons. Examine them and eliminate them, then weight loss will resume.
Insufficient amount of water consumed
If you have chosen an effective diet for yourself and have the willpower to stick to it, then do not forget about the drinking regimen. Remember how much ordinary pure water you drink per day. If this amount is less than the average daily requirement, then, most likely, this is where the reason for stopping the weight lies. With a lack of fluid, the body cannot fully remove body fat.
Excessive salt intake
Often, excess weight consists not only of fat, but also of excess fluid. And it is retained in the body by salt.
Sedentary lifestyle
Not always for weight loss is enough just the right diet. Physical activity also plays an important role. If you lead a sedentary lifestyle, then stagnation will not take long.
Certain cycle phase
Every woman's body goes through different phases during the month. In the period immediately before menstruation, a natural weight gain occurs. This is a normal physiological phenomenon and should not be dealt with.
Diet violations
There may be several highlights here. First, perhaps you eat little, as paradoxical as it may sound. If you eat less food than recommended in a diet, then the body goes into a special mode of operation. It slows down the metabolism to save energy in an emergency. Secondly, a stop in losing weight can also occur if there is a breakdown in prohibited foods. It is even worse when you allow yourself them regularly, albeit in small quantities. Thirdly, there are diets in which the amount of food is not limited, but only a list of allowed foods is indicated. But if they are abused, then the weight will inevitably fall in place.
Weight stuck in place with the plateau effect, the process of losing weight stops for various reasons, it is necessary to choose the optimal safe strategy, depending on the characteristics of the bodyWhat to do when you stop weight?
The reasons for the phenomenon are clear. It remains to figure out what to do if the weight has stood still and you are no longer losing weight. There are several different paths here, depending on the specific situation.
Let it be as it is
If you have determined that you have a plateau effect, then you should not worry and take urgent action. On the contrary, you need to calm down and continue to stick to the diet without any changes. Also remember to be active. Gradually, the body will rebuild, and weight loss will continue.
The same advice should be followed during premenstrual syndrome, when weight loss also stops.
Move more
If you lead a sedentary lifestyle, then it's time for you to think about changing your habits. Try to move at least as little as possible. Start with a daily simple exercise or walk for 20-30 minutes. Even this will be helpful. Gradually, you can increase the intensity of your workouts.
Drink more clean water
The daily requirement of an average adult in water is 1.5 - 2 liters. Tea, lemonade, compote and other drinks do not count. All this is perceived by the body as food. Only pure water is suitable without any additives. You need to drink it 20 minutes before meals and in between. Water will help remove all unnecessary from the body, reduce appetite and have a beneficial effect on the activity of all organs and systems.
Strictly follow the diet
If you notice that you allow yourself some deviations from the diet, then you should urgently pull yourself together. Only in this way can you resume the stopped weight loss. Also keep in mind that in order to achieve long-term results, it is worth choosing not too strict diets. It is they who allow you to gradually bring weight back to normal without unnecessary stress.
Finding out why the process of losing weight has stopped, you can take appropriate measures. Now you clearly know what to do if the weight has stopped and you are no longer losing weight. It is often necessary to follow several recommendations at once. The main thing is to approach the solution of the problem calmly and accurately establish the cause. If you can’t get out of the situation on your own, then the best option would be to contact a nutritionist.
