why did I stop losing weight?

Weight loss plateau is when you stop losing weight in spite of following the same sound advice that once helped you lose weight .This is a very common complaint faced by almost anyone who has ever followed a diet and exercise plan for some length of time.

But what causes weight loss plateau?

The main culprit behind weight loss plateau is our bodies' amazing adaptation capabilities.

You see, your body is so smart and so adaptive that it keeps developing to cope with whatever you throw at it .

And what makes weight loss plateau a particularly difficult problem is that it is counterintuitive . You keep doing all the right things that helped you lose weight and the more you do, the worst it gets

But there are ways around it ,Keep reading for a list of the most common causes and how to deal with them

Ok this might not be what you wanted to hear . But it is true. most of the overweight people eat too much for their needs

Often we underestimate the amount of calories in a certain food

Solution :Record what you eat

Studies have proved that those who regularly write down what they eat are more successful at controlling their weight .You cannot change what you don not measure

You may be eating the right amount of calories but the wrong types of foods ,for example too little fiber or too little protein. If you take all your calorie quota from fat for example do you expect to lose weight?

Solution fill on healthy foods

Eat more lean protein ,fresh fruits and vegetables

They have less calories per weight ,they are more satiating and chock full of vitamins and minerals

Liquid calories are another common cause for weight loss plateau.

Those sodas or even supposedly healthy juices are laden with sugar

The problem is we don’t even think of them as calories

As strange as this might be , too little calories is one of the most common causes of weight loss plateaus

You see, our bodies were wired to protect us against famines , once your calorie intake drops below 1000 calories the famine alarm goes off and your body starts working against you . It slows down metabolism and stores more fat .the complete opposite of what you are trying to do.

Solution :Eat more

increase your intake a little, but do it wisely. That way you will build a curvy body instead of a boxy figure.

Increase protein first ,Then healthy carbs as fruits and vegetables

You are eating infrequently

Eating irregularly and skipping meals is one of the main reasons why we stop losing weight. And the worst meal to skip is breakfast. Breakfast sets the tone for the day . After a long night fast staying on an empty stomach till noon will emphasize that famine alarm and push your body into fat storage hyper drive.

Solution :Always, always eat breakfast

People who miss breakfast gain more weight than those who regularly eat a balanced breakfast

Water is essential for all metabolic functions including burning fat . So drinking too little water is one of the main causes of weigh loss plateau

In addition dehydration sends a sense of false hunger so we feel we need to eat while in reality we need more water.

Solution : fill up on pure water

It will help you rehydrate , curb your appetite and stimulate your metabolism

Your body is so smart, it gets used to whatever exercises for burning fat you regularly do , so you may need to crank your exercise a little bit, increase speed, intensity or even duration if your workout is too short.

If you consistently train hard for long hours your body will enter a defense zone and stop losing the extra fats

Solution take it a little easy

Cut back on exercise , get more rest, a couple of days off can be the remedy you need

Working out is great but if all the activity you do is in the gym it won't cut it, you must be active during the day because no matter how much you burn in the gym it will not be enough to get you to your lean goal

If you do, your body will get used to the activity you are doing and stops responding

Solution mix it up

You must change thing a little bit, keep your body guessing what is next

Switch exercises

If you only walk try using the bike

If you only do strength training add in some cardio

Even change of exercise order can push your body to lose more fat

The good news is there are probably hundreds of exercises for burning fat to choose from.

Weight training builds muscles which are your metabolic furnaces

Muscles burn calories while you are sleeping, how good is that?, so go ahead and lift some weights

you don’t need to be a weight lifter to lose weight, but you need to build some muscles and as a bonus well toned muscles give you a curvy body

If you are not getting enough sleep, if you are too stressed out, if you are taking birth control pills you can easily slip into a plateau

Too much stress can wreak havoc on you body

Stress increases cortisol a dieter's disaster as cortisol deposits fat specifically in your belly

In addition stress causes depression and anxiety which are well known factors behind overeating and seeking comfort in food

Solution chill out

Try to deal with stress, meditate, take a walk in the woods or by the beach ,play

with your kids

Forget the scale

Don’t get too obsessed with the scales, it is not the best judge of your progress

Your weight can fluctuate as much as 5 percent during the day because of water content

In addition you may be losing water or muscles which is not what you need

The best measure is your waist, aim to lose waist size , if your jeans are getting loose you are on the right track

Keep you body from getting used to any one type of activity

Zigzag it

This is a great trick

Zigzagging your calorie intake on alternate days

And zigzagging your exercise will keep you body from getting Used to what you are doing

You can also Zigzag cardio and weight training as well

We are continuously bombarded with toxins in food, water even air

This leads to our livers get overwhelmed , and since they are the main detox factory, they cannot metabolize and burn fat as efficiently

Second toxins are stored in fatty tissue so your body will need to store more fat to bury the toxins

So it can be a good idea to cut back on the toxins even for one day a week ;cut meat and dairy, Stop soft drinks and Avoid trans fats

Weight loss is most successful when taken with moderation

A moderate diet change combined with a moderate exercise can do wonders

Plus you did not get here in a day so don’t expect to get back to your normal weight in a day either