Overcoming a weight loss stall
If you’re here, you’ve probably experienced or are experiencing a stall in your weight loss. Or perhaps you’re worried about hitting one and want to do all you can to prevent it. Let us save you the mental gymnastics of trying to figure out what to do and how to get back on track.
Firstly, you are not alone in experiencing this.
Weight loss stalls are really common and often come as a package deal with weight loss.
Until this point, chances are you’ve been eating really well. You’re preparing most of your meals at home now, dishing up your own portions, and instead of rolling out of bed to a daily muffin you’re rolling into a brisk morning walk. So far, your efforts have been paying off. You’re more energized, your skin is clearer, you’re noticing some extra room in your usual clothes, and your weight is gradually coming down at your check-ins.
So why is it, that seemingly overnight, nothing is changing?
There can be many causes of weight loss plateaus, but the most common due to:
1) Adaptations in the way our body functions
2) Food choices and eating habits
The most common to crop-up in the early post-operative stages is due to metabolic adaptation. You see, our body is a master adapter. When we reduce our calorie intake and lose weight, our body adapts by becoming more efficient in the way it uses the scarce number of calories coming in. It begins by conserving calories to make sure we have enough energy to put aside, in case of emergency. In pre-evolution times this would have been in case your next meal was days away. This adaptation does not serve us now but, our biology is still hard-wired this way meaning when calories are scarce, our body stops spending them for a period of time.
Another common cause for weight stalling is increasing calorie intake. Essentially, calories in = calories out.
Tips to overcome a weight loss stall
Stay positive
Repeat after us, a weight stall does not equal failure. We get it, a stall in weight can really rattle your confidence and have you second-guessing all the great changes you’ve made so far. But remember, just like you have taken time to adapt to a new way of eating, your body also needs time to adjust. This is the perfect time to revisit your non-scale-related goals. Here are some examples from our patients.
Be able to get down on the floor to comfortably play with kids
Get back into ballroom dancing
Comfortably bend down to put shoes on
Cook a nutritious meal at home 6 out of 7 nights a week
Write it down
It can be helpful to take note of what you are eating and drinking for a few days. Eating scraps off the kids’ plates and nabbing a few biscuits at afternoon tea can all add up without us realising!
Tracking your intake for a few days using an app such as MyFitness Pal or Easy Diet Diary can help bring back your awareness to your eating and drinking habits, so you can make any necessary changes. Your dietitian can help you interpret your data and make some helpful suggestions if you need to improve your food choices.
Watch out for liquid calories
Liquid calories can quickly add up to halt weight loss. A regular-size milky coffee like a latte, flat white, or cappuccino contains around 150 calories, the same as a slice of bread. Two or three of these equals the same number of calories in a large size meal. You can see then, how this can slowly eat into your calorie deficit and slow weight loss. The same goes for alcoholic drinks, mineral waters with fruit flavorings, hot chocolates, and chai lattes. Each of these contains around 150 calories.
Portions
Check your portions. Are you still serving out your own food, or is someone else in the house doing this? Increasing portion size is a common cause for weight stalling. Reviewing the portion guidelines from your team and serving onto smaller plates and bowls is a great place to start if this sounds like you.
Get moving
Are you sitting most of the day? Make it your aim to simply sit less. As we lose weight our body simply needs less energy to run, meaning we have to work harder to create a deficit in calories to shift weight. Exercise is essential for this.
Weight-bearing exercise, that is, exercise that uses your body weight, weights, or resistance bands is especially important and will help your body to burn more energy. Not to mention, exercise comes with wonderful mood-boosting benefits and helps keep bones nice and strong.
If you would like an extra helping hand overcoming a weight stall, or, you don’t know where to begin putting some of these tips into play, please get in touch with a dietitian, exercise physiologist or psychologist to support you.