Why Have I Stopped Losing Weight?

When on most weight loss programs, it is normal to hit a period of time where weight loss temporarily stops or slows down in rate. This is where people often give up and go back to old maladaptive habits. They become frustrated and disheartened and stop exercising and eat badly without consciousness of what they are doing.

Now, this is much less common on extremely low-calorie diets such as the HCG Diet or extremely low carb diets such as the ketogenic diet, but it can still happen. The key to success is patience and perhaps to stop weighing yourself. Focus on the journey to health and look long term. Things take time and during these weight loss plateaus, you need support and motivation. Weight loss plateaus can last from several days to several weeks.

The causes of your weight loss plateau all need to be addressed and there are usually multiple causes such as in the case of:

Fatty liver where excess fat is first removed from your liver and not from other areas of your body. It is vital to reduce liver fat first to improve your liver function, and eventually enable fat burning to resume.
Out of balance hunger hormones such as insulin and leptin – it takes time to get them down to healthy levels.
Critical nutrient deficiencies which take time to overcome.
Toxic overload which can only be overcome by improving the detoxification pathways in your cells.
Adrenal gland overactivity which is caused by insulin resistance as well as high stress.

Once these causes are overcome your weight loss will resume.

As you lose weight, your metabolic rate slows, causing you to burn fewer calories than you did at your heavier weight. Your slower metabolism will slow your weight loss, even if you are consuming the same number of calories that started your weight loss. When the number of calories you eat, equal the number of calories your body is burning you will reach a plateau.

Strategies to break a plateau

These include:

Reducing daily calories.
Reducing carbohydrates from sugar and grains; ketogenic diet is effective.
Replace carbohydrate foods with animal protein.
Increase the amount or intensity of the exercise you do.
Do deep breathing exercises or regular walks in parks with lots of trees to oxygenate your cells.
Avoid alcohol and soft drinks.
Miss one meal a day – intermittent fasting really helps.
Eat more fresh raw and green salads.
Take the supplement called Metabocel before meals to increase the metabolism.
Take a berberine supplement which can speed up fat removal from the liver.
Take one to two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in the middle of meals.
Eat more spices – such as curry, turmeric, chili, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
Drink more water.
Drink the right herbal teas – dandelion, peppermint, green tea, black tea, white tea, ginger tea, oolong tea and rooibos tea all contain antioxidants to help metabolism.
If you feel like snacking in between meals make a drink with water and Synd X Extreme Protein Powder – it has negligible carbs, is all-natural and boosts energy.
If you feel emotionally flat and tired, then your brain is lacking adrenalin and dopamine and so is the rest of your body; this means you would benefit from a natural stimulant. Tyrosine Pure powder works well for this and can be taken every 4 to 5 hours. Tyrosine helps your brain and adrenal glands to make adrenalin.
Have a weekly sauna or massage.
Get more sleep and go to bed by 10 pm.
If you have trouble falling off to sleep, take a melatonin supplement on retiring.
A planned treat meal or event with your family is something nice to look forwards to. Such a high-calorie treat can sometimes reboot your metabolism into breaking through a weight loss plateau. Note it must be planned – say once every 7 to 10 days for example, and not random. This indulgence meal day may help you go back into a weight loss phase. It can also give you a mental break from being so meticulous with your food choices.
If you do indulge in a treat meal, avoid soft drinks as they are just liquid sugar and it’s healthier to have sweet foods than liquids.

Start a food diary

Track everything you eat and drink including water. There are plenty of apps to download that count carbs and/or calories. A good example is Simple: Fasting App, Water & Meal Tracker. Keeping a food diary or using a food or carbohydrate tracker app can help you see exactly how many calories you are consuming.
Recording every meal, snack and drinks can become a chore, however, it can pinpoint problem foods as well as give valuable insights.
Many people underestimate their daily food and calorie intake. A food diary can make you quite surprised and much more aware of your behavior, some of which may be unconscious eating. It is also easier to replace snacks with healthier choices. Your Weight Loss Detective will certainly find your food diary very helpful.