You’ve been trying to exercise and eat healthy for several weeks and you’ve been making great progress, but now your weight loss now seems to be at a standstill. What’s happening?
It’s common for people to hit a plateau after a couple of months of weight loss success, which can be extremely frustrating. Here are some steps to break a weight loss plateau and keep those scale numbers moving in the right direction so that you reach your goal.
Increase your mileage
Some people get comfortable at a certain distance and stick to the same routine week after week. But your body becomes more efficient at running those shorter distances, so you won’t make as much progress in the weight loss department.
Try to run at least one long run per week so that your body will burn more calories and fat as you build your endurance. For example, if you’ve been running 3 miles every other day, bump up your distance by adding a mile to one of your runs.
Continue to increase your mileage for that run by a half-mile each week, until you get to a distance that feels right for you. You may even decide you want to train for a half marathon or other distance race!
Start strength-training
Add strength workouts to your routine two days per week and include eight to 10 total body strength exercises, such as planks, squats, lunges, push-ups, and calf exercises. You can perform the strength exercises after your short, easy runs or do them on a day you’re off from running.
Use an exercise band or light dumbbells if you want to increase the resistance and calorie burn.
Strengthening exercises will add to your overall calories burn, and if you’re consistent with them, you’ll increase your lean muscle tissue and it will work for you even at rest. An added bonus is that you’ll also lose inches, look leaner, and your clothes will fit better, so you’ll feel more confident and motivated to keep up your exercise and healthy eating habits.
Make sure that you pay attention to those other signs of progress, such as pant size and waist/hip measurements, so that you won’t be discouraged if you don’t see any movement on the scale.
Track your calories
Some people underestimate the amount of calories they’re eating and drinking and overestimate the number that they’re burning. It’s extremely helpful to track everything you eat and drink in a journal, app, or website such as MyFitnessPal.
Even if you keep track for just a few weeks, you’ll have a much better idea of your actual calorie intake and also be more aware of eating patterns and potential pitfalls, such as eating or drinking late at night.
You’ll also be more careful to avoid mindless eating since knowing that you have to record every bite and sip will make you think twice before going overboard.
Add some speed
If you’ve hit a weight loss plateau, you may need to increase your pace for some — not all! — of your runs. Adding some speed and intensity to your runs will help you pump up your calorie burn and add more lean muscle mass.
Try to run at least once a week run at a harder effort. Here’s a sample tempo run to try:
- Warm up with one mile at an easy pace.
- Run 2 minutes at a comfortably hard pace where you can hear your breathing (but not gasping for air) and are just outside your running comfort zone and then follow with 2 minutes of easy running or walking to catch your breath.
- Repeat this for 2 miles and then finish by running 1 mile easy to cool down.
You can also add intensity by running interval workouts, like these treadmill workouts (that can also be run outside). Running hills or stairs will also increase your calorie burn and help you bust through your plateau.
Keep going!
Some people are tempted to throw in the towel with running when they don’t reach their weight loss goal after a couple of months. Try to remember all the other excellent health benefits of running that you’re getting and remind yourself that it’s a very worthwhile endeavor.
Also keep in mind that running is helping you build more lean muscle, which will help you increase your metabolism and help you burn more calories all day long, even while you’re sleeping. Your improved metabolism will help you keep your weight off permanently.
When you’re on a weight loss journey, it’s normal to have dips in your motivation and bumps along the way. Try to stay focused on your goal and determined to stick to your plan. You’ve got this!
Also see:
- How to Burn More Calories Running
- 9 Healthy Weight Loss Tips for Runners
- 5 Simple Steps to a Running Habit
- 10 Strategies of Runners Who Lose Weight and Keep it Off
