There are several sneaky misunderstandings about weight loss plateaus.
The biggest misunderstanding is about water retention (also known as edema) or being dehydrated so that your body goes primal and starts holding onto it’s fluids.
By the ways, gentlemen, it’s not just a girly issue.
It’s become common knowledge how important water is when it comes to shedding pounds. Water also helps to suppress appetite, so you’re less likely to overeat.
That’s not all:
When you’re dehydrated, your kidneys can’t function properly, so the body turns to the liver for additional support to keep your system clean. Then because the liver is working so hard, more of the fat you consume is stored rather than getting burned off.
Don’t know how much water you need every day?
The basic formula for how much water you need each day is to drink half your weight in ounces.
So, if a person weighs 155 lbs, then they need approximately 78 oz of water (not all at once, spread it out through the day).
Water also helps “move” everything along like the fibers you need which is good for the gut.
Another Misunderstanding is Fiber
Fiber is vital to aiding in weight loss, maintaining a healthy weight and healthy digestive system. Understanding fiber and it’s purpose in weight loss will help a lot.
Bonus – It also helps you feel full.
If you’ve hit a weight loss plateau, then check your fiber and water intake first.
Proteins Place – Understanding Why It’s Important For Moving Past The Plateau
Several studies show that high-protein diets result in better weight loss, at least at first. Protein enhances the feeling of being satisfied and prevents muscle loss as you lose fat.
“Your body expends more energy to metabolize protein than carbs or fat,” says Cari Coulter, RD, the program director for Wellspring Weight Loss Camp in Kenosha, Wisconsin. “So higher protein diets make you burn slightly more calories.”
How much protein do you need a day? It’s a bit wordy but hang in there so you understand.
“It depends on your weight, but most women should get 40 to 80 grams,” Dr. Smith says. “To accomplish that, I have Greek yogurt (18 grams) or a couple of eggs (13 grams) for breakfast, and I eat a few ounces of lean poultry (25 grams) or fish (22 grams) or a heaping helping of black beans (15 grams) or lentils (18 grams) at lunch and dinner. I snack on a handful of raw almonds (6 grams). As a result, I feel fuller — sometimes so full I don’t even sneak a bite of my son’s ice cream (the way I used to whether I was hungry or not) — so it’s easier to keep daily calories in check.”
Sounds like a fancy concept but there’s something known as “basal metabolic rate”.
Dr. Coulter says:
“The whole calories-in, calories-out formula down pat. Here’s how I determined how many I should eat a day: I got my basal metabolic rate, BMR (or the amount of calories I need to maintain my weight) using the online calculator at fitnessmagazine.com/weight-loss/bmr, and I entered “moderate” for my activity level, because I exercise regularly.
That gave me about 2,400 calories a day. Then I added whatever calories I burn during my workouts (usually about 500), according to my heart-rate monitor. That meant I could eat almost 3,000 calories a day without gaining a pound (or nearly 2,500 a day to lose a pound a week).
Sure, it seemed high, but I had used a calculator. It had to be right!
“The BMR, basal metabolic rate, calculator already factors in the calories you burn with your workouts, so you shouldn’t add them in again,” she explains. Math club membership revoked! All this time I had thought my daily needs were 500 calories higher than they really were. No wonder I’d been maintaining instead of losing.”
Stress Is A Killer And Keeps You Fat
More and more research is constantly coming out about just how much stress destroys the body and the mind. It’s scary.
“Too much cortisol slows metabolism,” Dr. Smith says. “Even worse, excessive stress causes fat to be stored in the abdominal area, where weight is harder to lose.”
You know, the “apple shape”. It’s the cortisol which is a hormone that’s known in some circles as a public enemy.
Here’s a great article for you to go to later.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201301/cortisol-why-the-stress-hormone-is-public-enemy-no-1
Basically, cortisol has more to do with weight loss plateaus than genetics and diet combined.
Now you know so now you can understand why these insights are a sneaky misunderstanding about weight loss plateaus.
