A weight loss plateau
Many of us have experienced the benefits and satisfaction of seeing progress on weight loss goals. Then suddenly, despite exerting the same effort, progress screeches to a halt. Losing weight can be confusing AND challenging.
Plateau, stalling, stagnant…by any name, it ain’t fun. Learning why, and how, to approach a plateau might make getting through it easier and less frustrating. It’s worth the effort since a 5-10% weight loss can improve or prevent chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea and osteoarthritis.
Let’s spend a minute on what science says in response to the question: “Why did I stop losing weight?” In next week’s blog we’ll tackle “How can I continue to lose weight?”
Adaptation: Our bodies adapt to weight loss by being more efficient. Once a “new normal” lower body weight is reached, we require less energy. Our total energy expenditure, or TEE, (which includes the effect of food eaten, physical activity and our resting energy expenditure) goes down and we simply don’t need as many calories.
Protein: If we’re not eating adequate protein, the body may break down muscles it needs for amino acids resulting in lower resting energy expenditure (REE) and metabolism.
Hormones: Also at play are increases in appetite via hormonal changes from ghrelin and decreased feelings of fullness from leptin during weight loss. If we are more hungry and find it harder to stay full, we may eat more. In this scenario, we can even re-gain weight.
Habits: Sometimes old habits die hard. We can eat more than we realize or go back to eating or drinking more than we need. Or we can be affected by issues with sleep or stress. These can cause hormone fluctuations that can lead to weight gain.
Tune in for Part 2 to this blog next week and starting moving out of that weight loss plateau.
Author: Shannon Svikhart, RDN
Resources:
National Institutes of Health explains more about why we hit weight loss plateaus
See what the Mayo Clinic says about getting past a plateau
For more tips and ideas on getting unstuck, check out this Healthline article