Homeostasis. That's a fancy way to say equilibrium, and it's what your body craves, even more than salt and vinegar potato chips. We humans are highly adaptive creatures, and our bodies work to maintain homeostasis. This "setpoint" is what causes our progress to come to a screeching halt.
If you've hit a plateau and find the scale not moving and/or inches not coming off, don't give up! Below are a few strategies to kick start your metabolism and break that frustrating plateau
You Bite It, You Write It
I've mentioned many times the importance for accountability. I've also recommended a couple of the FREE APPS "My fitness Pal" and "LOSE IT". I've used My Fitness Pal and was shocked at how many calories I actually consumed in any given day (many days up to 4,500-5,00 calories in a day!) Tracking your nutrient intake is the best way to keep yourself honest. Those random handfuls of chips or iced coffees actually do add up.
Change Your Cardio Routine
The body acclimates to repeated challenges, making it necessary to change your cardio routine every four to six weeks. If you run three times a week for 30 minutes, switch it up and take a couple of 60-minute spin classes or hit the rowing machine. Add interval training to your workouts if you're ready — playing with your speed in a workout really unsettles the body's sense of caloric equilibrium. Interval training burns serious calories and boosts your metabolism as well. Perhaps it's time to become uncomfortable with your existing cardio workout and shake up your metabolism as well as your mind! I've repeated many times the benefit of trying new classes such as Zumba, spin, crossfit, kickboxing or one of the many excellent group fitness classes most fitness centers offer.
Adjust Your Nutrient Intake - Calorie Cycling
The calorie cycling technique requires some pre-planning, but it could be just what your body needs. Many of us are creatures of habit and will eat the same foods day in and day out. When we cut our intake our body's metabolism will strive to level off to again have that dreaded "setpoint". By cycling your calories by adjusting your daily caloric consumption you don't allow the
metabolism to adjust and slow down. Maintain the same caloric intake over the course of a week, but eat 100 calories more one day, followed by 200 fewer calories the next day. Another way to keep the metabolism working overtime is a more popular approach. It called a "cheat" day once a week. While a cheat day doesn't mean go absolutely crazy, it does mean you will be eating more calories one day a week, different foods and confusing your body a bit
Hit The Weights
If you're not strength training, now is the time to add some muscle to your frame. Strength training will boost your metabolism and help change your body composition to lose fat and gain muscle. Muscle is a living tissue that requires nutrients to live. The more muscle you have on your body, the more calories you will burn at rest! If you're already strength training, you might need to make your strength training more intense. Bump up the frequency of your training from two to three times a week. Increase the amount of weight you're lifting to challenge your muscles even more or try a more challenging exercise. For example, skip the triceps kickback, which only works the back of the arm, and try triceps dips or narrow bench press, since they work a variety of muscle groups. If you're pressed for time remember that full-body exercises, like push-ups or burpees,
squats give you more bang for your buck.
Load Up on Fruit, Veggies, and Fiber
After looking at your food journal, ask yourself if you're eating enough produce and fiber. Since every calorie counts, you can consume substantially more nutrients with fewer calories by choosing fruits and veggies. Fiber is also filling, so count your grams of this nutrient as well. When eating carbs opt for whole grains like quinoa and oats, and when reaching for pasta make it whole wheat or go Asian with soba noodles. If you're bored with dieting and counting calories, challenge yourself to eat seven to nine servings of produce — this should help you cut calories without thinking about them.