Ask Hyde
I workout and eat healthily but my weight seems to plateau at 12 stone. I'm 5'6" and I've recently lost 1.5 stone.
Do I need to change my workout routine?
Thanks Carol, Lichfield
Carol,
Firstly, well done on losing the 1.5 stone! There are a number of factors that can influence a weight loss 'plateau', but changing your workout is a great place to start in overcoming it.
The recommended timescale for sticking to any one workout routine is usually 4-6 weeks, but this can vary depending on your fitness levels and how frequently you exercise. This timescale is often referred to as a training 'phase'. After any given phase your body starts to adapt to the routine, and subsequently the progress you are making can start to slow down, or even stop.
Regularly varying your workout routine places new challenges on your body, forcing it to break out of its plateau. Because your body isn't used to these new demands it has to work harder, causing it to burn more calories and ultimately help to kick-start your weight loss. This variety can also be great for your motivation, and reduce the chances of you getting bored!
When changing a routine it is important to make the programme not only different – but also more challenging. There are hundreds of variables that you can change in order to achieve this, but some typical ones might include the introduction of new exercises, changing the order the exercises are performed in, or altering the intensity and duration of these exercises. Stepping outside your comfort zone is crucial, as this will challenge your body enough to see improvements.
After you have changed your programme, don't forget to tinker and improve your routine as you go along. Aim to choose one thing in every workout that you will work a little harder on, whether it is completing one more rep in an abs exercise or going a little harder or further on the cross-trainer. Striving to improve will give you something to aim for, and will ensure your body is constantly challenged – as this is the key to consistent results.
Finally, regularly reviewing your diet is an important aspect of weight loss. As you lose weight your body requires less energy to sustain itself. This means that in order to lose more weight it may be necessary to make some adjustments so that you continue to see results. If after changing your programme you find yourself plateauing again, try reducing meal time portion sizes by a 1/5. Compliment this by having a healthy snack between meals, such as a piece of fruit, a handful of unsalted nuts or a small pot of natural yoghurt. This will mean that you don't feel really hungry before your main meal and could make it easier to control portions sizes. Having smaller portions regularly also helps to boost your metabolism so that you burn more calories at rest.
Good luck!
