How a Weight Loss Plateau Happens
As you start to lose weight, you will inevitably lose body fat and muscle.
In fact, research suggests that those who simply reduce their food intake are more likely to burn muscle cells.
Your body burns fat in the digestive system to provide energy.
Once this energy is gone, the body will use the glycogen reserves stored in your liver.
When those reserves are depleted, your body will start to burn the proteins in your muscles.
In effect, your food reduction has made your body question where the next meal is coming from, effectively placing it into starvation mode.
Your body will try to hang onto fat as a long term energy source and use the protein in your muscle cells as energy now.
This is why it’s so important to choose the right foods to eat.
Check out this free 1-day meal plan for inspiration in creating your meal plan.
If you have hit a weight loss plateau, there's a good chance your maintenance calories have changed.
To lose more weight, you’ll need to reduce your caloric intake even more.
But, there is an issue with this. Reducing your calories will burn more fat, but you'll also burn through muscle too.
Instead, take a look at these tips for how to break a weight loss plateau.
With a little effort, you can lose more weight and improve your health.
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How to Break a Weight Loss Plateau
Enough talk! Let’s get you past your weight loss plateau and moving forward to become the man you want to be.
Check Your Maintenance Calories
The average man needs 2500 calories per day. You can check out your exact maintenance calories needs here.
You’ve probably already worked out what your calorie intake was and reduced it. That’s probably how you started to lose weight in the first place.
Do you realize that your body is incredibly adaptable?
After 30-60 days of eating fewer calories, your body will have adjusted and capable of surviving on fewer calories.
That means you need to review your maintenance calories every month and adjust your consumption accordingly.
Don’t forget, if you cut your calories too much, you’ll actually slow your metabolism and prevent your body from losing weight.
Fiber Up
Fiber is nutritious and filling. It will help you to feel full and avoid the temptation that can derail any weight loss attempt.
In fact, research shows that increasing your fiber consumption can help you move past a weight loss plateau.
Try oatmeal, apples, berries, seeds, and beans.
As a bonus, increasing your fiber content can lower blood pressure and increase your insulin sensitivity.
All you have to do is swap your daily cookie for a few berries.
Drink Green Tea & Coffee
If you love coffee or even need it to get you going in the morning, then it’s time to consider switching to green tea.
Some studies have shown there is a link between more than 5 cups of coffee a day and an increase in fat storage, particularly around your belly.
In contrast, drinking green tea daily and exercising for at least 3 times a week shows an improvement in weight loss, compared to non-tea-drinking people.
Green tea is thermogenic, which increases your core body temperature, forcing your body to burn calories and cooling it back down.
It is also full of catechins which are effective at boosting your metabolism and improving your liver’s fat-burning ability.
It’s worth a try!
Eat Healthier Snacks
Boosting nutrient intake is a great way to break through a weight loss plateau.
Snacking is a great way to sneak in additional nutrients and protein.
Consuming protein before your workout will help to ensure your muscles have enough energy without burning the protein in their own cells.
One of the more enjoyable ways to supplement is to eat a handful of almonds.
Almonds are rich in amino acid L-arginine, which has been shown to boost fat and carb-burning during workouts. Almonds are also packed with fiber, minerals, and vitamins.
There are tons of delicious and nutritious snacks to try. Just remember to keep your portions under control.
Stay Properly Hydrated
You know experts recommend drinking 2 liters of water a day.
But did you know that when you feel hungry, you may simply be thirsty?
Try sipping some water and see if you’re still hungry in 30 minutes.
You should also drink 1-2 cups of water before eating a meal. This will reduce the amount of food that you eat and help with your weight loss.
In addition, water flushes toxins out of your body and is essential for the proper function of all the cells in your body.
That makes it a pretty important part of your daily routine!
Consume More Protein
Protein is an essential part of the weight loss process.
It speeds up your metabolism and suppresses your appetite hormone, ghrelin.
Try Greek yogurt or whey protein to make sure you're getting at least 20 grams of protein with every meal.
Our new Superfuel is a hassle-free approach to protein supplementation.
Our powder contains only the highest quality ingredients, all chosen specifically for their performance-enhancing capabilities.
You’ll be surprised at how delicious and helpful it can be to use a protein shake as a way to break through plateaus.
Implement Weight Training for Muscle Growth
Weight training or resistance training is something that many people associate with bodybuilding.
You may want better tone across your body, but you’re probably not after the body of a professional weightlifter.
However, what you may not realize is that your body begins to produce less testosterone from the age of 30 onward. Low levels of testosterone can deplete your muscle mass over time causing all sorts of trouble.
But weight training can also help you overcome these obstacles.
You’ll need to focus on repeating each weight training exercise 10-12 times for 3 sets. Choose a weight that allows you to complete all of the sets, but heavy enough so that you've worked to exhaustion.
This will encourage muscle growth and muscle cells to burn more calories than fat when resting.
In short, you’ll be increasing the calorie needs of your body without increasing your calorie intake.
The result is a widening of the gap between maintenance calories and intake, resulting in weight loss, hurtling you past the plateau and onto the home run!
Try Intermittent Fasting
Calories are the key, eat less than your maintenance amount and you’re going to lose weight.
All the tips in this guide focus on increasing your calorific burn or decreasing your intake.
This one is no different.
Intermittent fasting simply means two days a week when your calorie intake is 500 or less.
In short, you don’t eat or eat very little for those two days.
This won’t just help you to understand how to break a weight loss plateau.
People who practice intermittent fasting generally experience an improvement in mental clarity and memory. That has to be a good thing!
Add in Variety
Sometimes a weight loss plateau is simply the result of your body adapting and boredom.
If you do the same run every day for 6 months, your body is going to know exactly what is coming and be prepared for it. It will incorporate this activity into your normal activities without needing to tap into your fat stores.
In short, you won’t lose any weight.
If you’re not sure which aspects to change, try this free 24-minute workout if you're looking for something challenging.
By mixing it up and doing plenty of activities, your body will never know what is going to happen next.
This will prevent your body from learning your routines and adapting. You’ll break the weight loss plateau and have some fun in the process!
If you haven’t already tried interval training, then now is definitely the time to do so. This high intensity, short exercise can be fitted in at any time but is surprisingly effective.
It will also increase your calorie burn!
FREE 24-min Fat Burning Workout
All you need is 24 minutes + 10 feet floor space + 1 pair dumbbells
Enlist a Friend
Be inspired to keep exercising and try different activities enlisting the help of a friend.
Starting a weight loss journey together can be useful, but you’ll often find that it’s when you reach your weight loss plateau, that you really need some extra help.
A fit friend will push you to work out harder, and you’ll feel and see the benefits.
Plus, research suggests that people who are friends with health-conscious people are more likely to keep the weight off.
Dedicate More Time for Sleep
With a busy lifestyle, it can be easy to neglect your sleep.
However, research suggests you should get between 6-8 hours of quality sleep a night. This will help to keep age-related diseases at bay!
But sleep is also when your body balances hormones. During sleep, the amount of leptin is increased, and the amount of ghrelin decreases.
Having a good balance of hormones helps you feel full and avoid temptation the following day.
Sleep is also beneficial for muscle repair, stress reduction, and healthy brain function. There really is no excuse to skip on sleep.
Get Some Rest
Resting isn’t the same as sleeping. You must remember that your muscles take time to recover from being worked.
You should always allow 24-48 hours of recovery time between exercising the same muscle groups.
If you don’t, you’re more likely to experience muscle damage, preventing you from exercising and losing weight.
A day or two of rest may help to put you back on track mentally, allowing you to feel ready to tackle anything, including getting past the weight loss plateau.
FREE 24-min Fat Burning Workout
All you need is 24 minutes + 10 feet floor space + 1 pair dumbbells
Be Inspired to Be the Man You Can Be!
It can be frustrating when the scales have stopped moving, but this doesn’t need to be the end of your weight loss journey. Revisiting your daily meal plan can help.
The real secret to how to break a weight loss plateau is variety.
By adjusting your schedule, your body will help you to lose more weight, and you’ll see the scales heading in the right direction.
Weight loss doesn’t necessarily equate to improved health all by itself. You need to build muscle mass to increase your core strength and boost stability as you age.
Building muscle with a proper exercise plan can mean that your weight loss stagnates, but your measurements continue to change.
For this reason, it’s important to measure your waist, thighs, chest, and stomach. You may see these reducing without the scales changing.
Would you like to know the secret to how to break a weight loss plateau? Get the right mindset.
If you believe that you can move past the plateau, you can implement some or all of these methods and experience the success you want and deserve.
Your new friend & health coach,
Stuart Carter
Head Training Staff, The Fit Father Project
Brotherhood Nickname: “The Fit Brit”
Bragging Rights: 16 Years in the fitness industry, Author of ‘The Easy Fitness Guide', Father of 4 boys and Husband to a Venezuelan beauty.
I'd recommend you read the program overview letter for our Fit Father 30-Day Program (FF30X).
Inside FF30X, you'll receive:
- The simple & delicious Fit Father Meal Plan
- The metabolism boosting Fit Father 30X Workout (under 90 min/week)
- VIP email coaching where I'll personally walk you through the program
*Please know that weight loss results & health changes/improvements vary from individual to individual; you may not achieve similar results. Always consult with your doctor before making health decisions. This is not medical advice – simply very well-researched info on how to break a weight loss plateau.
Sometimes what you really need is a change of approach, a little enlightenment, or just the inspiration of others.
The good news is that it is possible. Just check out these men who’ve found success with the 
But, it's more impressive than that. Your body is great at adapting to the situation in hand, no matter how complex it is.
When you’re ready to start dieting your body will still deal with blood sugar in the same way, your muscles won’t get enough extra energy to justify huge leaps in activity levels, and your body will still be busy converting blood sugar to fat.
The best way to actually start losing weight is to change your eating habits.
You may have started a food journal and decided this is an acceptable level of food and calories.
It doesn’t matter if you’re walking the dog or just climbing the stairs ten times a day.
While this is true, you also need to make sure you have the right attitude.
Once you have your reasons, you simply need to record every success you have, no matter how small.
What time do you sit down and collapse in front of the television?
In fact, trying to eat better when your partner isn’t can place a real strain on your relationship.
For this reason, you need to set short term goals that are achievable.
But, if you’re prepared for these days, you can simply take another look at your achievements.
This is the amount of time it takes for your body to balance your hormones and repair cell damage that has happened during the day.
If you’re already feeling pain in your joints, then this may be one of the best reasons to lose weight.
But, what you may not realize is that it also affects your view of the world. Stress can lead to mood swings or depression.
Reducing stress will allow your body to balance hormones including those that control hunger and appetite.
If you find that you’re struggling to remember things it doesn’t have to be age-related or a sign that you’re starting to get Alzheimer’s.
Not only will you be taken more seriously by others, but you’ll also feel more confident in your own abilities, allowing you to say and do things that you wouldn't have done when you were overweight.
But, what you may not have realized is that you can boost your brain power simply by losing weight!
Health scares are one of the most common motivators for starting to lose weight. After all, many chronic and age-related diseases are more likely if you are overweight.
The thought of living longer is appealing to most people. In fact, billions are spent every year trying to achieve longer lives.
But, what happens when you’re ready to admit that you’re tired of being fat?
The only way to lose weight is if you consume fewer calories than your body needs, effectively creating a negative energy balance.
However, after a short time, it can be difficult to maintain a restrictive diet.
Darvin Munger, 47 years young 
Willie Bobo, 60 years young 
Bill Breeye, 42 years young 
The most important part of losing weight is acknowledging that you’re tired of being fat and believing that you can change.
With your stress levels in the right place, your body will be able to balance your hormone levels; this generally happens when you sleep.
If you’ve been inactive for a while, even the thought of exercising can be enough to make you sweat!
It’s also easy to fit into a short gap in your day, making it harder to say you don’t have the time to do it!
Muscle will also help you to undertake more activities and reduce the likelihood of fall-related injuries.
No one wants to be the weakest man in the gym, and that can make it a daunting prospect to hit the gym.
This is often referred to as chaining. In short, you allocate a time to work out and link this time to something else.
This app also has more than 1,300 exercises, but they are categorized by muscle groups.
Shifting the weight is a priority. Toning muscles and building a better body is a side effect and something that can be worked on more in the future.
You need to start eating whole grains, eggs, lean meat, salmon, leafy greens, beans & legumes, tuna, and even Greek yogurt.
In theory, you should get all the nutrients you need from your food.
You should also be shopping for things to help you work out. This means having the right gear, Simply putting this gear on can help you to feel motivated to exercise.
Any activity that raises your heart rate will burn calories and help you to lose weight.
One goal that many people use is to be able to run their first 5K or even to complete a marathon. Providing you set the date just far enough in the future to complete training, you’ll find it’s a very motivational strategy.
However, a goal such as hiking the Appalachian Trail can take months to prepare for and may seem far enough away that you can afford to miss a few training sessions.
However, this is likely to make you over-do the exercise, potentially injure yourself, and you’ll lose interest as it is so challenging.
Simply workout once and place an ‘X’ on your calendar. Ideally, you should have a big calendar so that it can be seen across the room.
Many people start working out because they've had a health scare, a big event is coming up, or perhaps someone has pointed out that they aren't in as good a shape as they thought they were.
The good news is that you can discover how to get back into working out.
Perhaps your children have commented that you can't keep up with them anymore, or maybe your wife has suggested you could drop a few pounds.
It usually takes between 30 and 60 days to create a habit, although this is dependent on the individual.
The idea of working out for 30 minutes is going to seem daunting, especially if it's been a long time since you worked out. But you don't need to worry as you won't be working out for 30 minutes.
That's why it pays to speak to your friends at the 
But this is essential at the start. Lifting incorrectly is likely to lead to injuries which will stall your weight loss and strength building progress.
The reward should not be food based as this will go against your weight loss and strength building goals.
That's why you need to 
As you start working out, it's likely you'll feel tired more often, your body needs to adjust. Rest days allow your body to recover and your muscles to repair, growing stronger in the process. You should always allow between 24-48 hours of rest between working out the same muscle groups.
You need to look at the options available to you and choose which activities you enjoy. It may be the leg press gives you a thrill or the cross-trainer.
Getting fit after 50 means exercising on a regular basis, but it can be challenging to maintain a workout day after day.
If you’re new to working out or haven’t done it for years, then you need to remember that you’re over 50. It doesn't matter how enthusiastic you are. Being over 50 means you are at higher risk of injury when exercising for the first time.
Motivation is key to getting fit after 50, and accountability plays equally as important a role.
This is the most common obstacle and a genuine one. Life is hectic, and the free time you had as a 20-year-old vanishes. Suddenly every minute of your day is spent working, fixing the house, or dealing with children.
These can make it seem impossible for you to start exercising.
The theory is that you have more disposal income as you age.
Are you ready to argue with James Bond? You wouldn't know it to look at him, but Daniel Craig is actually 51 years old.
Move to the opposite end of the scale, and you’ll see 71-year-old Arnie still promising to be back.
This is another extremely famous person who is a fantastic example of being in great shape after 50. Tom Cruise is 56 years old and yet still does his own stunts. If you've seen any of the Mission Impossible films, you’ll appreciate how fit he needs to be.
The secret to getting fit after 50 is not exercising, although it is an important part of the process. In fact, you need to focus on what you are putting into your body.
Instead, as already mentioned, you need to focus on eating whole foods. In other words, unprocessed foods.
Alongside the fantastic meal plans, you’ll benefit from advice and support that will have you completing a workout routine virtually effortlessly!
These needs are often defined by culture and herein lies a major part of the motivation problem. You need a deep inner motivation to get fit for the rest of your life. The demands of society are not enough.
You need to have an emotional reason behind your motivation to get fit. The most common triggers are a health scare, the realization that you may not be there for your kids as they grow up, or even wanting to look your best for a specific event. You’re already considering this by acknowledging that you are overweight and need to gain the motivation to get fit.
You can’t lose 20 pounds overnight or even safely in a week. But, you can start right now. Try putting on your workout clothes; this is so easy that you won’t be able to say no to it. In short, you create a starting point that is impossible to say no to.
Your alarm beeps to tell you its fitness time.
You need a goal. Of course, if your goal is to lose X amount of pounds and get to your target weight but this is too general to help you stay motivated.
Another great way of maintaining your motivation is to get a friend to commit to the same thing as you. It doesn't matter if they don’t want to lose as much weight as you. Both of you need to set yourself targets and have a penalty if you don’t reach them.
It is important not to underestimate the power of water. In fact, it is essential to the healthy operation if all the cells in your body, which ensures you’re able to work out to the best of your ability.
A great way to keep yourself on track is to set yourself a challenge. This can simply be beating your own time or weight lifting capabilities, but it can also be a good idea to sign up to a race.
The holistic approach to health accepts that traditional medicine offers practical options, but also looks for the root cause of the condition by examining your entire life.
Scientists are only just starting to realize what the holistic approach to health has known for years; sleep is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle.
However, you shouldn’t be looking at these diets as weight loss tools.
But regular exercise does so much more. It improves circulation, keeps your body mobile, and maximizes the delivery of oxygen to all of your organs and cells.
You’re probably leading a hectic life. Work commitments and the challenges of raising a child mean that you’ve struggled to maintain the healthy lifestyle that you wanted. You’re certainly not alone in this respect.
It’s time to prioritize. For example, if you have two big long-term goals; to lose weight and write a book then which is more important and which should you do first?
You’re already a member of the Fit Father project. To drive yourself towards the long-term goal of a healthier lifestyle it’s time to commit and get the support you need.
For example, if you want to write a book; then work backward. You know your long-term goal is to complete the story but how many words do you want to write? The average novel is 80,000 words.
For instance, if you commit to exercising for 1 hour every day between 5 pm and 6 pm, you know that at some point your partner will get home early; even before you start your session.
Unfortunately, 
