How to overcome a weight-loss plateau

As you continue your quest to lose weight and improve your health, you know how challenging it can be when you hit a plateau. You work harder and harder, but nothing seems to happen.

A great thing about the human body is that it will adapt to the environment you put it in. For example, if you increase your activity levels and decrease your caloric intake, chances are, you'll lose weight as your body sheds stored fat.

But, there are many things to take into consideration besides calories in and calories out when it comes to weight loss.

If your body is able to meet the demands, it no longer has a reason to change or adapt. This is generally what happens when you hit a plateau. Rather than giving in to the frustration, try the following tips to keep your body moving in the right direction.

Think progression

If you aren't pushing your body to do a little more each week, your results will fizzle out over time.

Get in the habit of keeping a workout journal and recording your workouts from week to week. You can progress by lifting more weight, shortening your rest periods, increasing the volume of your workouts, or adding intervals to your cardio routine, just to name a few ideas.

Plan out your workouts for the next eight weeks and be sure to incorporate some form of progression each week.

Exercise properly

Too many people get in the habit of focusing on just cardiovascular exercise to help them lose weight.

Walking, running, and biking are all great forms of exercise, but too much of it without a balance of strength training could be setting you up for minimal results.

In addition to burning more calories than you take in, you must maintain or increase your metabolism by building more muscle density while keeping your hormones in check.

Too much monotonous cardio could actually tear down muscle tissue and increase stress hormones, therefore wreaking havoc on your metabolism and your results.

Focus on a balance of strength training and cardio — so if you're working out five days per week, three of them should include strength training and the other two can be cardio, with each workout lasting around 30-45 minutes.

Feed your body

Don't make the mistake of starving your body and thinking you'll lose weight faster.

Your caloric intake will depend on your activity level and the amount of muscle mass you have on your body. If you eat too few calories, you will lose precious muscle mass, so you may lose weight, but the wrong kind.

As you lose muscle, your metabolism will weaken along with your ability to burn fat. In addition, make sure you're getting a balance of macronutrients. Too many carbohydrates and too little protein or healthy fats will impede your ability to burn fat.

Get your body fat measured and determine your daily caloric needs and macronutrient percentages based on your goals.

Rest hard

If you're working hard, you need to allow for proper rest.

Most of the positive changes to your body occur when you're resting or sleeping, so missing this recovery window will slow your results. Focus on getting a good night's sleep every night and learn simple ways to relax or de-stress throughout the week.

Take care of your body and you will see positive changes.

So try these tips to bust through a plateau or to avoid one altogether. You'll be seeing results in no time.

For more exercise and nutrition tips, visit our blog at PushFitnessTraining.com for links to our blog and social media resources.

• Joshua Steckler is the owner of Push Fitness, a personal training studio located in Schaumburg specializing in weight loss, muscle toning, and nutrition. Contact him at PushFitnessTraining.com.