Over 40 and hit a fat loss plateau? In the last post we uncovered 3 possible reasons your body stops losing fat. Part two of the equation is how to get the fat loss process going again.
Below are the 3 big reasons why you're over 40 fat loss can come to a screeching halt, along with 3 simple plans of attack to get the fat melting off again.
PROBLEM 1
Your smaller body requires less fuel. The new improved you doesn't need as much food to operate and your body likes balance and will do just about everything in its power to stay the same. Like most of us, the human body isn't a big fan of change, even though fat loss is a positive one.
SOLUTION 1
Burn more and eat a little less. One of those sounds simple, but isn't easy statements. Creating just the right energy deficit can be tricky, especially later in the weight loss journey. There's a delicate balance.
- If you go crazy with exercise and do too much, your body rebels and will hold on to every fat cell that it possible can.
- The same goes for cutting back too much on your food. Thinking that you'll be ahead of the game by NOT eating will send your metabolism into slug mode quicker than you can blink.
So…the best way around it is to make small changes in both your activity and your nutrition. Baby steps will keep you going forward. Don't get too greedy. You'll regret it.
- Kick up the exercise a notch by adding in some fat burning cardio intervals or add or up the intensity of your strength training workouts.
- Then on the food side…slow down your eating, try to become more present and chew every bite. Just by changing that one little thing at meal time, your brain will have time to signal your stomach that it's had enough and you'll create just the right amount of deficit so your body won't freak out.
PROBLEM 2
Eating more than you think. When you've been watching every bite that goes into your mouth for weeks, it's natural to become a little lax and less diligent.
SOLUTION 2
Record everything that goes into your mouth. NO exceptions! It's a pain in the ass, but food logging works. Been proven in the research time and time again.
- If you're a techie there's several good free tools you can use like: The food and activity log on the free health resource site http://sharecare.com, http://fitday.com or http://my-calorie-counter.com .
- And if you're techno challenged pen and paper works just as well. Too lazy to write it down? Another accountability trick is to take a photo of every meal and mms or e-mail it to your Personal Trainer, Health Coach (or workout buddy. Adding in the accountability factor will keep you from popping that hand-full of M&M's into your mouth.
PROBLEM 3
Your body gets bored. Doing the same things over and over again will NEVER get you DIFFERENT results. If you want to stay stuck. Keep doing what you're doing. If not…
SOLUTION 3
Shake it up. It's a must to change up your routine. The body must be CHALLENGED in order to change. No challenge and fat loss is a NO GO item.
- Mix up the cardio. Get some intervals into the picture. Hard ones too. No more going through the motions and putting in your time on the treadmill. Also change up your activities. Try something new. New sport, new piece of equipment or new movement like dancing (not one that I would choose…can you imagine?) Moving the body in different ways, also puts the brain and neuromuscular system to the test and expends more calories. It'll keep things fresh and give your body a reason to get better.
- Be sure to change up your strength training workouts too. That booty shaping circuit isn't going to work forever. Different workouts, equipment, locations (outside vs. inside) helps a ton. Also be sure to increase the intensity too. Don't mean to sound like a broken record, but if your body's not challenged it's not gonna change.
These three tips are a great start and more than likely will get you back on the fat loss track again. If you have any other plateau busting secrets or tips, please share them in the comment section below.
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