It can be SO frustrating when we’re kinda just cruising along, getting some great weight loss results, then suddenly… it stops. Plateaus can be the worst, but, they can be a totally normal part of the weight loss process.

So if you’re someone whose weight hasn’t budged in a few weeks and you’re like WTF?!?!?! I have a few tips for you below!

TRACK YOUR FOOD AND CALORIES FOR A WEEK

One of my clients recently texted me and said “I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I’m making good choices and the scales not moving. My clothes don’t fit much differently either.” So I had her track her food for a week and when we looked at what she was actually eating vs what she thought she was eating, it was clear to see what changes had to be made to move progress along.

Calories matter big time when it comes to weight loss- I mean, they’re kind of THE thing that matters because if you’re not in a caloric deficit, you won’t lose weight. So often people think they’re eating super clean and keeping their calories under control, but that might not be case. Download an app on your phone and start tracking everything you eat for one whole week- especially the weekends. This will give you a really honest look at what’s going on.

WATCH YOUR WINE (OR ANY OTHER ALCOHOL) INTAKE

I’d say this is the biggest culprit for stalls in weight loss. Women will email me and say “I’m stuck! The weight’s not budging!” Then I see them checking into bars all weekend on Facebook or posting pictures of their girls nights with bottles of wine. All of which is fine! You can absolutely drink booze and still lose weight (that’s something I’m really good at teaching my people how to do!), life needs to be enjoyed! However when it comes to losing weight, a weekend of splurges, or that nightly glass or 2 of wine, can 100% stall weight loss efforts.

When it comes to alcohol, your body will burn the booze off first before tapping into any other excess calories or your fat stores. So here’s the deal: If you have 3 glasses of wine on a Friday night plus 3 pieces of pizza and some ice cream top it all off and think that Saturday morning spin class is gonna burn off those calories, you’re wrong. The spin class will “burn off” some the calories from the wine first then you’re left with the extra wine/pizza/ice cream calories still hanging around.

Alcohol inhibits our bodies ability to burn fat. Period. So if you have a nightly wine habit or you let yourself get a little loosey goosey on the weekends with the booze, check yourself cuz you might be wrecking yourself.

PICK UP THE WEIGHTS & UP THE INTENSITY

If you’re doing cardio, cardio, cardio (including Spin, kickboxing, heavy bag boxing, running & HIIT classes) it might be time to change things up and grab some weights! Building muscle will not only completely change the look of your body (think tighter & more toned), but it’s also believed that by adding more muscle to your frame, your body will naturally burn more calories at rest. So pick up those heavy weights and get lifting. If you need a place to get started, click here for my free Straight Up Strength Download. And remember, “heavy” is a relative term. You’ll know you’re going heavy enough if the last few reps are tough, but doable with good form.

And make sure you bring the intensity! You can’t be doing one set of squats then sitting down and scrolling through Instagram for 5 minutes. If you stay focused, you can be in and out of the gym in 45 minutes from warm-up to cool-down.  Your heart rate should be elevated, you should be breathing heavy and push yourself.

MANAGE STRESS

When we start to feel stressed, we have elevated levels of cortisol running through our bodies. Cortisol can increase our cravings for high fat/high carb foods (cookies, donuts, pizza). There have been several studies showing the when stress is high and we eat something carby/sugary, it lights up the pleasure center in our brain and for that brief moment in time, we feel relaxed.

In essence, chocolate or any other sweet or fatty food becomes our “chill pill.” So if stress is high, you might be eating more calories than you think without realizing it. Stress can also cause poor sleeping habits resulting in less energy to exercise, drinking more alcohol (Hello, nightly glasses of wine!) which can contribute to this vicious stress + sugar cycle!

There are two things I recommend to help bring your stress levels back down to baseline:

• Mediate There have been several studies done showing that meditation can reduce stress. Meditation could also help you become a more mindful eater by allowing you to slow down and think before you eat instead of acting on impulse and grabbing a handful of chocolate or eating 10 cookies.
• Exercise When stress is running high, it’s usually a good idea to avoid high intensity exercise like sprinting and HIIT training because they can actually elevate the already elevated levels of cortisol being release. Instead, choose exercise like walking and yoga to help lower cortisol.

Losing weight can be HARD, and hitting a plateau can definitely take the wind out of your sails if you let it. You just want to feel good, look good and not have to stress about food all the damn time, but chances are good you might need a little help (most people do!).