Understanding Weight Loss Plateaus
Obstacles to Strength, Endurance and Weight Loss
Almost everyone reaches a weight loss plateau at some point in their
fitness lives. The reason is that the human body works hard to keep
energy intake and output in balance. In other words, your body does
not
like to lose weight (not a revelation, huh?). After your initial weight
loss, your progress will slow down and eventually stop even though your
exercise and food intake is consistent. The bottom line is that the
very efforts you make to burn more calories may eventually slow it
down.
Problem 1. Lowering your calories too much
Fact: It takes calories to burn calories. When you decrease your food intake, your body simply lowers its
metabolic rate
in response. This still allows the body to function properly, but
ultimately your body requires fewer calories which creates hunger and
prevents you from losing fat.
Solution:
Keep your calories slightly below your maintenance
calories so that your energy and metabolism remain high. A deficit
greater than 500-700 calories makes it much more difficult to maintain
your lean body mass. To determine your approximate daily caloric needs,
use this formula:
Men
kg (body weight) x 24 = kcal/day
Women
kg (body weight) x 23 = kcal/day
note: kg = pounds divided by 2.2 (i.e.: 180 lbs / 2.2 = 81.8 kg)
You can also calculate your
Basal Metabolic Rate to determine how many calories you need to function, and then use a
calorie calculator to add in calories you burn through out the day and with exercise.
No comments:
Post a Comment