Have you been eating right, exercising regularly, and still, you're not seeing progress? Weight-loss plateaus are normal, especially when you're getting close to your goal weight, but they can be so frustrating.
Before fitness trainer Jaime Morocco shares her six suggestions for busting through a weight-loss plateau, make sure you've actually hit one. There are many ways to measure progress besides the scale. So even though the numbers may not be moving (or maybe they're even increasing), check out your body composition, body measurements, how strong you feel, and how your clothes fit. You may have decreased your body fat percentage and increased muscle, and a regular scale won't measure that.
If you're truly not seeing progress, Jaime said, "Want to know the #1 reason I see plateaus occur? ACCOUNTABILITY and failure to track all BLT (bite's licks and tastes — I got this acronym from the amazing @soheefit by the way)." If you've truly hit a weight-loss plateau, here are Jaime's suggestions:
One more thing to consider is having realistic expectations. If you're struggling with those last five pounds, or trying to get your body fat down to a certain percentage, it may not be possible without extreme measures. Don't compare yourself to the "perfectly" lean bodies you see on Instagram, because they're either fake, thanks to Photoshop, or showing certain angles in optimal lighting.
Or, as Beachbody trainer Autumn Calabrese shares, those people diet and exercise for four or more months straight for a competition, only look like that for one day, and only post photos of themselves "stage ready," and not "life ready." She reminds us to keep a "realistic image in your mind and as your goal, because walking around stage ready every day all year just doesn't happen."