How to Get out of a Plateau

“Help! I think I’m in a plateau – what do I do?!”

This is a FAQ amongst my clients & discussed frequently in my Women’s Wellness Academy.

So here’s the inside scoop ⬇️

Before you make any changes, there are some questions you need to answer truthfully!

1️⃣ Reassess your Goals: your goals have to be meaningful to you! You should have multiple benefits to having X result.
When you purpose, you’re more likely to have passion, motivation.
When you’re motivated, the higher chance you’ll be disciplined.

2️⃣ Check your Biofeedback: these factors include hunger, satiety, mental clarity, sleep, energy, digestion, menstrual cycle, PMS.

Sometimes when we’re in a plateau it’s because our body is under too much stress. Dysregulation in the nervous system can manifest as “hormone issues” or things like high cravings, consistent over-eating or “cheat meals”, trouble sleeping, fatigue, low strength, mood swings, and weight loss resistance (or even weight gain!)
Addressing the root causes of these stressors will help support body composition & overall health.

3️⃣ The elephant in the room: How compliant have you REALLY been? And – How long have you been in a plateau for? Are you really doing ALL the things, consistently?!

person in blue denim jeans and white sneakers walking on road

Many people make mistakes like:
Not tracking (enough)
Inaccurate portions (guessing vs measuring)
Little snackey snacks & mindless bites throughout the day
Imbalanced macros
Overestimating their movement
Not enough intensity within workouts
On off with routine (busy schedules, travel, sickness etc)

There’s a host of other reasons why you’re stuck, but let’s make sure you’re actually DOING your plan, before we change the variables!

WHERE TO START

It’s time to do a 10 minute “mini audit” of your lifestyle!

Step 1: Take 10-15 minutes and go over these 5 topics below. Write down your honest answers of what is going well, and what needs improvement (you could even rate ’em 1-10).

Step 2: Create 3 (no more than 5) specific actions you will do/implement in order to support your health & to see progress

person holding white ceramci be happy painted mug

Ok, let’s get started!

Your Overall Movement: How much are you REALLY moving throughout the day? Do you know how much you sit vs stand, and how many steps you take each day?
Your body will burn more calories with NEAT (non exercise activity) during the whole day vs exercise. Pay attention to how often you stand, move overall, walk and set a challenging yet doable step goal each day.
Exercise: Are you doing enough weight to challenge your body and promote muscle growth? Are you lifting frequently enough & with enough volume? Are you doing the right exercises for your body and goals?

Long steady state cardio might burn calories but it doesn’t do anything long term for your metabolism. Are you doing any intervals or HIIT? It is also important to look at how MUCH cardio; too little won’t promote fat loss, but too much can be a stress on the body, which can hinder results.

Food intake: Chronic undereating (just like excessive exercise) is a stress on the body. This can raise inflammation, telling the body to hold onto weight as protective mechanism because it think it’s starving.

What kind of foods are you eating – do they promote inflammation as well?!

4. Macronutrient Balance: Are you paying attention to the amount of carbs, fats & proteins you’re eating?

How accurate are you measuring your portions? Have you used cups or a food scale to ensure you’re eating the right amount? Extra bites and snacks here & there also matter!!

Sleep: This is a nutrient we need to support our metabolism, create hormones & more. Sleep deprivation decreases our fat burning, along with our performance & energy. We have to prioritize this! Are you going to sleep before midnight? Do you have a night time routine to wind down? How many electronics are you using at night?!

Take action: Write out where you need help, and some ideas of how you will move the needle out of the slump!