Experiencing a Health & Fitness Plateau? Here’s What to Do

Woman stepping on a scale
Photo by alan KO on Unsplash

During your fitness journey, chances are you’re going to experience a plateau. At first, losing or gaining weight is easy, and it seems to happen pretty quickly, but after a few months you’ll notice things starting to plateau. Just know—this is totally normal and it’s not worth getting upset about it. It’s part of the journey and there are things you can do to get over it. Here’s what to do when you’re going through a plateau.

Look at Your Diet

When you start your health and fitness journey, you’re usually stricter with your diet and what you can and can’t eat. As time goes on, it’s natural to become more lenient. Start paying more attention to what you’re consuming and switch up your diet. Play around with the carbs, fats, and protein you’re taking in. Make sure you’re also drinking enough water.

Switch Up Your Exercise Routine

Now that you’ve been working out for a while, it’s time to amp things up. Your muscles have become familiar with your routine, so try new exercises or increase the intensity and time of your exercises.

Prioritize Sleep

Sleep is one of the most important things and if you don’t get enough of it, your body is in a constant state of stress. Sleep deprivation is linked to increased cortisol, a stress hormone that leads to body fat accumulation.

Stop Weighing Yourself

It’s time to stop looking at the scale. It’s not an accurate measure of your self-worth or how much weight you need to lose or gain. Remember, muscle ways more than fat. A better way to measure your progress is to see how your clothes feel and before and after photos.