DietWatch
The Dreaded Weight Loss Plateau
by Sharon Minai, RD
When DietWatch member LaDean decided to lose weight, she wanted to make a permanent change. “I really wanted to take the weight off, and watch it come off one pound at a time,” she said.
LaDean began her weight loss journey in February 2000, right after the start of the new millennium. She made many changes to her diet, such as eating low-fat foods and carefully watching her serving sizes. She was also exercising on a daily basis. After six weeks, LaDean had lost about four pounds, and then it all began. Or ended, to be precise. The needle on the scale appeared to be stuck. LaDean continued with all of the changes she had made, including eating high fiber breakfasts and going for her morning jogs. But the needle on the scale wouldn’t budge. “I was still far from my goal weight and was very discouraged to keep doing the same thing and not see more results.” Could this be a weight loss plateau, LaDean wondered?
Hitting a Dieting Plateau
LaDean, like many others who have been trying to lose weight for an extended period of time, had hit the dreaded weight loss plateau. Weight loss plateaus are common among dieters, and are usually defined as the period when weight loss stops after a number of weeks on a diet.
“There actually are two weight loss plateaus,” says Dr. David Levitsky, Professor of Nutrition and Psychology at Cornell University. “The first occurs when one drastically reduces caloric intake by about 40 to 50 percent. Body weight decreases rapidly at first but then hits a point where very little additional weight is lost even though one continues to restrict intake. This plateau may occur within 10 days of starting a diet but depends upon the degree of caloric restriction.”
According to Levitsky, this apparent “halt” in weight loss is due to the fact that scales only measure total body weight, and ignore differences between fat, water and muscle mass. As soon as caloric intake (especially from carbohydrates) is restricted, there is an immediate loss in sodium from the body, which is accompanied by water loss. This leads to the rapid weight loss that balances out later on and creates the plateau. In other words, the initial weight loss is primarily loss of water, and not body fat. The weight loss rate of body fat mass is much slower than that of water. Therefore, as weight loss progresses after the initial rapid “success,” it slows down considerably.
“The second weight loss plateau,” says Levitsky, “occurs weeks or months after the beginning of a diet.” This second, and more permanent halt in weight loss is a result of a decrease in metabolism, which happens for two major reasons: a reduction in thyroid hormone activity and a lowering of the body’s basal metabolic rate (BMR). First, the caloric restriction causes a decrease in the activity of the thyroid hormones, the hormones that regulate the metabolic rate. Second, the initial weight loss achieved by a restriction of calories decreases the body’s size and by doing so, lowers the amount of energy burned from the body’s functions. These two processes combine to lower the body’s BMR (see frame). When the body’s energy expenditure decreases while caloric intake stays the same, weight loss will come to a halt. These mechanisms are the basis of the “set-point theory.”
Set-Point Theory – The Genetic “Thermostat”
The second and more profound weight loss plateau mentioned above may be related to the set-point theory that was first introduced in 1982 by a group of nutrition researchers. This theory states that a person’s body has a certain “set point” of weight at which it functions best, and the body’s metabolism will do whatever it can to stay at this point. The set point is genetically coded, like a person’s body size or eye color. In other words, heredity does play a role in determining our body weight.
“The set-point theory maintains that the total amount of body fat on an adult remains constant,” says Levitsky. “The mechanism is an intimate communication between the hypothalamus (in the brain) and adipose (fat) cells. Proportionally to their size, fat cells send messages to the hypothalamus, and together with other genetically predetermined values, this translates into changes in eating behavior and/or metabolic rate.
So, if one decides to reduce food intake, the size of the adipose (fat) cells will then be reduced. This will send signals to the hypothalamus and lead to an increased desire to eat, and a reduced metabolic rate, causing a more profound weight loss plateau.
“Currently, leptin, a small protein produced in the adipose cell is thought to be the signal, but other messengers have been proposed and none yet proven,” says Levitsky.
Breaking Through the Weight Loss Plateau
With 50 pounds left to lose, LaDean was a little discouraged but was still determined to get back on track. She decided she was going to combat her weight loss plateau!
Although genetics may be responsible in part for weight loss plateaus, there are still many lifestyle changes that you can make to overcome them. Before you make any changes, however, stop to think: have you really hit a plateau, or is it possible that you have reached your healthy body weight? If you managed to lose 10% of your weight, you can probably see changes in your blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. This could mean that you may not have reached the perfect figure, but you have reached a healthy body weight. In this case, it may best to focus your efforts on maintaining that weight.
If you’re still convinced that you need to get over the plateau and continue losing weight, remember that entering a weight loss plateau means that your body has adjusted to the changes you’ve made in your lifestyle. As long as you don’t change your regimen, you probably won’t continue to lose weight, and it’s time to re-evaluate your diet.
Tips for Breaking Through the Plateau
Don’t deprive yourself. Depriving yourself of food actually works against you. Without an adequate amount of energy, your body slows down its metabolic rate, which prevents weight loss. Check that your diet is balanced and provides you with at least 1200 calories, or more than that if you maintain an active lifestyle.
Keep records of what you eat. You can use the DietWatch diary and nutrition calculator to count every bite you take and see how close you come to meeting your daily goals.
Boost your exercise regimen. Try to gradually add a little more intensity and frequency to your exercise plan. For example, if you used to walk 20 minutes, three times per week, try gradually increasing it to 30 minutes, four to five times per week. This will help you increase your metabolic rate, which will allow you to burn more calories. And include strength-building exercises, such as weight lifting. This will help you build more muscle mass, which is more metabolically active (and thus can burn more calories) than fat.
Be prepared for the plateau. Know that it can come at any stage of your dieting journey. This will help you to keep to your plan, and avoid being discouraged. It will also prepare you to make the adjustments needed in order to get off the plateau and continue on with your journey towards a healthier lifestyle.
Find a dieting buddy. Buddies will help you stay on track with your new eating and exercise habits, even when you stop seeing the results. Check out the white pages in DietWatch to find a buddy who shares a common interest!
So what about LaDean? LaDean managed to combat the weight loss plateau. She joined DietWatch and received all the support and encouragement she needed to stick to her goals. She made adjustments to her plan and continued to lose weight. And she eventually reached her goal weight.
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
Your body expends a minimum amount of energy to support basic body processes, such as breathing, digesting and maintaining a certain level of brain functioning. This energy is called the basal metabolic rate, and it is functioning even when you’re resting in bed. Your individual BMR is affected by your gender, age, body size and genetics.