Plateau effect: how to get out of it? – GOOD SHAPE

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Anyone who has tried dieting or food re-education has probably gone through the following situation: the weight loss at the beginning was encouraging and, over time, the difficulty in lowering the number on the scale increased.

Functional and sports nutritionist Daniela de Almeida explains that, “during the first 5 days of a calorically restricted diet, around 70% of weight loss is due to water loss.”

Why does the weight “park”?

At first, you should assess whether you’ve made some dietary slips or reduced dedication to physical activity. If none of this happened, there are other factors responsible for the plateau effect.

“Progressive weight loss generates a decrease in energy needs, since energy expenditure reduces as our body weight decreases”, clarifies Daniela.

Another explanation for the phenomenon is the “set point” theory. According to the nutritionist, “our body is programmed by physiological mechanisms, genetically determined, to present a certain weight, or a ‘set point’. If we deviate from this mark, our body will make metabolic adjustments to return to normal weight.”

The gain in muscle mass, achieved through the practice of exercises, can make the scale pointer go up or stay, but that doesn’t mean you’ve gained weight. “A nutritional assessment should take into account not only weight, but also muscle mass and body fat, as muscle is denser and heavier than fat,” recalls the specialist.

How to get out of the plateau effect

Reaffirm your commitment to your new lifestyle, feel happy about being healthy, try to vary your recipes, change the seasoning, and renew your exercise program with your teacher to give it a new boost. Try to move more: go to the gym more often, ride your bike to work or get off the bus 2 stops before your destination and do things on foot at the weekend. Keeping a food diary describing everything you eat, including the amounts, is essential when evaluating your case. Mobile apps can be great allies at this time.

I did all that and nothing

If you are following the guidelines correctly, talk to your nutritionist. It must be time to make adjustments to the nutrients in the diet. Some foods can cause intolerances, resulting from immunological processes, and one of the symptoms is the difficulty of losing weight.