Weight plateaus are incredibly frustrating. Whether you’re on a weight loss journey and find your progress stalling, or you constantly float between the same 5-10 pounds, it can feel like finding success in your fitness goals is merely a dream. You may start strong and feel optimistic about the changes you’re making, but feel defeated when you hit a wall and can’t seem to get past a certain spot on the scale. It may even feel like your health is out of your control.
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According to Dr. Alexandra Sowa, founder of SoWell Health and a dual board-certified physician specializing in internal and obesity medicine, the key to getting past a weight loss plateau or cycle of fluctuation is to look at your lifestyle. Steady, effective weight loss requires a calorie deficit, and when you find yourself getting stuck it could mean extra calories are sneaking their way into your diet.
“The biggest contributor to a weight loss plateau is becoming more lax in what you're eating. So, at the beginning of a lifestyle change in a diet, we can be pretty strict and over time as we get closer to our goal,” Dr, Sowa says, “Even though we're eating well and really believe that we're sticking to the same way of eating that got us to this place, we will often start becoming a little less mindful of what we’re eating.”
For this reason, Dr. Sowa’s primary recommendation isn’t necessarily changing what you’re eating, but simply documenting everything you’re eating and making a conscious effort to be more aware. “Be mindful of the small little handful of nuts here, the extra pat of butter there, potentially an added snack in the afternoon that you weren't having before.”
As far as specific cooking ingredients, Dr. Sowa says that the oil you are cooking with may be preventing you from reaching your goals. “When it comes to oils, seed oils can really sabotage weight loss and it might not make the meal taste very different,” she says, “You might not be aware, especially if you begin eating out but seed oils can really make your body not process the food it's eating very well, and you will hold onto water weight and excess calories.” Corn and canola oil are two seed oils that are most commonly used in commercial restaurants, both for their affordability and high smoke point. Cooking with these oils could be putting a wrench in your fitness goals, so consider removing those from your pantry if you struggle with weight plateaus or fluctuation.
Ultimately, the key to moving past a weight loss plateau is being observant, calories can sneak up on you in surprising ways. Documenting what you eat daily is one way to stay informed and give yourself a better picture of how many calories you’re taking in. Also, it is important to make sure you’re eating foods you enjoy. Too much restriction isn’t maintainable, and could sabotage any consistent lifestyle you’re trying to build. These strategies, coupled with mindfulness about what oils you’re cooking with, are a few ways you can get past a weight loss plateau or cycle of fluctuation.
