10 Things That Could Be Stalling Your Progress

Going by labels (which frequently lie by the way), using cups and spoons, eyeballing, and clean eating rather than calorie counting are all things that can make up the difference between maintenance and deficit calories.

2 You are sedentary.

Don’t get mad! Yes, you workout, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t sedentary. If your job requires you to run errands, walk from office to office, etc your calorie burn is going to be a lot more than if you are sitting all day. If training is the only movement you get in, it may not be enough especially once your metabolism has adapted some.

An occasional leisure walk, playing with your kids/pets, foam rolling/stretching, light yoga, walking that message to your boss instead of emailing it, parking further away, and taking the stairs instead of the elevator are just a few things that you could do to up your calorie burn without crossing over into the added cardio zone.

3 You are very light.

You don’t weigh much and those little extras are adding up. A little bit here and a little bit there, a weekly cheat, extra veggies/gum/sf drink mixes, cooking spray, splenda (or similar). It all adds up.

4 Your daily movements have reduced dramatically.

Lets face it, being in a calorie deficit for a long period of time can be tiring, and the longer your in it, the more your body tries to protect you from yourself. It is normal and actually not the betrayal you think it is. One way that is does this is by slowing down your little movements.

If you used to come home and pick up around the house, tap your fingers at your desk, walk around while on the phone.. but now you sit still? That is your bodies way of decreasing your need for calories by reducing the energy output. This can be huge in busting through a plateau without cutting more food. You may have to be more conscious about doing things you used to do sub-conciously. This is called NEAT.

5 The extras add up.

Some things like low cal ketchup, salsa, cooking spray, and salad greens may be free, but if you are eating all of them at every meal you may want to consider cutting them back. They do in fact have calories and while moderate amounts should be fine, be honest with yourself about how much you are using them.

6 You have been dieting too long.

Your grumpy, not sleeping well, losing hair, cravings are unmanageable, and not losing weight. You may just need a break. Time off is important, even if you haven’t reached your goal. The more body fat you have, the longer you can diet without causing problems with your hormones. If you are pretty small though? Stepping back for a while could be the way to go.

7 You’re impatient.

2 weeks without fat loss isn’t really a stall. If you have been losing fat consistently and then it slows for a few weeks, that doesn’t necessarily mean you are stuck. Waiting it out might be the answer. Check your expectations and see if maybe you are just being unreasonable.

8 You cheat too much.

This is different for everyone. Some can get away with a cheat every week, but most have to consistently eat in a deficit for 30 or more days to see consistent fat loss. If you say you eat “pretty good”, it isn’t likely good enough. Even worse, you don’t even realize you’re cheating.

Lick the spoon? Finish off your kiddos dinner, it was just two bites right? One or two bites here and there every day can add up to an epic cheat meal in calories over a two week period. If this is you, own it. I have a friend that asked my advice. When I gave it, she said to me, “maybe I just don’t want it bad enough”. It was amazing to hear someone just own up to that.

9 You overuse cardio.

You start your diet with a 500 calorie deficit, 3-6 days of training, 2 hours of cardio 4 days a week. This is a problem. The ultimate goal when trying to lose fat is to 1. Eat as much as possible and 2. Do as little as possible while still seeing progress. Even if it is SLOW. Why? because the more severe the energy deficit, the faster your metabolism adapts, and the more severe the consequences. What will you do next? Add another 2 hour day? If you can’t lose fat with just a few short to moderate length sessions per week, something in your diet is wrong. Cardio is a tool in the toolbox, not an absolute.

10 You need to refeed.

Sometimes you reach a certain level of leanness that requires restoring leptin levels to get past a stall in progress.

Taken from Whey and Curls.