How to Overcome Plateaus and the Atkins Diet

If you're experiencing stagnation or a plateau in your Atkins weight loss efforts, you're not alone. This happens from time to time. But first, you need to make sure you've actually reached the plateau point. A plateau means you've gone an extended period of time without losing weight or inches. Before starting a weight loss plan, it is important to measure your measurements in addition to your weight. Some weeks, you may not feel like you're losing any weight at all. But a quick glance at your measurements will show otherwise. On the Atkins diet, you replace fat with muscles that are denser and heavier. You may actually gain some weight because you are building muscle to replace fat. The result will be an increase on the scale, but a decrease in your centimeters. Your body will be smaller and slimmer, but you may weigh the same. Before starting the program, measure your chest, waist, hips, upper arms, thighs and calves. You never know where you might be losing inches, so it's important to have these comprehensive measurements to refer to. It's normal to go through periods where your body is readjusting. Remember that you are reforming your body composition and this process will take time. Check your measurements once a week, as well as your weight, and you can track your overall progress. There may be periods of 3 to 4 weeks where weight loss stops but the loss in inches. Or vice versa. Using both methods to track your fat loss is the best guarantee of accurately measuring your progress. These breaks are not a reason to quit or give up. They are a natural part of the weight loss process. Standing may occur more frequently if you are 5 to 10 pounds away from your goal weight. By following a low-carb, high-protein diet, you've built a lot more muscle in your body. Your muscle to fat ratio is higher than ever, so your body can resist losing fat. Maybe it's time to rethink your goal weight. Maybe your body is trying to tell you something and it's time to start maintaining your weight loss rather than trying to lose more weight. There are some other possible causes of stalls and plateaus on your weight loss journey. If you've gone four weeks without changing your weight or measurement and you're nowhere near your goal weight, you can try a few different methods to break out of your rut. First, make sure your carb levels are under control. If you eat too many grams of carbs per day, your weight loss will stall. Look for hidden carbs in packaged foods, dressings, and sauces to make sure they aren't the culprits of your plateau. Check your daily water intake. When you are dehydrated, your body retains water and this can mimic a plateau. Water will also help flush ketones out of your system, making more room for new fat-burning ketones. Not eating enough can also be the cause of weight loss. Don't starve yourself, and eat smaller and more frequent meals. Remember, you're on a low-carb diet, not a calorie-restricted diet. Make sure you have some protein with every meal and snack. Never eat for more than 5 hours (except at night, of course). Also, eat freely from acceptable foods. Don't try to count calories or restrict your calorie intake. When your body gets too few calories, it goes into starvation mode and holds on to fat cells. Increasing your exercise level can also help you overcome a plateau. Once your muscles get used to exercising at a certain level, you'll need to increase the duration or intensity to keep challenging your body. Add a new exercise to the mix, or try increasing the weight in your strength training. Trying one of these methods will most likely get your weight loss back on track. Remember that occasional standing is normal, but it doesn't have to last.