3 Surprising Ways to Break Through Your Weight-Loss Plateau

Keep dropping pounds even after you think you’ve hit a wall in your weight-loss plan.
 

Too often people experience a plateau in their weight-loss plan: they hit a wall and stop dropping pounds. This frustrating bump in the road often occurs after the first month into your weight-reduction program. Your body starts to become “lazy,” having adjusted to the new reality of fewer calories and more exercise. However, there are effective changes you can make to solve this problem.


1. Start Every Day With a Sundae

This is not an ice cream sundae – it’s a metabolism-boosting breakfast sundae that’s just as delicious.This treat contains Greek yogurt, banana, strawberries, unsweetened coconut, ground flaxseed and last but not least, Dr. Oz’s secret ingredient: matcha green tea powder. Eat this sundae and you’ll be starting your day off with lean protein and good fats, plus the metabolism-boosting properties of matcha green tea, which is prized in both Japan and South America for its health-benefits.

Like other types of green tea, matcha not only speeds up your metabolism, but is chockfull of antioxidants and other powerful superfood properties such as aiding stress reduction, lowering cholesterol, boosting brain health and fighting cancer. Matcha is available in a concentrated powder and can be found at health food stores.

2. Zigzag Your Calories

You may be staying on track with your weight-loss plan, but by consuming the same amount of calories every day, your body weight can actually come to a standstill. For example, your body simply adapts to 1,200 calories and stops slimming down.


To keep your body working hard at shedding those pounds, vary your caloric intake. Consume 1,200 calories one day; then reduce to 1,000 calories the next day; and 1,100 the following day. Keep this pattern going, and your body will have to exert more energy to make adjustments, which can trigger bigger weight loss.


3. Eat Your Water

A recent study showed that women who ate water-rich foods lost 33% more weight in the first 6 months than women on a low-fat diet. Choose both water-rich and nutrient-rich foods. Fruits like watermelon and cantaloupe, and vegetables like celery and green lettuce contain lots of water and vitamins. Soups made with low-sodium broths are a good choice, too. By eating your water you can actually eat more food and cut down on calories at the same time.