Stuck on weight loss
Dear Donovan,I weigh 138 pounds and I’ve been on a diet for one month now. So far I’ve lost seven pounds, but it seems like I’m not going any further. Is there something I’m doing wrong?
My daily intake is as follows:
2 protein (in portions)
2 starch (in portions)
2 fruit (in portions)
3 veggies (in portions)
2 fat intake (in portions)
1 dairy.
Congratulations on your seven-pound weight loss. I am curious to know if you are also doing an exercise programme. This can help to increase weight loss.
That aside, it might not be that you are doing something wrong per se why you are not getting further weight loss. In a simple way what has happened is that your current weight loss programme has run out of steam and you have hit a weight loss plateau. This means that your current food intake is roughly equal to the amount of energy you use up to carry out your daily activities. At this point, no significant weight loss or gain will take place.
Before you started your diet, your calories/food intake was higher than it is now in some way. After reducing your calorie intake the body was forced to lessen its weight in order to come down to a size that your new calorie intake could sustain. When the body reached this weight, a weight loss plateau occurred.
It should be noted that in order to lose one pound you would have to cut your calorie intake by 3,500 calories. Therefore, in your situation, in order for you to have lost seven pounds, you would have had to cut your calorie intake by 24,500 calories over the one-month period.
At this point, in order to get further weight loss, you will have to make further changes with your weight loss programme. In a way you will have to change another gear with your programme or give the body a further shock treatment.
You should reduce your calorie intake further, just like you did when you started your programme. This process will cause the body to further use up some of the reserve fat, which will result in weight loss.
You could reduce your protein to one and a half portions, your starch to one, and your fat to one. In addition, you could either start an exercise programme or increase the number of calories burnt with your exercise programme. This you could do by increasing the intensity of your exercise or duration. It is better that during your weight loss programme you focus more on non-muscle building type exercises and do mainly cardio.
Once you adjust your diet and exercise programmes you should get a jump-start in your weight loss programme. It is also very important that you are on a healthy weight loss programme and making healthy choices in your diet to make sure that your health is not compromised. In addition, knowing what changes to make with your weight loss programme is key in making sure that your weight loss continues over time. It is for these reasons that if possible, a qualified professional should supervise your weight loss programme.
Good luck.
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Are you struggling to lose weight or just need some advice on living a healthier life? Tell us about your health issues and we’ll have nutritionist and wellness coach Donovan Grant answer them for you. Grant has over 12 years’ experience in the fitness industry and is the owner of DG’s Nutrition and Wellness Centre, Suite 16, 39 Lady Musgrave Road, Kingston 5. Send your questions to clarkep@ jamaicaobserver.com.
