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Frustrated that the scales don’t seem to budge past a certain number? You have done everything possible to lose weight but same number appears

We all have a weight that our body is very comfortable at maintaining (homeostasis), and whatever you do, you can’t get under that number.

Do you go the extremes? E.g train everyday? Diet hard? You are all out or nothing

OR

You lack discipline? Go through stages of eating well and keeping fit but it’s only short term.

Are you becoming increasingly frustrated because you can’t lose those last few pounds and your body weight seems to have reached a sticking point.

Why the weight loss plateau? Your body has reached homeostasis, an environment it thrives in and feels comfortable, it simply doesn’t want to lose any more weight, and will do everything it can to prevent further calorie restriction and hunger.

The main reason for this is the hormone Leptin, which goes down, resulting in metabolic rate decreasing and a increase in hunger, which will eventually cause your body fat to a range that’s normal for you. This is your body’s way of defending its set point, a place where your body feels comfortable.

There will be a bodyweight that your body likes to hang out at. This is why it’s so important to have the basics in place like

-Realistic calorie expenditure through NEAT (Non Exercise Adaptive Thermogenesis) e.g. daily steps

-consistent calorie deficit

-reduce the feeling of hunger

-reduce the feeling of deprivation

-reduce the feeling of restriction

If you keep knocking on the door with consistency, you are far more likely to create a new set point and break through the plateau. That’s why creating lifestyle changes and creating good habits is a priority for long term success.

Picture the set point theory as a pendulum. The more extreme your habits are, the more likely you are to get very lean, build muscle etc, but you are also more likely to go in the other direction and back to bad habits, causing you to move further away from achieving your goals.

However, to put a different spin on it, if you want to achieve extreme results like get shredded for a bodybuilding show, be prepared to do extreme things.

One thing to remember, the more out of your comfort zone your body is, the harder it will fight back to get back there.

Wellman Fitness:
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