Reader Question: I’m a man training for an event and have three weeks left to lose my last five pounds. Any suggestions?
Human beings are creatures of habit and don’t like change all that much. Well, when it comes to your diet and work out routines, change is a must. The body adapts rather quickly to your normal diet and exercise routine, thus causing a plateau. The weight loss plateau occurs because your body thinks there is a famine and has slowed down your metabolism in order to conserve calories.
One way to overcome this plateau is to increase your activity level. Increasing your activity level will “speed up” your metabolism and re-start weight loss. For example: if you exercise 3 days a week for 30 minutes a day, increase to 4 or 5 times a week for 35 to 45 minutes each day.
Another way is to increase your fiber intake. Fiber slows the digestion process which in turn makes you feel satisfied longer. It also provides bulk, which makes you feel full. There are two types of fiber: Soluble fiber, such as oatmeal, dissolves in water to create a gel-like substance that attaches to fats and ushers them out of the body; Insoluble fiber doesn’t dissolve during digestion and helps keep our bodies “regular” by retaining water and helping to move waste through the intestinal tract.
So, increase that workout intensity and frequency, and try and intake 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day.
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