Overcoming plateaus on the Atkins Diet

If you experience a stall or a plateau in your Atkins slimming attempts, you're not alone. This happens from time to time. However, you must first make sure that you have actually reached a plateau point.

A plateau means that you have gone for a longer period of time without losing weight or centimeters. It is important that, in addition to your weight, you also take your measurements before you start your weight loss plan. At some weeks it will seem as if you are not losing any weight at all on the scale. But a quick look at your measurements will prove the opposite.

On the Atkins diet you replace fat with muscle tissue, which is denser and heavier. You might actually gain a little weight because you are building muscles to replace your fat. The result will be an increase in scales, but a decrease in your inches. Your body will be smaller and slimmer, but you can have the same weight.

Before you start your program, measure your chest, waist, hips, upper arms, thighs, and calves. You never know where you might lose centimeters, so it's important to have these comprehensive measurements to refer to. It is normal to go through periods in which your body is adjusting. Remember that you are reforming the composition of your body and that this process takes some time. Check your measurements once a week, as well as your weight, and you can monitor your overall progress.

There may be periods of 3 to 4 weeks in which you have a stall in weight loss, but a loss in centimeters. Or vice versa. Using both methods to track your fat loss is the best guarantee for an accurate measurement of your progress. These maternity periods are no reason to stop or give up. They are natural parts of the weight loss process.

Stalls can occur more often if you are 5 to 10 pounds away from your target weight. By following a low-carb, high-protein diet, you have created much more muscle in your body. The ratio between your muscles and fat is higher than ever before, so your body can resist losing more fat. It may be time to reconsider your target weight. Maybe your body is trying to tell you something and it's time to start preserving your weight loss instead of trying to lose more.

There are some other possible causes of stalls and plateaus on the road to weight loss. If you're away for four weeks with no change in weight or measurements and you're not near your target weight, you can try a few different methods to get yourself out of the rut. First, make sure your carbohydrate level is okay. If you eat too much carbs grams per day, your weight loss will slow down. Look for hidden carbohydrates in packaged foods, dressings and sauces to make sure they're not the culprits in your plateau.

Check your daily water intake. When you're dehydrated, your body will retain water, which can mimic a plateau. Water will also help flush out ketones from your system and make more room for new fat-burning ketones.

Malnutrition can also be a cause of weight loss on plateaus. Make sure you don't let yourself get hungry and eat smaller, more frequent meals. Remember that you're on a low-carb diet, not a low-calorie diet. Make sure you get some protein with every meal and every snack. Never go more than 5 hours without eating anything (except at night of course). Also eat free of the acceptable food. Try not to count calories or limit your calorie intake. If your body gets too few calories, go into starvation mode and cling to the fat cells.

Raising your workout level can also help you get through a plateau. As your muscles get used to training at a certain level, you will need to increase the duration or intensity to keep challenging your body. Add a new exercise to the mix, or try increasing weight during resistance training.

If you try one of these methods, you will probably get your weight loss back on track. Remember that the occasional stall is normal, but it doesn't have to last.