How Do I Prevent the Dreaded Weight Loss Plateau?

Everyone says that to lose pounds/fat you must reduce calories. Some people also say that your body gets used to being on reduced calories and actually becomes more determined to hold on to the fat that it has. Assuming these are both true, my question is: Would it be healthy and would it boost metabolism to eat on a cycle? For example.. to eat very low calories for "x" amount of days, then eat normally for a day or two, then repeat? And if so, what length of time would be recommendable for each part of the cycle? --Alicia N.

Dear Alicia,

What a perceptive question! It's true that you must reduce your calorie intake (or increase the number of calories you burn) in order to lose weight. It is also true that if you stay on a low calorie diet for a while your body will likely experience a reduced metabolic rate in order to conserve energy because it senses you are, in a sense, starving yourself.

In fact, there was a diet around in the 1980's named "The Rotation Diet" which worked on this principle: An extremely low calorie diet (600 calories for women and 900 for men) was followed for three days, a very low calorie diet for four more (900 calories for women and 1500 for men) and a low calorie diet for the next couple of weeks (1200 calorie for women and 1800 calories for men). The diet was theorized to prevent the "plateau" effect that occurs when a low calorie diet is followed for a period of time. In actuality it probably worked because of the extremely low calorie level ingested the entire time a person was following it!

In reality, diets below 1200 calories are likely to be lacking in nutrients and difficult to adhere to for any length of time. To my knowledge, no one is able to live on a diet like this for an extended period of time.
If, instead, you follow a calorie level that is in deficit of your needs by just 200-500 calories each day, you should lose two to five pounds per month and this phenomenon of slowed metabolism--or weight loss plateau-- should not occur. (This site can help you calculate your calorie needs based on height, weight, age, gender, and activity level http://www.bcm.edu/cnrc/caloriesneed.htm)

Most of the people who contact me concerning a plateau have been on a calorie level that is far too low for them because they wanted to experience quick weight loss. Slow and sure is the way to go for continuing healthy weight loss that you will be able to maintain in the long run.

My Metabolism is Too Slow For Weight Loss

Hi,
I have been diagnosed with hypertension and need to lose weight. I am a 50 year old male. I dont have a thyroid problem, but I must have a slow metabolism as I have had a hard time losing weight since about my forties. I am quite active and don't eat that much, no junk at all. Last month I cut out all red meat and that seemed to trigger something as I have lost two pounds. That still doesnt seem like much. Is that below average for guys like me? I didn't change the calories totals just cut out red meat (I always ate lean red meat). Why would that make a difference? Thanks! Barry

Dear Barry,
Congratulations on your weight loss so far, and on your commitment to changing your diet to improve your health!

I haven't found people who actually have a slow metabolism, as much as people who eat more than they realize they are eating! We all tend to underestimate portion sizes and forget about snacks we munch on between meals.

Some of the weight you've lost recently may be due, in part, to just being more aware of the desire to lose weight... maybe you go to grab something and subconsciously think, "No, I am trying to lose weight--I'm not going to have that now because I'm not really hungry". I'm not sure why cutting meat out would have helped--are you having smaller portions of chicken/fish than you would beef? Do you have different side dishes with red meat that you are no longer having?

If I could make a single suggestion for weight loss that is the most effective, it would be to keep a food diary. Many studies over decades have shown that people who log their intake consistently lose more weight than those who don't, even if all of the subjects are on the same diet and exercise regimen!

Also consider keeping an exercise log... are you physically active in your job? Or do you also find a way to burn calories for 30 or 40 minutes during the day doing something you enjoy (whether it's biking, basketball, or working out at the gym). If you believe you are active, take a few days to wear a pedometer and see how many steps you take during a typical day--we often tend to overestimate how active we are, just as we underestimate how much we eat!

Finally, when it comes to weight loss, aim for slow and steady. You didn't mention how much you weigh, but healthy guidelines suggest we aim for 10% of our body weight in six months--that's just 25 pounds by October if you weigh 250 now. This may be a very different idea if you are like most people who want to lose 25 pounds in a month or two! But it's most important to change habits that will keep the weight off, so you're not stuck with the weight back on in eight months and looking for another way to diet.

Here's to your slow and steady success!