ASK THE EXPERTS

Advice from the best in the UAE.

Q

I have been exercising and following a weight-loss diet to shed extra kilos. However, I notice that my weight-loss has plateaued. What could I be doing wrong?

A

Most men hit a plateau after they have lost about 12 kilos, and women when they have lost about eight kilos.

You know you have plateaued when you are doing everything right, including regular workouts, and you still feel like your size has not changed nor has the weight reduced.

There are three things you can do to deal with this issue. First, get your body fat analysis done. Chances are you are losing body fat but gaining muscle, which is why the scale is not budging.

Second, just for two weeks, you will need to try an entirely different meal plan that you have not done in the past. You can do this by either fluctuating your calories on a daily basis, go on an intermittent fast or try a ketogenic plan. The problem with most of these strategies is that you will not be able to sustain them so you will need to gradually switch back to eating the way you used to eat.

And this is where the third strategy comes into play, which is your workout. You will need to dramatically try a new workout regime that your body is not used to so it can start dropping the fat.

Lastly, be honest with the efforts you are putting in. If you are genuinely not making this process your priority then you have probably not hit a plateau and are just finding an excuse to escape the hard process involved in losing weight.