The Dreaded Plateau!
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How to Break a Hormonal
Plateau
Many people often experience
a stall in fat loss, especially those who are losing large amounts of weight.
However, before concluding that you have hit a plateau, consider the following:
When following the Zone lifestyle
one can gain muscle and lose fat simultaneously, with the end result being
no weight loss on the scale.
 A
tape measure, having body fat checked regularly with either bio-electrical
impedance (“BIA”) or calipers, or judging by the fit of your clothing are
more accurate indicators than the scale.
Make sure that you are consuming
the appropriate number of blocks per day. Keep in mind that 11 blocks
is the minimum recommendation for adults (with some exceptions for petite
women).
Have you recently started
an exercise program? Believe it or not, you might not be eating enough
food. Check the body fat calculator at www.zoneperfect.com
to ensure that you are consuming the correct number of blocks for your
LBM (lean body mass) and your activity level.
Are you eating too much food?
Most people tend to underestimate how much they actually eat and overestimate
their physical activity.
 |
The Zone lifestyle is a
fat burning diet and requires large amount of water. Sometimes, simply
increasing water intake can start weight loss again. |
If you conclude that you are
indeed at a plateau after considering the above criteria, here are some
helpful pointers to get your fat loss started again:
| 1. |
Try to make sure all your
carbohydrates are favourable. Choose low glycemic vegetables and
fruits, with an emphasis on low glycemic vegetables. Vegetables tend to
be a more effective carbohydrate choice because they are less carbohydrate
dense than fruit. |
| 2. |
Drop 1 mini block of carbohydrate
and add 3 mini blocks of fat at each meal. A 3 block meal would
then be 3P, 2C, 6F (See chart below). Making this adjustment will
keep the calories about the same without affecting insulin levels.
One mini block of carbohydrate contains approximately 36 calories (9 grams
x 4) whilst 3 mini blocks of fat contains approximately 40.5 calories (4.5
x 9). Remember, fat has no effect on insulin, but carbohydrate is
a powerful stimulator. By lowering insulin levels the body can tap
into its own fat stores. |
| 3. |
Another method is
the rotation method utilizing blocks. I have based this on a person
eating 12 blocks a day and here is how it works: For 3 days only
eat 8 blocks broken down into 6-7 small snacks. For the next 4 days
eat 10 blocks broken down into 6-7 small snacks. For the next 7 days
(1 week) eat 12 blocks. Repeat this whole procedure one more time
starting at 8 blocks. The entire rotation method takes 4 weeks.
Remember never to go under 8 blocks a day, so if you eat 11 blocks daily
your rotation blocks would be 8/10/11. If you are a man eating 14
block daily your rotation blocks would be 10/12/14. |
| 4. |
Breaking up your blocks
into smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day is another helpful
way to increase metabolism and break a hormonal plateau. |
| 5. |
Increasing any existing
aerobic activity that you are already doing can also help to get you past
your plateau. |
| 6. |
Use water as your primary
beverage and avoid anything containing caffeine or artificial sweeteners
as both can affect insulin levels. Remember we all have individual
biochemistries and this may not pertain to all individuals. |
|
Once you begin to lose body
fat, you can go back to your correct number of protein, carbohydrate, and
fat blocks.
DROP A CARBOHYDRATE, DOUBLE
THE FAT
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Protein (7g)
|
Carbohydrate (9g)
|
*Fat (1.5g)
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|
Protein (7g)
|
Carbohydrate (9g)
|
Fat (1.5g)
|
|
Protein (7g)
|
|
Fat (1.5g)
|
|
|
|
Fat (1.5g)
|
| |
|
Fat (1.5g)
|
| |
|
Fat (1.5 g)
|
|
21 g P
|
18 g C
|
9 g F (4.5 g hidden
in P)
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*If eating no-fat protein sources
(ie egg whites, protein powders) add three more mini blocks (1.5 g each)
of fat.
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continue
to next section ..