(HealthDayNews) -- Up to now, your diet has been successful. You've lost weight steadily, but now you seem to have hit a plateau. No matter what you do, the scale doesn't budge.
According to Duke University, the causes of diet plateaus are often complex, but there are things you can do to help cross them:
- Weigh yourself just once a week. Sometimes what you think is a plateau is a normal fluctuation in weight.
- Have reasonable expectations. People lose weight at different rates. In general, the more you have to lose, the faster it will come off.
- Exercise, but not too much. As soon as you start eating less, your metabolism slows down, reducing the rate at which you burn calories. If you restrict calories too much or exercise excessively, your body will start hoarding calories and fat to prevent starvation.
