by Ann Nelson-Russell

Created on: October 07, 2008   Last Updated: October 14, 2008

If you are not seeing the expected weight lost and you find yourself dreading that weekly weigh-in, help is on the way. Every dieter eventually faces a weight-loss plateau. It happens to even the most diligent dieters: at some point, the scale refuses to budge. Whether it's due to what a dieter eats or how much activity she gets, a weight-loss plateau can be frustrating. But from shaking up your workout to tweaking your diet, a plateau can be overcome.

Breaking through the weight-loss plateau can be achieved by utilizing the best approach for your level of fitness, schedule, time, and energy. Based on your personal goals, current level of activity and eating habits you can quickly turn up the heat in your internal furnace and burn some additional calories. A weight-loss plateau can be frustrating, but there are easy steps to take to get your body consuming calories at a higher rate.

Here we will review five ways to bust a weight-loss plateau:

1) Increase Your Food Intake

Yes, ladies that is correctincrease your food intake by 200 calories a day. This approach should be taken if you have been very diligent in monitoring your daily intake. Your body is scientifically prone to hold on to its' body weight after some initial consistent weight loss. In order to reassure your body that food will be provided, increase your daily intake by 200 calories for the next seven days. Then return to your previous calorie reduced intake.

Those extra calories will trick your metabolism and your body will begin to consume calories at an increased rate. The result will be seen in a lower number on the weight scales. Trade your frustration for a few extra calories and see lower digits on the scales.

2) Change Your Routine

Change your exercise routine. Examples:

If you normally walk a mile 4 times a week, try dancing to your favorite music on one of those days.

Walk with some hand weights; ladies if needed you can even walk with a can of soup in each hand. This is an inexpensive and easy way to add a little weight. Don't forget pump your arms as you walk.

If your fitness level allows, skip or jog for 1 minute, walk for 3 minutes and then repeat.

3) Increase Your Intake of Water

If your scales won't budge check your water intake. The best thing to do is record your daily water intake. An easy calculation to use when determining how much water you should drink is; take your current weight, divide that number by 2, and the answer will tell you how many ounces of water you need each day while trying to increase your weight-loss. For example: weight of 160 pounds divided by 2 would equal 80 ounces of water per day.

4) Start Each Day With a Small Portion of Protein

Start your day with 1-2 ounces of protein. Your body has been fasting all night while you slept. Protein keeps you feeling fuller longer and forces your body to begin to burn the stored fat in your body since you did not give your body new carbohydrates to begin the day.

5) Re-evaluate Food Choices

Keep a food journal for a week and be honest with yourself. Make sure that you are making healthy food choices. Remember not all low calorie foods are good for us, some have hidden fats. You can never go wrong by increasing your fruit and vegetable intake.

No matter which approach you use, the reward will be yours as the weight-loss plateau is no longer your problem.

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