Breaking Through Weight Loss Plateaus Scientifically: Alternating Methods Help Sustained Weight Loss

Furthermore, looking at weight or body fat percentage alone, the decline isn't a smooth, linear trend. Generally, there's a slight increase before a sharp drop.

Graphically, it would look like several long peaks connected on the right. In other words, both weight and body fat percentage fluctuate.

This is how the human body develops. Take a child's growth as an example: growth spurts and weight gain occur alternately, accompanying the child's growth cycle. This alternating growth in height and weight prevents a person from becoming overweight.

Even trees follow this pattern: they grow taller first, then thicker.

The same principle applies to weight loss. Weight loss occurs only after adjustments have been made to various parts of the body. Therefore, periods of weight loss, and periods of temporary weight gain in preparation for weight loss, are both essential.

Don't panic or feel discouraged just because of recent weight changes. Carefully collecting and recording the data is what's important.

Don't focus on daily changes in weight and body fat percentage; instead, evaluate their changes weekly.

When charting, even small changes, as long as the graph shows a downward trend, you'll continue to lose weight. Even if your weight temporarily increases, it will return to normal within a week or two, resuming its downward trend.

Even if your weight doesn't decrease, as long as your body fat percentage is decreasing, there's no need to worry. This is a period of fat loss.

If your weight, body fat percentage, and waist circumference remain unchanged after two weeks, you've reached a plateau.

This is a state where the body's homeostasis refuses to allow further weight loss. In other words, the body can no longer handle the prolonged, strict conditions. It needs to maintain a stable internal balance. As long as you continue to restrict calorie intake, you will eventually lose weight.

However, there's an even simpler method: combining it with other weight loss methods.

Suddenly using other weight loss methods in this state will cause significant stress to the body. The body's homeostatic functions, responsible for maintaining homeostasis, will become confused at this point: "Huh? What's going on?" and thus cease functioning.

The reason I said all weight loss methods are effective is that, regardless of the method, success in the initial weeks stems from disrupting homeostasis. However, within a few weeks, the body adapts to this state and incorporates the method into its homeostatic operation.

This simplifies things. Just switch to a different method every few weeks. As long as you consistently use the tracking method, calorie restriction is well maintained, so switching to other methods is fine, and weight gain will absolutely not be a problem.

Perhaps those who are still losing weight in the plateau phase are interested in other weight loss methods. This period is the perfect opportunity to try them out.