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Overcoming Plateaus on Weight Loss Medications: Strategies to Keep Progress Going

Posted On: September 24, 2024

Overcoming Plateaus on Weight Loss Medications: Strategies to Keep Progress Going

Weight loss can start wonderfully when using weight loss medications such as Ozempic or Wegovy - your new fitness routine, diet, and medication are working well together to reduce excess weight on your body. However, you may hit an unexpected weight loss plateau at some point. This experience is common, particularly among individuals taking weight loss medications, such as GLP-1 agonists (like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Saxenda) or other prescription drugs designed to help in weight loss. Plateaus can be frustrating in determining how to overcome them.

Understanding Plateaus on Weight Loss Medications


What is a Weight Loss Plateau?

A weight loss plateau is when your weight loss comes to a halt, despite reducing your calories, exercising regularly, and in this case - taking your weight loss medications. Not only is it disruptive to your progress, but can be increasingly frustrating to those experiencing this. Understanding that this is a common problem can help ease any self-doubt, but lets explain why a weight loss plateau could be happening


Metabolism Adaptation: When losing weight, your metabolism slows down since your body requires fewer calories to function at a smaller size. This adaptive thermogenesis can make it harder to continue losing weight at the same pace.

Muscle Loss: During your weight loss journey, you may lose more than just body fat; you will likely lose muscle mass, particularly if you aren't weight training. Muscle is more metabolically active than fat, so losing muscle can impact your metabolic rate and body weight.

Hormonal Adjustments: Weight loss medications impact hormone levels to reduce hunger levels, though over time your body may adapt. For example, the body's production of leptin (the fullness hormone) can decrease, which can make you feel hungrier even when taking medication.

Diet and Exercise: As you lose weight, you may need to change up your diet and exercise. The body can adapt to these changes and you may need to switch things up to fit your new body's needs.

Psychological Factors: Mental and emotional factors, such as lack of motivation or stress, can impact one's ability to stick to their new healthy habits, leading to a weight loss plateau.

How to Break Through Weight Loss Plateaus

Those struggling with a weight loss plateau need an approach that addresses physical, physiological, and behavioral factors. Consider these strategies to continue fat loss:

1. Review and Adjust Caloric Intake

As mentioned previously, your body's caloric needs can change as you lose weight. The number of calories you consumed initially to lose weight, may now only be sufficient to maintain weight loss. To continue losing weight, it may be recommended to continue reducing your caloric intake, though it is highly recommended to do this slowly as to not affect muscle mass negatively.

Here are some steps you can take to improve your caloric intake:

  • Use a food-tracking app to monitor your intake and identify areas for adjustment.
  • Focus on nutrient-dense, low-calorie foods that keep you full, such as vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains.
  • Avoid empty calories from sugary drinks, processed snacks, and alcohol, which can hinder progress.

2. Incorporate Strength Training

For those who have not incorporated strength and resistance training into their exercise routines, this would be a great time to start. Strength training improves muscle mass and helps in improving and maintaining a healthy metabolic rate. Increasing your muscle mass not only will burn more calories but will also help improve body composition.

We recommend aiming for at least two to three days of strength training per week, focusing on major muscle groups, with exercises like squats, deadlifts, push-ups, and rows for a full-body workout. For those who may need a bit more guidance, a personal trainer can develop a customized plan that suits your fitness level.

For those afraid of becoming "bulky" from weight training, it's important to know that significant muscle mass takes a caloric surplus and years of weight training, and is physically impossible in a caloric deficit.


3. Evaluate Your Macronutrient Ratios

Macronutrients are the nutrients we need in larger quantities that provide us with energy: in other words, fat, protein, and carbohydrates. These calories are not always created equal and can impact weight loss. Protein, for example, helps preserve muscle mass during weight loss, which can prevent a weight loss plateau and metabolic rate.

We recommend the following steps to integrate into your diet:

  • Increase your protein intake to support muscle mass preservation and promote feelings of fullness. A good rule of thumb is 20-30 grams of protein per meal or 0.7-1 gram per pound of body weight per day.
  • Adjust your carbohydrate and fat intake to suit your activity levels and medication mechanism of action. For example, low carbohydrate diets can work hand-in-hand with certain weight loss medications by reducing insulin spikes.
  • Everybody is different - monitor how different macronutrient groups can affect your energy and hunger levels.

4. Change Up Your Exercise Routine

Your body is smart, and can quickly adapt to exercise routines, especially if they are repetitive. Incorporating variety into your workouts can challenge your body in new ways, prevent becoming "bored" with your workouts, and burn more calories.

Suggestions:

  • Add short bursts of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) into your routine; This can improve your calorie expenditure in a shorter amount of time (it can also improve how many calories you burn at rest).
  • Try new activities, such as swimming, cycling, or dance classes, to keep your workout routine fresh and enjoyable.
  • Increase the intensity, duration, or frequency of your exercise sessions as your fitness improves.

5. Stay Hydrated and Manage Stress

Hydration can play an important role in metabolism and hunger. Dehydration can be mistaken for hunger, leading to unnecessary snacking. Additionally, chronic stress can elevate cortisol levels, which may contribute to weight gain or impede weight loss.

We recommend consuming at least 8 glasses of water per day, and more if you’re active or in a hot climate. To better manage stress, we recommend incorporating mindfulness practices, such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, or yoga, into your daily routine. Prioritize sleep, as inadequate rest can disrupt hunger hormones and negatively impact weight loss.


6. Consult Your Healthcare Provider About Medication Adjustments

Sometimes, a weight loss plateau may require medical intervention; Your medication dosage may need adjusting, or you may benefit from switching to a different medication or adding a supplemental treatment.

If you aren't already regularly meeting with your physician, schedule a follow-up appointment to discuss your weight loss plateau - they could suggest medication dosage changes, alternative medications, or additional treatments. It could even be worth asking if there might be other underlying issues, such as thyroid or hormone imbalance that are impeding your weight loss efforts.

Conclusion

Staying motivated during a weight loss plateau might be challenging. We highly encourage focusing on non-scale victories such as your clothes fitting better, or your energy levels improving. Ensure that your weight loss goals are realistic and attainable and that your reasons for losing weight are focused on your health vs. other superficial reasons can also improve your motivation. Lastly, practice compassion for yourself - you're only human, and losing weight is no easy feat. With some small adjustments and a positive attitude, you can achieve the weight loss success you're looking for.

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Comprehensive Guide to Mounjaro Weight Loss Medication in Canada

Comprehensive Guide to Mounjaro Weight Loss Medication in Canada

Weight loss - a challenging and frustrating journey millions of Canadians embark on every year. Nationally, obesity rates are rising alarmingly with two in three adults and one in three children being overweight or living with obesity. There are multiple health problems related to excess body weight, such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. While a healthy diet and exercise is highly recommended to lose and maintain weight, some individuals may need additional help to achieve their ideal goals to lose weight. This is where weight loss medications can come into the mix.


Weight loss medications are prescription medications provided by a physician that reduce or control excess body weight. Since they require a prescription from a doctor, patients will need regular and consistent monitoring to ensure progress and optimal health. Prescription weight loss medications are not intended to be used in place of a healthy diet and exercise, but alongside. This is also imperative for post-treatment care to prevent weight gain.


There are many prescription medications available, with Ozempic and Wegovy most well-known for their powerful effects on weight loss and weight management. However, these medications have the active ingredient semaglutide, which may not be appropriate for every individual. That's where Mounjaro comes in. This comprehensive guide will delve into everything you need to know about Mounjaro in Canada, from its benefits and side effects to how you can access it, ensuring that you're fully informed before making any decisions regarding your weight loss journey.

Posted On: August 21, 2024