Losing the Last 10 Pounds: How To Break Through the Weight Loss Plateau

Written by Jamie, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

Your new diet was going so well. You lost some weight, gained a bit of extra confidence, plus you’re doing some exercise, too.

So why can’t you lose those last 10 pounds?

The last remaining pounds are often the most frustrating thing about weight loss. Plus, those final 160 ounces are, for many people, the most discouraging part of any diet plan.

In fact, they’re so disheartening that some people either give up when they feel they can’t overcome the weight loss plateau or just adjust their expectations downward, pretty much writing off that extra weight loss as “a bridge too far.”

But those persnickety pounds are not really our fault or due to some problem with our “will power.”

If you want to blame it on anything, you could pretty much pin it on human evolution.

Through something called adaptive thermogenesis, our body slows down its metabolism to process fewer calories.

This is partly because it’s learning to function more efficiently on fewer calories and partly because the body suspects that it might be a long time until the next hunting expedition or foraging foray.

The body doesn’t want to burn up those hard-won calories, or especially our fat reserves, and so this brings on what we could call “fat-loss resistance.”

Why was that initial weight loss easy?

When we're dieting, we often drop pounds faster, at first, because we lose some of the body’s extra “water weight” and some lean body mass.

When this part of the initial pound-loss stabilizes — because the body needs lean body mass to perform daily activities — our weight loss then grinds down to a snail’s pace.

This doesn’t mean it’s time to throw in the towel, it just means it’s time for us to really roll up our sleeves!

Fortunately, there are many things we can do to outsmart our evolution and re-ignite our fat-burning engines.

Almased is one very smart addition to the next stage of our new, even healthier, lifestyle.

That’s because Almased is a unique low-glycemic high-protein (LGHP) weight-loss shake that floods your body with high-quality protein, amino acids and key nutrients.

But more on Almased as part of your battle plan to overcome the weight loss plateau — and get that scale moving down again — below.

Here are 7 tips that’ll help you not only vanquish those last 10 pounds, but will also help you achieve your best health ever.

1. Cut a little more calories

We know cutting calories is hard. But, if you want an extra assist on those hard-to-lose pounds, if you can cut out an extra 250 calories a day you’ll have a leg up.

This may sound annoying until you realize that this only means cutting out the one 20-ounce cola that you were having each day.

And, if you don’t even drink soda, just make sure to cut calories from treats and salty snacks, not from the nutrient-rich foods that your body needs.

2. Eat more protein

Like fiber, protein helps you stay fuller longer. You should aim for some protein in every meal.

Good protein choices include low-fat or nonfat yogurt (especially Greek varieties), low-fat cheese, eggs, beans, fish, and lean meats that are grilled, steamed, baked, broiled or poached.

Plus, it’s great to know that every serving of Almased is packed with 24 grams of high-quality protein.

In fact, in a landmark 2020 study with 19 healthy women who received either Almased alone or a standard diet, when taking Almased the participants were able to significantly burn more fat by turning more nutrients into energy than they were able to with a regular diet, leading the researchers to say that Almased provides a "metabolic advantage" compared to a conventional diet.

3. Exercise more, or smarter

While we now know that extreme exercise is not the answer for total health, it is true that having more lean muscle increases our metabolic set point, boosting our potential for greater strength and easier fat loss through diet.

And studies suggest that muscle-mass-increasing weight training — along with adequate protein — can boost metabolism.

In one study of overweight women, all dieted and all lost weight. But the group that also did resistance training maintained metabolism, muscle mass and strength when the diet was over. The other group lost muscle mass and experienced a decrease in metabolism.

So building muscle means you’ll burn more calories each day, even at rest. You’ll also avoid the metabolism drop that can occur during weight loss.

4. Change up what you’re eating

If your new healthy eating plan has you bored and food-restless, try some new and different recipes.

Go for local fruits and vegetables when they’re in season. In general, include more lean meats and fish, lots of veggies, salt-free spices, unsweetened tea or water, and absolutely no refined sugar or simple carbs.

Plus, bonus weight-loss credits for adding some delicious Almased smoothie recipes to the mix!

5. Drink more water, less alcohol

As overstated as this one may seem, it is true that downing more filtered or spring water daily can make an important difference.

One reason is that it helps us to naturally cleanse the body of impurities. Another reason is that drinking water can also, at times, help us feel full, or at least not hungry.

Oftentimes, when we think we’re hungry we’re really thirty. Water fills the stomach and can lessen hunger.

Also, it’s great to lose the booze — or at least cut out those extra glasses. Why? Because alcohol dings us for almost the same calories as fat and almost twice the calories of protein and carbohydrates, but it has absolutely no nutritional value.

6. Don’t trust the scale

Remember that muscle weighs more than fat. That means your bathroom scale can’t offer you any reliable insights on your progress.

Instead, focus on gaining muscle and losing body fat. Eventually you’ll notice the change in muscle definition, and you won’t need the scale to tell you.

7. Stick to your goals

Business guru Robert Herjavec once said, “A goal without a deadline is just a dream.”

If your goal is to lose those last 10 pounds, commit to an actual date. From now until that date, give yourself benchmarks you need to hit at certain points in time.

Or you can make your goal more personal — the first day of beach season or that wedding that’s coming up — this way you have a solid goal that speaks to how you want to be or be seen.

Almased: Your Weight-Loss Plateau-Buster!

Almased feeds the body at a cellular level to help boost metabolism and safely support both fat-burn and overall weight loss.

Crafted with only three primary ingredients — non-GMO soy, honey and yogurt — Almased features 24 grams of protein in a natural low-glycemic formula that comes in a powder for easy mixing into shakes and smoothies.

It's easy to drink Almased shakes to replace some meals, or as a healthy snack, so that you can hold on to that hard-earned weight loss success!

Almased will always be there for you, since it’s part of a simple and easy-to-follow eating plan that can help you crush it and bust through that weight-loss plateau!

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