Taking Weight Loss to the Next Level

Have you hit a workout plateau? Here are 5 tips to help you push through and continue shedding pounds

Somewhere between sweaty yoga and walks with your dog, you got utterly bored with your workout routine. 

And while we're not going to condone sitting on your ass until motivation strikes, we get it: You've hit the dreaded weight-loss plateau. You may think you're doing everything right, but chances are you've forgotten some simple rules. Let's get back to the basics, shall we? Follow these five tips that will help fire up your metabolism and keep you sexified year-round:

1.  Fuel Up

A workout with no energy is like a hot guy who's stupid: total waste. Eat, dummy. You can kick up your workouts big time just by eating the right foods (at the right time) for your body and staying hydrated. Sound too simple? Don't pretend you haven't suited up for a run before breakfast. Why waste a workout? You can't starve yourself, burn lots of calories and not have your body retaliate in all kinds of messed up (and sometimes dangerous) ways.

2. Break out of the box

You've heard it before: Mix it up. Try different forms of exercise, and watch your waistline change. Doing the same stuff over and over can be hard on your body and won’t challenge you (read: your body won't burn as many calories, form new muscle mass, etc.). Trying different types of workouts literally will improve your performance. If you're a runner, add a yoga routine once a week. You'll notice increased flexibility, balance and strength—which will improve your runs. Try to do something different at least once a week, alternating a different exercise/routine each time.

3. Give your day a jump-start

Morning is the best time to get in a good workout. Yes, getting one done at all is good, but here's some food for thought: Morning sweat time kicks up your metabolism and keeps it up throughout the day. Evening workouts get your metabolism up, too, but your body naturally burns much fewer calories while you're sleeping than if you're awake. Research has shown that your overall burn from one morning workout is higher than if you were to complete the same workout at night. Conquer the snooze button urge. You can do it, honey.

Related: Fall into Better Health

4. HIIT

High intensity interval training is your friend. This is one of the best ways to get a killer workout in the least amount of time. Get ready to huff and puff and give it all you’ve got because these bursts of energy mean business. HIIT delivers major results without draining your precious time. Another bonus is that you can do these workouts anywhere—in the park, on vacation, in your house—you name it. Here’s an example of HIIT in the park. Just one session a week will help elevate your weight loss to a new level. Go get your sweat on, girl.

5. Compound moves 

Another great way to get more done in less time? If you’re running low on time, try hitting multiple muscle groups at once for maximum results (like squats or pull-ups). These are called compound moves, which build muscle, increase strength and burn fat. There are endless variations you can do to target the areas you most want sculpted, so it can be very personalized, too. Check out this video to see compound moves in action.

Do a combination of these five tips and you'll be busting out of that rut in no time. Try to get a workout in almost every day, no matter how short—consistency is what will get you the results you want.

How do you break through a weight-loss plateau? Tell us in the comments section!


Steph Hendel, C.H.H.C, AAAI-ISMA, Body Sculpting & Health Coach
Former overweight, miserable office slave to slim and toned workout fanatic and health coach, Steph works with women who want to transform their bodies and discover the secrets to getting unique results without feeling deprived. Her sessions focus on spotting road blocks to success and creating surefire ways to overcome them and start living the life they want. She creates an environment that makes it possible to tone up fast and lose weight like a celebrity. Her program supplies the gear to live life loving ourselves and our bodies every day, fueling the motivation to achieve what we want most. Steph is co-host of the web series Zoned2BFit. For more information please visit www.stephaniehendel.com or follow on Facebook.