8 Surprising Reason's Why You Have Hit an Intermittent Fasting Plateau

Fasting

This post is all about reasons why you have hit an intermittent fasting plateau and how to solve them.

So you have found success with intermittent fasting- whether it be for weight loss, an energy boost, clearer skin, improved gut health or just overall well-being– one minute you are making great progress and feeling unstoppable, then the next, you hit an intermittent fasting plateau…. what gives?

While intermittent fasting can be extremely beneficial for multiple areas of your overall physical and mental health, it is important to ensure you are doing it correctly. There is such a thing as fasting the WRONG way.

There are many lifestyle factors, habits and routines that you may subconsciously be incorporating into your daily life that are contributing to a plateau.

Here are the top 8 reasons why you have hit an intermittent fasting plateau and how to kick start yourself back into gear.

1.) You are fasting too much

At the beginning of your fasting journey, it is tempting to jump headfirst and hit the fasting hard. You may lose a substantial amount of weight the first few days to weeks but then you stall out.

If your fasting window is too long and/or too frequent, your body may not be getting the calories, vitamins and minerals you need for it to burn fat effectively.

This can lead to a slower metabolism in attempt to conserve energy (a.k.a hold onto the fat for fuel), headaches, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, muscle loss and much slower progress to your end health goals.

It can also sabotage your eating window as you may feel the need to binge when it is time to eat.

Solutions:

1.) Create your own personalized balanced fasting and diet plan

Creating your own plan that meets your personalized needs is important with fasting. Unfortunately with fasting, not one size fits all. Find a routine where you can get the benefits of fasting while still receiving adequate amounts of nutrient rich foods in your diet during your eating windows.

2.) Make sure you aren’t skimping on the calories

A good rule of thumb is for women to never go below 1,200 calories/day and men to never go below 1,600 calories/day when intermittent fasting. Extended fasting would be an exception to this rule- however too much extended fasting can also hinder weight loss.

3.) Always supplement with electrolytes

While you are fasting, you are not receiving electrolytes from food where you would usually get them. Remember to supplement with essential electrolytes such as sodium, potassium and magnesium during your fasting window– ESPECIALLY if you are doing extended fasts.

Read HERE on why electrolytes are so important while fasting!

2.) You are fasting too little

While fasting too much can hinder your goals, so can fasting too little.

Everyone is different when it comes to fasting and you may be someone who requires a longer fasting window to achieve the benefits you want.

Fasting windows can range anywhere from 12-72 hours with the intermittent fasting routine of 16:8 (an eating window of 8 hours and a fasting window for 16 hours) being the most popular. However, some individuals find that even a fasting length of 16 hours does not get them where they need to be.

Solutions:

1.) Fast for longer

If you are only fasting for 12-16 hours, try extending your fasts. You may be starting your eating window right as the best benefits of fasting are kicking in!

2.) Close your eating window sooner

If your eating window falls later into your day, opt to close your eating window at least 1-2 hours before bed time. Eating when tired has been shown to lead to overeating. It also hinders your body’s ability to switch over to fat-burning mode during the night while you are asleep.

3.) Switch up your routine

If you have been on one fasting schedule for a period of time, it is possible that your body has become accustomed to it. You may find that changing your routine up a bit is all you need to get you over your intermittent fasting plateau.

4.) Try an extended fast

If you are an intermittent faster that has stalled on progress, adding an occasional extended fast of 48 -72 hours into your routine may kick start your metabolism. Just be sure to do research and educate yourself before jumping in.

3.) You aren’t taking your hormones into consideration

It is crucial to consider hormones such as testosterone, progesterone and estrogen with any method of fasting– specifically for women.

how many weeks is considered a weight loss plateau

Women are highly sensitive to fasting during the last week of their menstrual cycle when progesterone is at its highest. Fasting during this time can spike cortisol levels and severely hinder weight loss.

Although women may feel fine for the first couple of months of intermittent fasting throughout the entirety of their menstrual cycle, eventually prolonged periods of fasting with no breaks can cause many issues such as loss of a period, hair loss, weight gain, depression, hot flashes and complete irregularity of hormones.

Solution:

Track your cycles

Track your menstrual cycles and educate yourself on the health benefits of holding off on fasting and focusing on nutrient rich foods during your luteal phase.

Read HERE on about the importance of fasting in conjunction with your menstrual cycle.

4.) You aren’t getting enough sleep

Sleep may not sound like a factor that would affect fasting results however, it has been shown that if you are not getting adequate amounts of high quality sleep and recovery, intermittent fasting will not be near as effective.

Intermittent fasting during periods of poor sleep may actually be doing you more harm than good.

Interrupted or poor quality sleep can lead to a dysregulation of the body’s circadian rhythm and hormones as well as a much slower metabolism.

Solutions:

1.) Give yourself a bed time

Setting and sticking to a reasonable bed time that you can incorporate into your routine and actually follow is a must. It may also be helpful to have a set wake time every morning to get your day going at a reasonable hour.

2.) Change up your routine

Limit screen time or wear blue light glasses before bed, make the air cooler, stay active throughout the day and practice stress management.

3.) Don’t eat right before bed

Not only does eating 1-2 hours before bed generally lead to overeating and possibly slow metabolism, but it can also cause indigestion and disturbed sleeping patterns.

5.) You aren’t staying active/not active enough

Exercise is one of the most important thing you can do for your overall health.

Although that may be common knowledge, what many may not know is that as you lose weight, your metabolic rate (or the rate at which you lose weight) starts to slow down.

Light to moderate intensity daily exercise can significantly increase metabolism, burn even more body fat and boost energy levels.

Getting more active may be the way to 1.) get into a calorie deficit and 2.) counteract the drop in metabolic rate to keep you progressing on your journey to your fasting goals.

Solutions:

1.) Make it fun

Increase your daily exercise or even just the intensity of your exercises. Make it a game or a competition against yourself or other people. Just a small change could be enough to bump you out of your stagnant state.

2.) Invest in an activity tracker

Using an activity tracker is a great way to assess where your activity level currently is, track your increase in activity and adjusting accordingly. You may not really be as active as you think you are!

3.) Start strength training

Building muscle is a huge key to keeping your body fat percentage down. It is proven that if you have more muscle, you will burn more calories and fat- just don’t forget the protein!

4.) Try exercising during your fasting window

It has been shown that exercising during a fasted state can have greater fat burning effects. This study concluded that exercising in a fasted state “decreases body weight, free fat mass and fat mass”.

It is recommended to do fasted exercises during light to moderate intensity workouts such as walking, jogging, cycling and yoga. Fasted high intensity workouts should be avoided as it has been shown there is a possibility of muscle breakdown.

6.) You aren’t eating the right diet

Although intermittent fasting aides in weight loss, it is not a magic cure. You still have to be conscious of the types of foods that you are consuming.

Not only will these unhealthy foods stall your results and delay body fat burning, but you will also feel weak, tired and moody due to the lack of essential vitamins and minerals.

This is especially true when you are eating a high carbohydrate diet. When eating this type of diet, your body’s first line of fuel will be those carbs instead of your own body fat.

On top of that, those simple sugars will give you a rapid spike in energy that also comes with a nasty energy crash.

Solutions:

1.) Track your macros

Decrease your carbohydrate intake and increase healthy fats, fiber and protein into your diet. By decreasing carbohydrates, you are depleting glycogen stores and can more readily tap into your own body’s fat stores. Eating the correct macro ratio will not only generate more body fat burning, but will also keep you satisfied for longer.

2.) Eat more vegetables

Aim to eat a variety of different colored vegetables at every meal. This will give you an array of different vitamins and nutrients as well as fiber to keep you feeling full for longer.

7.) You are too stressed

Stress and anxiety can play a huge role in why you are not losing any more weight.

When you are stressed, your body releases cortisol. When cortisol is released, your body produces excess glucose which then is converted into fat.

Elevated cortisol levels not only lead to excess glucose production but also increased appetite, cravings insulin resistance, diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

Solutions:

1.) Practice stress management

Don’t forget about self care. If you are in a stressful time in your life, spend extra time focusing on activities that will help you think more positively.

Exercise, meditation, deep breathing, yoga and even extra time with loved ones may be helpful.

8.) You are drinking too much alcohol

Although drinking alcohol isn’t technically eating to break a fast, those drinks can pose even more setbacks than majority of the items on this list.

Those issues include: dehydration, poor sleep, impaired liver function, impaired insulin sensitivity, blood sugar irregularities, cravings, decreased autophagy, poor metabolism, decreased muscle gains and even rebound anxiety after drinking — all of which will hinder fasting results.

By drinking alcohol (of any kind), your body’s main priority isn’t burning carbs, proteins or even your body fat for fuel anymore—it is now focused now on filtering out those toxins.

Drinking alcohol during your fasting window means that you are actually in an eating window. You cannot be fasting and drinking alcohol at the same time.

DID YOU KNOW: It can take up to 36 hours for your body to fully process alcohol out of your system before beginning to burn fat again.

Solution:

1.) Skip the booze

Opt for a fancy mocktail or sparkling water instead of beer, wine or liquor. Your future self will thank you later!

2.) Drink in moderation

If you are going to drink, give yourself a limit beforehand and stick to it. Remember– every ounce of alcohol you drink will need to be processed out by your body before switching back to fat burning mode. Don’t forget your electrolytes!

When you have hit an intermittent fasting plateau, the best thing to do is evaluate your lifestyle, change habits and then evaluate again.

Try to be patient as weight loss and fasting are journeys and you will continue to learn throughout!

Happy fasting!