Once you start a weight loss plan or a new diet you will probably find that for the first two to three weeks your weight loss plan worked quite dramatically, weight was dropping off you as the plan promotion said it would; but then you hit the wall.

This isn’t uncommon as many people find that this will happen every time they start a new weight loss plan; most diets and plans are sold on the premise that you will see quick and emphatic weight loss and this is because ALL diets do have this effect. As the body adjusts to a lower calorie intake it still continues to burn calories at the older higher level; result: weight loss.

Unfortunately, weight loss plans generally have great results in the short term and the reason for this is that your body adjusts to survive on the reduced calorie intake and at that the point the body has adjusted and will stop losing weight.

When you reach this point, it is generally known as the weight loss plateau, the only way to counter this effect is to alter your lifestyle; changes to eating habits and the type of foods you eat on a regular basis and of course, regular exercise.

The scary thing about this weight loss plateau is that many people give up once they reach it and then see that their weight loss plan isn’t helping them lose weight anymore.

The problem is if they go back to how they were eating previously, prior to starting their weight loss plan, they will probably become heavier than they were before they started as their body has to adapt yet again, but this time to a higher calorie intake. This normally means that a rapid weight gain replaces a rapid weight loss.

That is why you need to find a weight loss plan that not only helps you lose weight quickly but also will help you lose weight continuously until your target weight is reached.

Most weight loss plans probably consist of the same types of food eaten daily and possibly the same type of exercise routine. The problem is that our bodies are smart and they naturally go into survival mode by adapting to burn fewer calories in order to make the energy reserves, stored in the body, last longer.

In order to go beyond this point, you must change the way you eat and exercise, a complete lifestyle turnaround.

Here are a couple of methods that will help you move off the weight loss plateau and continue with successful weight reduction.

1. Never lower your calorie intake to a point where the body stops burning calories altogether, it can and will happen. You need to find foodstuffs that you can eat as much of as you like, that will take more calories to digest than they actually contain. These are commonly known as ‘negative’ calorie foods. There are weight loss plans that can help you understand the use of this type of strategy and you can find out more information by using the links at the end of this article.

2. Exercise: Exercise is vital as is increases your metabolic rate and the higher your metabolic rate the more calories your body will burn hence you lose weight, hardly rocket science, but you would be amazed how many people think that all you need to do is diet!

By using these two methods you will continue to lose weight and reach your target weight sooner than you ever thought was possible.