KO weight loss plateau! 3 actions to increase your basal metabolic rate

I believe that many people who are losing weight have had this experience: in the first few weeks of weight loss, their weight drops sharply like a slide, but after a period of time, their weight begins to stagnate, which is very distressing. Nutritionists say that encountering a plateau during weight loss is a normal physiological protection mechanism. If you want to break through the plateau, increasing muscle mass and improving your basal metabolic rate are key. In addition to aerobic exercise, don’t forget to add strength training. Let Muscle Mom demonstrate 3 advanced strength training movements for you.

Are you worried about the plateau in weight loss? Nutritionist: Stagnation is the body's protective mechanism

Nutritionist Zhang Peirong said that if you want to understand why weight loss encounters a plateau, you must first know what "basal metabolic rate" is. Basal metabolic rate refers to the energy required by your body to maintain breathing, heartbeat, blood circulation and other physiological functions even when you are lying still.

In fact, the stagnation period during weight loss is a normal physiological protection mechanism. Generally speaking, weight will drop in a step-by-step manner when losing weight. When you start eating less or increasing your exercise to lose weight, your calorie intake will be less than your expenditure, and your weight will start to drop. However, after the weight has dropped for a period of time, the body will think that there is not enough food to support the body's needs, so it will activate the protection mechanism, start saving energy and reducing carbon emissions, lower the body's basal metabolic rate, and prevent the energy stored in the body from being consumed quickly.

When the basal metabolic rate decreases, the energy consumed decreases, making calorie intake = expenditure. If there is no change in diet or exercise, weight will stagnate.

How to calculate basal metabolic rate? The Mifflin-St Jeor formula tells you

So how do you know your basal metabolic rate? Muscle Mom said that in addition to measuring with professional instruments, you can use the following Mifflin-St Jeor formula to roughly estimate the calories needed for metabolism during rest.

【Mifflin-St Jeor formula】：

Resting Metabolic Rate: RMR

Male RMR: 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age + 5

Female RMR: 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age – 161

Estimating basic daily calorie needs:

1. Sedentary (no exercise or irregular exercise): RMR x 1.2

2. Light activity (exercise 1-3 days per week): RMR x 1.375

3. Moderate activity (moderate exercise 6-7 days per week): RMR x 1.55

4. Highly active (6-7 days of vigorous exercise per week): RMR x 1.725

Aerobic exercise not only burns fat but also loses muscle tissue

In addition, nutritionist Zhang Peirong pointed out that the reason for the decrease in basal metabolic rate is also related to muscle mass. Muscle is the tissue in the body that consumes the most calories. When muscle mass decreases, the basal metabolic rate will also decrease. If you only do aerobic exercise when losing weight, although you can burn some fat, you will also lose muscle tissue and water.

How to break through the weight loss plateau? Exercise to increase muscle mass and improve basal metabolic rate

What can I do to break through the weight loss plateau? Nutritionist Zhang Peirong said that "increasing the basal metabolic rate" is the most effective way to break through the weight loss plateau. In addition to aerobic exercise, it is recommended to add weight training to increase muscle mass. Once muscle mass increases, the basal metabolic rate will also increase. Usually after changing your exercise plan for 2 to 3 weeks, you will restore your calorie intake to less than your expenditure and your weight will continue to fall.

Is the exercise intensity sufficient? Maintain a score of at least 6 to 7 on the Perceived Exercise Scale

Muscle Mom also said that increasing muscle mass can indeed effectively increase the basal metabolic rate and break through the weight loss plateau. However, although many people engage in aerobic exercise and muscle strength training at the same time, they still encounter a period of weight loss plateau. What should they do at this time? Muscle Mom said that when the body adapts to the current exercise intensity, if the exercise method is not changed in time, the exercise effect will show a diminishing effect.

If you want to break through the weight loss plateau, it is recommended to start by changing the sport, increasing the frequency of exercise, or the intensity of exercise. For example, change the original steady-speed running to interval running, start from the basic jumping jacks, club pose and other muscle strength training, add lower abdominal crunches and club poses with foot movements, or increase the frequency of exercise from 3 times a week to 5 times a week, so that the exercise intensity is at least 6 to 7 points on the perceived exertion scale. Maintain it for a period of time, and usually the muscle mass will gradually increase.

Since building muscle takes time, don't be too nervous when you encounter a plateau. As long as you keep exercising, you will gradually see results. However, it is important to note that many people have done strength training but have not been able to grow muscles. In fact, this is also related to poor eating and sleeping. Since muscles grow during sleep, if you do not have good sleep quality, no matter how much you exercise, it will be in vain!

Break through the weight myth: muscle weight is the key

When exercise continues for a period of time, muscle mass gradually increases. Although the body shape improves, many people are confused as to why the weight does not decrease? Muscle Mom said that when fat and muscle are of the same weight, the volume of fat is about 4 times that of muscle. That is to say, when the weight is the same, if the proportion of body fat is higher, the appearance will be more bloated; but if the proportion of muscle is higher, the body will be stronger.

When losing weight, you must break through the weight myth. What you should pay attention to is "muscle mass" and "body fat". When muscle mass increases, the basal metabolic rate increases, and the chance of gaining weight again in the future will be lower. The following are 3 sets of advanced strength training:

★【Advanced muscle strength training 1/high stick single-leg forward jump】

Action 1: When doing a plank, stretch your arms, with your elbows facing forward, your chest directly above your palms, and your feet together.

Action 2: Lift one foot and jump forward with the foot on the ground, practicing jumping the foot close to the palm of your hand.

Action 3: Jump back to the original position, making your body in a straight line, and return to the starting position.

Repetitions: Repeat 10 times on one leg, then switch sides.

Tips:

1. This movement requires high core and upper body strength. When jumping forward and backward on one foot, the landing should be light, and speed is secondary.

2. Keep your core tight and your hands strong.

3. Keep your chest directly above your palms.

★【Advanced muscle strength training 2/single-leg hip lift and knee jump + switch legs and jump kick】

Action 1: Keep your hips raised, bend your upper body straight, support your hands next to your toes, and jump and exchange positions with your feet.

Action 2: Keep your hips raised, stand up immediately, use the power of your hips to lift your body up.

Action 3: After landing, support yourself with your hands back to the toes, keep your hips raised, and jump to change positions with your hands.

Repetitions: Repeat the movement 20 times.

Tips: This movement requires good flexibility and core, hip strength, and physical fitness to perform the movement most accurately.

★[Advanced muscle strength training three/stick support moving backwards]

Action 1: Stand in a plank position with your hands supported by your shoulders, your forearms parallel, and your feet slightly apart, close to shoulder width.

Action 2: Take small steps backward with your feet while pushing your body slightly backward with your hands.

Action 3: Keep walking until your head is approximately at the level of your elbows.

Tips: When the body moves horizontally to the back, it is the most strenuous time, and the abdominal muscles do not need good strength to maintain the tension generated by the movement.

Action 4: Walk back slowly, then use your hands to slowly pull your body back.

Number of times: Repeat the action 10 to 20 times.

Tips:

1. Keep your core tight and exert force.

2. The buttocks are lifted.

3. Keep your chest directly above your palms.

4. Keep your body in a straight line at all times.

5. Keep your steps light and move forward and backward.