Although most people see weight loss plateaus as a problem, we actually encourage members of our year-long program to pause their weight loss efforts at regular intervals. For one thing, we’ve found that practicing maintenance is an essential part of learning how to weigh less. So we build it into the program.
But our approach is also designed to minimize the metabolic adaptation that typically accompanies weight loss. (This is that insidious phenomenon where the body compensates for weight loss by slowing down your metabolism. Not helpful.)
We believe that these intentional plateaus help the metabolism stabilize and recover. And there’s science to back that up. A 2018 study out of Australia found that alternating periods of active weight loss and stabilization periods improved weight loss efficiency and led to greater fat and weight loss.
In other words, sometimes slowing down is actually the fastest way to reach your goal.
