Module 17: When Weight Loss Stalls Participant Guide

Session Focus

Taking action when your weight loss stalls can help you prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.

In this session, we will talk about:

  • Some reasons why weight loss can stall

  • Other non-scale ways your body tells you that you’re making progress on your health goals

  • The value of maintaining your weight and how to start losing weight again

You will also make a new action plan!

Tips:

  • Set new goals that match your lower weight, if needed.

  • Maintain weight loss as a long-term goal.

  • Build muscle.

Why Weight Loss Can Stall

Roxanne’s Story

Roxanne’s baby is now six months old, happy and healthy. But Roxanne and her baby got off to a rough start. Roxanne had a thirddegree tear in her perineum, which meant she was very sore after childbirth, and her recovery took longer than she expected.

Finally, Roxanne was given the OK to exercise by her OBGYN. She’s at risk for type 2 diabetes because she had gestational diabetes in her pregnancy. Roxanne currently weighs 168 pounds, and her goal is to lose 18 pounds to get to 150 pounds. She has made a commitment to increase her physical activity and make some small but meaningful changes to her eating habits.

During the first 6 weeks of the DPP, Roxanne lost 12 pounds. The firs week she lost 3 pounds as she started drinking more water in place of other drinks. After that, she was losing between 1 and 2 pounds a week. When Roxanne plots out her weekly weight loss, she likes seeing her weight loss line getting closer and closer to her goal.

But, in the last few weeks, Roxanne worries that her weight loss has stalled. She loses just half a pound during week 7. In week 8, she gains a pound. And she doesn’t lose any weight during week 9.

Although Roxanne is a little frustrated to see her progress slow down, she knows that her weight is only one measure of the positive changes that she is making in the program. She reminds herself of how much more energy she has. She looks at how much more she’s moving during her week. She is happy that she is drinking more water, building new eating patterns, and establishing healthy habits like taking a daily walk and tracking her food.

Roxanne also realizes that weight loss can be affected by stress or anxiety, sleep, hormonal changes, and eating patterns. She’s frequently up at night with her baby, who is teething, so she doesn’t always get great sleep. She recommits to continuing the positive habits she has adopted. She keeps drinking water, tracking her meals regularly, and walking every day. She decides to increase the intensity of her walking. When she started, she walked 1 mile. Now, she can walk a mile and a half in 30 minutes! Roxanne adds some more vegetables and fiber to her meals with salads. Roxanne also realizes that she has been anxious due to worry about the costs of childcare, and trying to balance work and motherhood. She starts a new nighttime routine that includes a cup of herbal tea, some music, and reading a book.

These small changes add up. After a few weeks of successful weight maintenance, Roxanne begins losing 1 to 2 pounds each week again. She now knows that she will be able to successfully maintain her weight as well as keep making progress on her weight loss goals.

Reasons Why Weight Loss Stalls

Weight loss can stall for different reasons, which can vary considerably among people. Some of these reasons include:

  • Your body adapts to weight loss, changing the number of calories you need.

  • Your body adapts to your physical activity routine.

  • You may be eating a little more without realizing it, especially if you’ve stopped measuring or logging your meals.

  • You may be eating fewer vegetables or fiber.

  • You may be eating or drinking more high calorie foods or drinks.

  • You may be drinking less water than you did at the start of the program.

  • You may be going through a time of the year with more social gatherings, meaning more highly processed foods and fewer opportunities to be physically active.

  • Your sleep schedule may have changed.

  • You may be experiencing stress, anxiety, or depression.

  • You may have started a new medication.

  • You may have hormonal changes due to age, stress, menstrual cycle, or the time of year.

Remember:

  • Focus on your strengths and reinvest in the behaviors that led to your successes.

  • Focus on maintaining your weight when your normal routine changes.

  • Remind yourself that weight loss maintenance is your long-term goal. Being able to balance food intake and activity when maintaining your weight are important too.

  • Look at small changes you can make to your eating patterns, physical activity, sleep, and stress management to stay on track—it’s often not one thing, but several small things that can make a big difference.

How To Start Losing Weight Again

Roxanne’s Weight Loss

Ways To Take in Fewer Calories

Here are some ways to take in fewer calories. Consider the following swaps.

Healthier Ingredient Swaps

Directions: It’s time to pull out your recipes! Share your recipe with your group. Then, work together to find ways to include healthier ingredient swaps in your recipe. Finally, write down any takeaways from your group discussion.

Healthy Ingredient Swaps:

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Group Takeaways:

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Whole-Group Takeaways:

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How to Burn 100 Calories

Know what it takes to burn about 100 calories. Try something new.

Household chores

  • Garden for 30 to 45 minutes.

  • Rake leaves for 30 minutes.

  • Shovel snow for 15 minutes.

  • Wash and wax your car for 45 to 60 minutes.

  • Wash windows or floors for 45 to 60 minutes.

  • Vacuum for 60 minutes.

Sports

  • Bike 5 miles in 30 minutes (6 minutes/mile).

  • Dance fast for 30 minutes.

  • Do water exercises for 30 minutes.

  • Jump rope for 15 minutes.

  • Play basketball for 15 to 20 minutes.

  • Play touch football for 45 minutes.

  • Play volleyball for 45 to 60 minutes.

  • Push a stroller 1.5 miles in 30 minutes (20 minutes/mile).

  • Run 1.5 miles in 15 minutes (10 minutes/mile).

  • Shoot baskets for 30 minutes.

  • Swim laps for 20 minutes.

  • Walk 1.75 miles in 35 minutes (20 minutes/mile).

  • Wheel yourself in wheelchair for 30 to 40 minutes.

Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Snacking and Weight Loss

Snacks can be a helpful way to reduce hunger when it will be a long time between meals or if your meal is going to be delayed. However, typical snack foods often pack in a lot of calories. Many processed snack foods contain more calories than an entire healthy meal! They also tend to contain a lot of sugar, salt, and fat. Since it’s easy to eat more calories than you mean to when snacking, it’s important to be especially mindful when choosing snack foods.

  • Choose snack foods that pack in nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber.

  • If you’re craving a snack think about your triggers. When you’re tired, a snack can seem like a quick pick-me-up. When you’re stressed, a snack can distract you. When you’re bored, a snack can give you something to do with your hands. Before you reach for a snack, ask yourself if you’re truly hungry or if you’re tired, bored, or anxious.

  • Before you have a snack, have a tall glass of water. As we get older, it can be easy to be mistake hunger for thirst.

When you’re trying to lose weight, look at your snacks first. You may realize that you are snacking much more during the day than you think. Think about how to make your breakfast, lunch, and dinner more satisfying by planning healthy meals. If you decide to add a snack to your day, choosing the right snack and portion are important.

Think about your favorite snack foods. Use apps to look up the serving size and calories of your favorites, as well as some of the popular snacks your family eats. Consider healthy swaps that reduce calories and give your body more of the vitamins, minerals, and fiber it needs.

Could those snack calories be used to make your breakfast, lunch, and dinner more satisfying?

Could you cut out some of those snacks altogether?

Snacks under 150 calories that provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber:

  • Fresh, canned, or frozen fruit

  • Whole fruit such as an apple, pear, peach, orange, kiwi, banana, mango, or papaya

  • 1 cup of berries such as strawberries, blueberries, cherries, blackberries, or raspberries

  • Canned peaches, pears, mandarin oranges in their own juice (avoid heavy syrup)—see label for serving size

  • Frozen fruit thawed for a snack—see label for serving size

Small handful of unsalted/low-salt nuts or seeds (about ¼ cup)

  • Almonds

  • Pistachios

  • Walnuts

  • Pecans

  • Brazil nuts

  • Peanuts

  • Sunflower seeds

  • Squash seeds

  • Mixed nuts

Savory snacks

  • A handful of baked tortilla chips with tomato salsa

  • 2 tbsp hummus with baby carrots

  • 1 stick of part-skim string cheese

  • 5 whole wheat crackers with 1 part-skim cheese stick

  • 3 cups of popcorn (without added butter)