If you’ve ever tried to lose weight before, you may have hit a plateau. You didn’t change a thing, but suddenly your numbers stopped going down. The human body is incredibly adaptable and will go to great lengths to maintain balance (homeostasis).

The plateau effect is the biggest motivational killer out there. Oddly enough, most popular diet books don’t mention the subject, sadly. I guess the concept doesn’t sell well.

The best thing to do when you hit a plateau is to make a change. Don’t make the mistake and hinder your chances of reaching your goal weight by doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result (Ben Franklin’s definition of insanity).

So what changes can you make?

1. Zig-Zag your calorie intake

Zigzag is the process of fluctuating daily calorie intake, while leaving the weeklyunchanged intake. For example, if you normally eat exactly 1,800 calories each day, you can mix it up. Eat 1,200 calories one day and 2,400 calories the next. This can be as simple as halving and then doubling a serving size, or adding a post-workout shake to the plan. It will keep your body guessing.

2. Change your exercise routine

If you normally walk a lot, try jogging, swimming, or even biking. Anything that changes the way your body works. If you’re doing a low-intensity cardio workout, try something a little more intense.

3. Strength training

If you’re not doing this as part of your program or lifestyle, then it’s time to start. Working your muscles will help strengthen bone tissue, increase lean mass, and ultimately increase your metabolic rate. The higher your metabolism, the better!

4. Modify macronutrient intake

Although it sounds complicated, it really is not. Once again, the idea isexchangeWhat are you eating? For example, if you’re on a moderate, high-carbohydrate diet, try eating fewer carbs and more protein. If you eat a carbohydrate snack every day for breakfast, swap it for a protein snack. Whatever you’re constantly doing, try to mix it up.

5. Change meal frequency

If you are eating three full meals a day, start eating five smaller meals a day. Eating more often can not only help you eat less, it can also increase your metabolic rate.

Many dieters work diligently to stick to a fairly rigid diet, with three strength training sessions per week and up to seven intense cardio sessions per week. After 3-4 weeks, the fat simply stops shedding. The frustration is enough for anyone to take their meal plans, shred them, and throw them away in disgust. Furious and disappointed, many dieters give up thinking that “it doesn’t make sense.” Why go on a rigid diet with intense exercise if you don’t benefit from weight loss?

The plateau effect is the biggest motivational killer out there. The best thing to do when you hit a plateau is to make a change. Don’t make the mistake and hinder your chances of reaching your goal weight by doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. You have to deal with the blows; hopefully the tips provided above will help you do just that.