Mark: How do I know if I have hit my plateau or not?

Hi Callum,

A plateau occurs when you stop losing weight despite eating an amount of calories that should result in fat loss (based upon your exercise regime, age, metabolic rate, etc). Of course, for every person, there is a level of calories at which you will continue to lose weight regardless of other factors but my experience is that you have to 'cycle' certain nutrients and certainly calories to get the best results with regard to fat loss and to avoid losing muscle.

Assuming you're doing HIIT twice per week and more moderate cardio 2 or 3 times per week, along with high intensity weight training (with short 30-45 second rests between multiple sets)....

Paradoxically, sometimes if you've been dieting for a long time, you need three or four days of excess calories and junk - especially if you haven't been having 'cheat meals'. This stokes up your metabolism and if it is followed by a strict, ultra-low-carb, low fat, high protein diet for several days, it can make a pretty dramatic difference.

From then on, have a couple of higher-carb / calorie days per week but then be ultra strict on the other 5 'clean' days. Remember, some days you have to restrict carbs and calories to an extreme degree to get extreme results!