Wouldn’t it be wonderful if your weight loss program never plateaued?
What if every week you lost those 5 pounds even if you cheated just a little bit?
Reshaping your body, losing inches requires some determination to stay the course. Whether you’ve tried several different diets, gone on crash diets, or even tried wonder weight loss pills, your body’s metabolism needs time to heal. Every time you restrict calories, your body assumes you can’t eat again and slows down your metabolism. If you’ve been extreme in your diet, you may have severely damaged the glands that regulate your metabolism.
It can happen to anyone. One man who lost over 100 pounds actually had a plateau that lasted six months, before the pounds and inches started to drop off again! (He was determined to stay on his plan no matter what). Most people will not experience such a stubborn plateau. Here are some tips to help you get through
tray time.
Key Point: Muscle weighs more than fat! Especially if you work out with weights as part of your routine, you’re building muscle. So you may see slower weight gain or loss, but your clothes fit better!
Look for other ways to measure your progress:
Inches/Body Measurements: Dress Size, Waist, Hips, Neck, Chest or Bust, Arms, Fit to your favorite clothes. Are you starting to see some abs again?
Performance: more resistance during exercise, do it at a higher level, jump higher, walk longer, run faster, play a sport better
Mood and attitude: rate energy level, rate attitude and outlook, track how often you feel very sleepy during the day, rate your confidence level
Health: blood pressure, cholesterol level, blood sugar level, food cravings, sleep quality, skin tone, even the way your nails and hair look.
Intangibles: how you see yourself, the compliments you receive, how others respond to you. The self-confidence that comes from knowing you are being proactive in your life and taking control of your health.
Some quick tips to break the weight loss plateau:
1) Don’t cut calories. It’s tempting when weight loss slows to cut your calorie count even further. Whose! Cutting calories to a minimum will cause your metabolism to slow down even more.
2) Vary your calorie count. Alternating days. If you’re eating 1,200 calories on Monday, eat 1,500 on Tuesday, 1,200 on Wednesday, and so on. Do this for 1-2 weeks. Your metabolic rate will increase.
3) Increase raw fruits and vegetables in your diet to 50%. This will help detoxify your body and “unstuck” your metabolism.
4) Vary what you eat. If you eat mostly fish and chicken, try lean pork and beef. Try new vegetables. A varied diet is important.
5) Change your exercise.
No matter what, stay on track! Layups aren’t fun, but they are a good sign that your body is changing, healing, and rebuilding itself. A plateau means your body is adjusting to become the new you! You are forming lifestyle habits that will keep you at a healthy weight. Spend time with friends who encourage you. Avoid trigger foods. Be patient. The plateau will come to an end and the weight will begin to drop. You’ll always be glad you “fought back” past the plateau.