Plateaus are probably one of the most frustrating phases of any weight loss regime that a person chooses. Despite diligently working out, watching portions, making healthy food choices, getting more sleep and not giving up and maintaining a positive attitude the numbers on the scale stall. Your body doesn’t seem to be changing. This can be frustrating and lead people to fall back into old habits because they feel as though they shouldn’t bother because clearly “it’s” not working, forgetting all about the success that they had achieved up until this stall.
It is normal to plateau. Everyone will experience it at some point. I have hit a plateau many times, each time I get frustrated but then I see results all over again once I make some small changes to my regime.
The cause of a plateau is relatively simple. The body’s metabolism slows, making it harder to lose weight. The body responded well at first, but it got used to the activity level and calorie level. To continue losing weight, it then becomes necessary to shake up the routine.
Before you shake up your routine first determine if you are experiencing a true plateau. Sometimes as people become more comfortable and fit, they start to slowly eat a little more falling back on old eating habits or they lessen their exercise. If this is you, then it is time to go back on whatever meal plan that is right for you and get back to working out regularly.
Once a plateau is confirmed, then you can shake it up. It’s time to amp up your workout by either increasing how long you are exercising or increasing your intensity. If you feel comfortable during your workouts, it is time to step out of your comfort zone. Push a little further each time, allow yourself to become stronger. This could be as simple as walking or running a little faster, making bigger movements in your aerobics or dance classes, sprinting a little faster or turning up the tension in a spin class. You can also try something new. Never tried kickboxing, give it a try. Don’t have a gym membership? Try shadow boxing or some other at home activity that you can do that you haven’t tried. Pull out your old workout videos and get dancing. Richard Simmons’ videos never get old and they are always packed full of fun. Every little change that you make can help break through the plateau.
Cutting calories or making different food choices is also a good option. I would recommend talking to your trainer, doctor, or nutritional consultant before you make any changes in your diet. Let them know your fitness level, let them know how often you exercise, how you exercise. This plays a critical role in ensuring that you get the proper amount of calories and nutrients into your body.
The bottom line, don’t let a plateau discourage you. Everyone goes through it. It can be beat. Don’t revert back to old ways, because then you’ll end up losing ground. Think about how much you have accomplished, how much you have changed, how much better you feel now compared to before. Challenge yourself. You challenged yourself many times before, you challenged yourself when you decided to lose weight and gain a healthy active lifestyle. Now it’s just time to enhance the greatness that you have created for yourself.
You can do it!
