Plateaus

I found this interesting article on plateaus that I thought might help since we discussed this in today's meeting.

Get Beyond Weight Loss Plateaus

By Jennifer May, M.S., R.D., MS

Whenever you lose weight, there's a chance that you might experience a plateau, a period when you just don't lose any weight. The reason this happens is because your body works hard to keep energy intake and output in balance. Sometimes the efforts you make to lose more weight may eventually slow down your weight loss.

Here are some tips to help you get beyond the plateau:

Understand Weight Loss - When your body loses weight it requires less energy to move. Weight training can help you increase lean body mass and help make up for the loss of calories.

Make Workout Changes - Your body gets used to your workout routine and doesn't work as hard as it did when you first started. Try adjusting the intensity, duration and/or frequency of exercise and try interval training for a boost.

Monitor Food Intake
Sometimes calories have a way of "creeping up" on us. Maybe it's a good time to review your daily food intake and see if you aren't adding unnecessary calories that you weren't aware of. Also pay special attention to restaurant meals. Make sure you are getting enough calories, especially if you are working out a lot. Sometimes when the body doesn't get enough calories it can thwart the weight loss process.

Wear a Pedometer - Think you're walking enough? Well this handy device can tell you exactly how many steps you take and make it easy for you to add in more! Aim for 10,000 steps a day.

Eliminate Stress with Yoga - A weight loss plateau can cause stress, which may cause stress eating. Research has shown that Yoga actually lowers levels of stress hormones and increases insulin sensitivity. This means that it sends signals to the body to burn calories as fuel rather than storing it as fat.

Eat More Fruits and Vegetables - Produce is high-volume low-calorie fuel. Make the veggies the center of your plate instead of the meat. Start a meal with a filling dinner salad or warming bowl of broth-based soup. Have fresh fruit for desert, instead of a high-calorie treat. Filling up on fruits and veggies gives you a boost of nutrition and helps you stay away from less healthy processed food.

Most importantly, don't give up on your healthy regimen because of a weight loss plateau. Be happy that your body is working efficiently and that you're on your way to the healthiest YOU ever!