What Not To Do!
Clearly the first thing to learn about hitting a weight loss plateau is What Not to Do! This can be a time of great frustration and disappointment. You have been dieting and steadily losing. Sometimes, even when you "cheated" just a little, you were still dropping pounds.
And then everything changed. Being oh-so-careful about portion sizes and healthy food choices didn't mean even a single pound dropped. Walking an extra half hour or going to an aerobics class didn't make a difference either. You are at a dreaded weight loss plateau.
A weight loss plateau is very common so this is not a time to give up on your dieting plan. This is when calmer thinking must prevail. It is time to realize that even when you have followed your diet plan, you will encounter frustrating times like this.
You may ask yourself what causes a plateau, so understanding about the facts can be helpful. Typically weight loss will go on for a few weeks at the beginning of a diet, often with a rapid drop in weight. When you are dieting and consuming fewer calories, your body turns to stored energy in the muscles for energy and a plateau occurs because your metabolism is slowed as you lose muscle. In order to lose more weight you will need to increase your exercise or reduce your calories.
What To Do
This is actually a time when you can maintain your weight loss by continuing at the same calorie and exercise levels you have been on, but to lose more weight things will need to change. Ask yourself whether you are satisfied with your new weight or if you want to lose more. Be realistic about this and remember that the tape measure is usually a better indicator of your new body than the scale may be.
If you determine that you need to continue your dieting, you can approach this in a couple of ways.
•Review your calorie and exercise plan and determine what reduction in calories and increase in exercise you are going to establish. A reasonable goal is to reduce daily intake by 200 calories and to rev up your workout by adding 15 -30 minutes two or three times a week.
•Take a short break. If you are committed to losing more weight but frustrated about the plateau you are on, consider maintaining your current calorie and exercise program for a week. This allows your body to adjust to your new metabolism and then you can start fresh on another round of dieting with a reduced calorie plan.
•Find filling, high bulk foods that you can add to your diet to lessen any hunger attacks. Increase the protein, reduce the carbs, and drink more water. All of these steps will be beneficial in staying honest to your diet plan and being rewarded with the weight loss you desire.
Your weight loss efforts will pay out big rewards with improved health, more muscle to burn fat, and higher levels of energy.
Submitted by Lorna Souther at: http://ThinQuick.com
ThinQuick.com shares dieting information, product recommendation and reviews, original recipes, exercise programs and connections to apparel for readers who are looking for good diet products and motivation in their dieting.
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