Getting Past Plateaus

Anyone who is trying to lose more than a couple of pounds will hit at least one plateau along the way. Plateaus are often the body's way of protecting you so that you won't waste away to nothing (I know, haha, right?). They can last anywhere from days to months, but eventually they will end--just don't give up. As long as your weight-loss goals are reasonable (check with your doctor if you're not sure), there is no reason you shouldn't be able to lose the weight effectively and permanently if you stick to a smart eating and exercise plan.

The first time I hit a plateau, I did get frustrated. Those scale numbers did not move and I didn't know why. But instead of abandoning ship, I decided to make a few changes and see what would happen. First, instead of eating less, I decided to eat more--more fruits, veggies and fiber, that is. I made sure to have at least two servings of fruit a day, drink plenty of water and get my exercise in. Within a couple weeks, the numbers started to move down again. My body was apparently satisfied that I wasn't going to starve, so it allowed more weight to come off.

My husband recently got over a long plateau. He's lost more than 20 lbs. on my eating plan (with weekend exercising only), but the scale wouldn't go below a certain number for several months. To his credit, he didn't get discouraged and go back to old eating habits. He stuck to the program, even added more veggies to his diet, and just recently has started to lose weight again--noticeably!

So don't let plateaus derail your weight-loss attempts. Keep doing what you're doing or try changing a few things up: eat a fruit, vegetable or fish you've never tried before; challenge yourself with a new form of exercise; see what happens if you drink an extra cup of water a day. Eventually, you'll be off that plateau and heading down the scale again.