First things first. Chill out. Take a deep breath. Don’t punch a hole in a wall or anything. ::wink::
This is not the end of the world. Your scale is going to move.
Plateaus are very common and they’re bound to happen eventually. In fact, the closer you get to your goal weight the rate of your weight loss will slow down. It’s okay. I promise. Every step closer to your goal weight is just that. A step closer.
I know we all want the weight off YESTERDAY! It will happen. The journey is what is ultimately going to change you. The number on the scale is only one outward evidence of change.
That said, there may be some things you can look at. Maybe some things you can change.
(1) Are you drinking enough water?
Water, water, water. How much are you drinking?
You should be drinking at least 8 8oz. glasses a day. If you haven’t been doing that, get on it. Just be sure you stay close to a bathroom the first couple of days. You’ll be a frequent visitor. Ha!
(2) Is it getting close to time for a visit from Aunt Flo?
I can always tell when it’s getting close to that time of the month for me. I start retaining water. I feel bloated. The scale takes a big jump up. All really annoying and discouraging things, but nothing that’s going to last long.
(3) Have you been incorporating more strength training into your exercise routine?
Muscle weighs more than fat. The scale is not always the best judge of where your body is. Your clothes are.
(4) Have you reconfigured your daily caloric intake according to your recent weight loss?
As you lose weight and become more physically active, your basal metabolic rate will change. Reconfigure the amount of calories you should be consuming daily and see if it’s changed at all.
(5) Are you eating enough calories?
Be sure you’re not putting your body into starvation mode. Eating less food than you’re supposed to won’t cause weight loss. It will wreck havoc on your body over the long term. Eat smart.
(6) Rearrange and revamp your exercise routine.
Shake things up. Incorporate some new workouts. Google “plateau busting exercises” or something similar and see what you find.
(7) Take a break from the scale.
Put it out of sight for a while. Don’t allow that one piece of electronics to dictate your mood. You’ve accomplished so much. Focus on that and keep moving forward.
(8) Keep your eye on the prize.
Don’t allow a plateau to be a trigger. Keep moving forward. Keep journaling. Keep exercising. Stick to your guns, so to speak.
Good advice. I lost a little bit of weight and during it, I hit a plateau. I actually took one week off from exercise and diet. I didn’t pig-out or anything, I just relaxed and ate a little more than usual. It worked. I guess it reset my metabolism, so when I began exercising and dieting again, the weight came off. I don’t know if that always works, but it was my experience.
~FringeGirl