title:Weight Loss Discipline
Why is it so hard to lose weight and keep it off? We have all heard that weight loss is just a matter of taking in less calories than we expend. That certainly sounds very logical, but is it really that simple?
For example, I had an intention of only eating fruits and vegetables for a day or two, to counteract the recent ‘junk’ food I had been enjoying. This was a solid plan that practically guaranteed a decrease in caloric intake. However, a solid plan doesn’t always mean an easy execution.
I figured I would be relatively safe making a trip to the health food store. So my guard against high fat foods was down. When I got to the store, my sensibilities were assailed by a well meaning clerk hawking some freshly made corned beef and cabbage. I could hardly resist the temptation. And that wasn’t the end of it. Once my armour was breached, the temptation of tasty, ‘health oriented’ cookie samples fought for my attention.
Once again, I capitulated. My normally strong will power seemed to crumble. And once weakened, it seemed reasonable to just continue. It’s like that first drink for the recovering alcoholic.
I am by no means overweight, but once in a while my diet gets out of hand and the fat around my midsection gets a little more sizable than I am comfortable with. Usually, times like these are a great opportunity to get a little detoxification in, so I like to focus on fruits and vegetables for a day or two.
This has the dual effect of decreasing my caloric intake. I was also sticking with the simple plan mentioned above. So where did things go wrong? Did I not have enough discipline? Did I lack willpower, or was it something else?
In retrospect, the problem appears to be a lack of preparation. I failed to use the power of why. Let me explain. When the chips were down, I didn’t seem to have enough reason to maintain discipline. Maybe you have had a similar experience? I rationalized with, “oh, a little won’t hurt me”. The truth is, once you start down that road, it can be hard to turn back.
What would the right preparation be in that case? What is this power of why that I am talking about? A great way to fortify will power with any strategy is to actually write out the reasons why sticking to your plan or achieving your goal is important. It is kind of like stockpiling ammunition. The weaponry, in this case, appears in the form of a list.
With a long list of reasons supporting the plan or the goal, I would have had a lot more reserves to draw on when my front line defenses were being stressed. When the well meaning clerk was pouncing, I should have had a ready list of whys to fall back on. As the clerk was just being nice and sounding really sensible, plus it was a free sample after all, my mind should have responded with my ready made list of why I should not vary from my plan.
That didn’t happen because I never made such a list. Whatever you are trying to accomplish in life, there are bound to be obstacles and obstructions that just leap into your path to stop or block you. These are the times that you need your list. The list is your power. No list, no power.
When anyone sits down to plan something or set a goal, they need a list to support them during weak times. The longer the list, the better. Even if one has to carry the list along in one’s pocket, it is worth it. A list of about 50 reasons, while hard to create, can pay off in a major way.
Imagine the clerk’s surprise, had I pulled out my handy list and read it off for him. My armour would not have been pierced and the clerk would have had to move on to more ready prey or risk having the spear of temptation blunted! No list, no power.
So, how long is your list?
This article is for information purposes only. It is not meant to advise on diet or weight loss or on any health matters. If you have or think you have a health issue, including weight or diet issues, consult your primary care physician for proper diagnoses and treatment.
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title:Weight Loss Diet: Move Past The Four Letter Word
D-I-E-T…most people could not think of a more vulgar four-letter word. Diet immediately brings to mind images of hunger, frustration, and ultimately failure. This one single word has stopped many people dead in their tracks. It seems many people prefer to be overweight rather than suffer the consequences of a diet.
But eating healthy does not have to involve four-letter words. You can eat healthy, delicious meals without starving and without beating yourself up. A healthy eating plan is a lifelong commitment to look and feel better, and it is the only plan you will ever need to follow to lose weight and keep it off. A healthy, balanced diet will also strengthen the immune system, reduce fatigue, lessen the side effects of certain medications, prevent constipation and other digestive disorders, and maintain the chemical balance within the body. So stop cursing and get ready to lose some weight!
It’s Time To Eat
Hunger is a natural signal from the body telling us to eat. Don’t ignore it. You should never have to be hungry in order to lose weight. On the contrary, when we are hungry we tend to panic into eating whatever is in sight to protect us from starvation. And skipping meals will slow down your metabolism and cause you to overcompensate with a larger meal later in the day. So go ahead and eat when you are hungry. Eating regular meals that leave you full and satiated will help you stick to a healthier meal plan and reach your weight loss goals. Eat five or six small meals spaced regularly throughout the day so that you will be better able to moderate portion sizes and remain in control of what you eat. If you want to lose weight you just need to be more selective about the foods you are choosing to satisfy your hunger. Permanent weight loss does not involve starving or deprivation, rather it involves a healthy eating plan that keeps you in control of what you put in your mouth.
Plan Ahead
The best way to ensure you stick with a healthy diet is to plan your meals and snacks ahead of time. Most people think that in order to achieve permanent weight loss they need to get their minds off of food. This is not true! When you are hungry, and you haven’t thought about what healthy food you can eat to satiate your tummy, you will more likely grab for whatever is fastest and easiest like chips or a fast food burger.
Think about what you are going to eat each day and what healthy snacks and meals you need to have ready for when hunger strikes. If you are going out to eat, plan ahead to make sure you choose a restaurant with a minimum amount of unhealthy temptations.
Keep It Interesting
Variety and moderation are the keys to a good diet. Try to eat a range of different selections from fresh organic fruit and vegetables and range fed meats. Remember, your body needs over forty different vitamins, minerals, and nutrients on a daily basis just to grow and function. Eating a variety of foods will help you meet these needs.
Moderation is also important, but again, this doesn’t mean that you should starve yourself. Try to eat five or six smaller meals throughout the day so that you are never hungry. And eat slowly, giving your brain enough time to recognize when you are actually full.
Don’t Give Up Or Give In
The first thing you need to realize about losing weight is that there will be days when you want to give up. Temptations are always around you and its so easy to give in to fast food drive through or an extra serving of desert. Stay committed to your goals through these tough times. Remind yourself of any small accomplishments you’ve made already and the weight loss goals you will eventually achieve. But don’t punish yourself if you do stray. If you eat right most of the time, it will more than compensate for the days when you simply cannot resist a little treat. And don’t fall for the latest weight loss schemes. Weight loss takes time, but the goal is permanent. Short cuts will not get you and keep you where you want to be.
Here’s a few more guidelines to keep in mind as you make your menu selections:
Use fats and oils in sparing amounts. You can still use some but try to cut back a little bit each day.
Avoid putting extra table salt and sugars on prepared foods.
Drink more water: Aim for six to eight glasses a day.
Avoid drinking alcohol. If you do drink, try to do so in moderate amounts.
And remember weight loss is not easy. But that doesn’t mean that it can’t be fun! Enjoy your life to the fullest by taking care of yourself, eating delicious wholesome foods and making the commitment to a healthier lifestyle.
title:Weight Loss Diets with Negative Calorie Foods
Negative calorie foods are said to use more calories to digest than the calorie content of the foods themselves, resulting in a negative calorie balance. It is therefore natural to consider a diet containing these foods for weight loss.
A diet is a combination of a balanced selection of foods designed for medical or nutritional reasons. A good diet should include all major food groups. The weight loss diets (with or without negative calorie foods) are made to reduce body fat and weight. Some of the popular weight loss diets are: Atkin’s diet, cabbage soup diet, grapefruit diet, Hollywood diet, negative calorie foods diet, Pritikin diet, the South beach diet and the zone diet.
Most of the weight loss diets promote to eat a particular food group and restrict other food groups. Such diets may show temporary results. If you follow these restricted diets for a long time, you may develop some health problems at later stage as these diets do not contain all the necessary nutrients needed for your body.
The secret to losing weight is to eat and drink the right kind of foods until you are satisfied. Skipping of meals is not the answer for weight loss, it can rather deteriorate your health. A healthy weight loss diet plan should include vegetables, fruits, grains, lentils and beans in your diet. Following is a sample daily diet plan that is good for keeping healthy weight and good health, irrespective of whether you follow a diet plan with negative calorie foods or not.
Skim milk and skim yogurt.
Salads or boiled vegetables or vegetable soup as starter.
Whole-wheat bread/tortila, whole grain cereal and rice.
Whole grains like kidney beans, chick peas and lentils.
Lightly cooked green vegetables.
Any dessert with minimum sugar.
Lean variety of meat (it is better to avoid).
The dinner should be light. If you had bread for lunch then have rice for dinner.
Include as much negative calorie foods as possible in the above diet plan. If you are meat eater, choose from a lean variety and restrict to one serving in a day.
A diet with negative calorie foods as main ingredients can include foods that are loaded with carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals and dietary fibers necessary for keeping you fit. The diet with negative calorie foods can be tailored for fast or gradual weight loss. The fast weight loss diet that can lower the weight up to two pounds per day, is not recommended for long term. The gradual weight loss diet can reduce one pound in a week and can be followed until desired weight is achieved. The diet can be made according to ones needs. The negative calorie foods will not give you much benefit if you are eating foods loaded with fats and sugars. If you eat a serving of potato fries, don’t think that you can reduce the calories gained from fries by simply eating some negative calorie celery.
title:Weight Loss Diary, Day 1
Weight Loss Day by Day Diary:
Day 1: Sunday February 5, 2006.
In response to an email I received from a reader I have taken up her suggestion to share my next weight control program by publishing my weight loss diary in article form for everybody to follow.
I’ll start with a few personal details that will give you a guideline to make comparisons with your own progress.
– My height is a fraction over 6 feet. (1.83m)
– My current weight is 197 pounds (97.5 kilos)
– My target weight is 180 pounds (89 kilos.)
– My age is 65.
– My physical condition is basically sound but I do suffer from osteo-arthritis in both ankles. The left is severe the right isn’t much of a problem.
I guess the reason for coming clean on those personal details is to make the point that age or physical condition is a factor. Younger, fitter people will find this easier.
I have used this system to control my weight for close to thirty years now and it has never let me down. I use a very scientific measuring gauge known as a waistband. When it gets tight I need to lose some weight, when it goes slack I go back to my normal routine. Usually I only allow my weight to go over by 10 pounds (4.5 kilos) before taking action. This year it has soared due to a very busy January that flew past so quickly I barely noticed it leaving my Christmas weight gain to get worse. Now I have to lose 17 pounds (7.65 kilos) and that is what makes it more interesting and worth sharing the experience with you.
You will notice from the above paragraph I have no doubt that I will lose it and this is an important part of the weight loss mindset. If this is the first time you have attempted this system you will have to complete the first few goals to prove that you can do it; after that you will have the same degree of confidence that I have.
The first thing I must do is set goals. Adherence to and achievement of goals is the basic difference between winners and losers. Here I must be honest and tell you that 17 pounds seems like a mountain to me and I know that it will take me 17 weeks to successfully dispose of it. Hence I will not even look at losing 17 pounds as my initial goal. My goals are listed below:
– At the end of week 1 I will have abided by my goal of dropping one item of food from my diet each day without cheating. I will lose one pound (450 grams)
– By the end of week 2 I will have increased my walking/exercise periods from 10 minutes on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday to 12 minutes each session. I will have lost 2 pounds.
– By the end of February I will exercise Monday, Wednesday and Saturday for 15 minutes each time. My weight will be 194 pounds (96 kilos)
That is enough for now: I will update my goals as I go along. As you can see my weight loss goals are simple and within reach without too much effort. Why? Because we must all start training our minds to achieve our goals. If I set a goal to lose 10 pounds in one week and I only lose eight I will look upon myself as a loser and soon give up. To be of use goals must be achievable or they will soon cease to function for us. – I have entered my first three goals in my diary and tomorrow we start in earnest.
title:Weight Loss Diary 10
Days 29 thru 36.
Wonderful news on my weigh in on Friday March 10; my weight is down by another 2 pounds (900 grams) in just a week. That is double my target figure and it seems to get easier each week. My weight is now 188 pounds (93 kilograms). That means that the seventeen-week program that was going to shed 17 pounds (8.5 kilos)will now end in around 10 weeks.
This week the biggest plus has been that my stomach is now becoming used to smaller portions and it is easier than ever to accept smaller servings. This may seem a long way off for some that are following the program; just trust me for now, this will happen for you too in the very near future.
Serving sizes are the cause of most instances of overweight and were I asked for a single specific goal for all overweight people it would be to slowly reduce the size of servings. Get your daily calorie intake down to 3000 or less. An adult body requires 2000 calories each day to function properly, three thousand a day is still considered high by more than half the population of the world.
The best part of this program is reclaiming my aerobic physical fitness. In the past five weeks I have witnessed the return of my leg muscles, my stamina levels have increased and finally my lungs are responding to the extra (deep-breathing) exercise they receive. I am now able to take a deep breath over the count of 8, hold it for the count of 12, and exhale over the count of 8. This is 35% better than it was at the start. (The counts I refer to above are slow counts, each figure taking at least one-second.) In fact I now enjoy stepping out up the final hill of my morning walk to lose my breath because each time I lose my breath my lungs are being exercised and my heart is pumping solidly.
Note: As I said in the first article of this diary, and repeat in the exercise program “Never start a physical exercise program until you have discussed it with your doctor, just in case you have health problems that preclude this type of exercise.”
Over the weekend I didn’t eat any chocolate or cake. But today I look forward to a serving of chocolate cake. – Honestly, I’d never stick to a weight loss program if I had to give up anything that I like to eat.
title:Weight Loss by Treadmill
Weight loss using a good Treadmill workout program has worked for many people – and it can work for you too.
Treadmills can be used by virtually any age group, and by individuals of any activity level. Treadmills can help you lose weight, and maintain your weight loss.
It really is a numbers game. The more time you spend doing cardiovascular exercises the more calories you are going to burn and the more weight you will lose. And if you are looking for fitness equipment that will get the maximum burn, then a treadmill should be at the top of your list.
The treadmill is unsurpassed for a cardiovascular workout. According to a study done by the Medical College of Wisconsin and the VA Medical Center in Milwaukee, calories burned on the treadmill for 60 minutes averaged 865 – 705. This compares to:
Stair machine 746 – 637
Rowing machine 739 – 606
Stationary cycle 604 – 556
Cross-country ski machine 678 – 595
· This is one of numerous studies, that rank a treadmill as the number one cardiovascular machine.
Here are a few steps you can take to develop your own weight loss treadmill program:
Find ways to make your Treadmill session enjoyable, by listening to music, books on tape, or teaching tapes. Or, some people prefer to just enjoy nature and life around them, and the time to think, pray, or just let their mind wander. The more you enjoy your Treadmill workout, the more likely you are to workout consistently.
Make it a DAILY habit – just like brushing your teeth. Working out on your Treadmill daily makes your weight loss ambitions much more likely to succeed than if you are working out two to three days a week. And, most people that make the switch will tell you that it’s easier to workout every day. You don’t have to think about whether it’s a workout day or not and get geared up for it – you just do it every day and your body gets used to it. It soon becomes a normal part of your day and you begin to look forward to it.
Incorporate “intervals” into three or four of your Treadmill sessions each week. Intervals are brief periods (about one minute) of more intense exercise mixed into your Treadmill sessions. For example, you would do a one minute interval of faster walking about every five minutes throughout your exercise session.
Here’s how it will look; you’ll start with your normal three to five minute warm-up and then five minutes into your walk you do your first interval, one minute of faster walking (or perhaps jogging). At the end of that minute you should be “winded” and ready to slow down. You’ll slow down to your normal walking speed for the next four minutes and then your fifth minute is another one minute interval. This pattern continues throughout your exercise session.
Intervals increase your aerobic fitness level by “pushing the envelope.” While doing your interval you cross the anaerobic threshold into anaerobic metabolism, forcing your body to become conditioned to more intense exercise and making it a better weight loss program.
Intervals increase your basal metabolic rate (BMR), causing you to burn more calories 24 hours-a-day, and intervals can make your exercise less monotonous and help the time pass more quickly.
If you’re not weight training, walk on your Treadmill with light (one to two pound) hand weights two to three days per week. Swing your arms and also use a variety of arm movements while walking to tone your upper body muscles and further increase your basal metabolic rate.
If at all possible, do your Treadmill workout first thing in the morning. Over 90% of people who workout consistently, do so first thing in the morning. If YOU want to exercise consistently, odds are in your favor if you hop to it early.
Make one day a week your “easy day.” Make this a very leisurely workout. Appreciate how good your walks are starting to feel as you lose weight and tone your muscles.
Keep a record of your workout. There’s something very motivating about seeing your workout accomplishments and paper. Record the date and time-of-day of your workout, and the distance and/or time you walked. Keep a running total of the miles or minutes you’ve walked. Also, record your thoughts or feelings for that particular workout.
By taking these steps you’re making this time each day a special time to take care of yourself. Make that a priority in your life and don’t let anyone or anything keep you from that time. Working out on your Treadmill every day will help you achieve your weight loss goals and have a positive impact on all aspects of your life, including fitness level!
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So, from the simple perspective of weight loss, the treadmill is by far the best exercise machine given its significantly associated energy expenditure. Treadmills have consistently provided quality results and lasting benefits. Treadmills allow you to work at your own pace, but don’t allow you to slack off. You’ll be able to burn calories effectively and reach your weight loss goals. It’s that simple.
If you’re in the market to seriously educate yourself about treadmills,
title:Weight Loss and Your Body Type
In order to lose weight effectively, you need to know your own unique body type. We are all different to each other, so you’d agree that it is logical to apply different method to suit individual body type to accelerate your weight loss process.
There are roughly 5 different body types. Some of you are the conbination of two or more of these.
Type A; Tall with long limbs. Heavily-boned. Well developed muscles and bones. Strong joints and face lines. Too much carbohydrates could cause illness.
Dominating endocrine organ; Pituitarium
Type B; Thin and lithe body with Long neck. Brisk in motion. Thin but big eater. Too much stress could be the main cause of weight gain.
Dominating endocrine organ; Thyroid gland
Type C; Larger hip and bust and chubbier thighs and waist. Plump impression. Relaxing could help burning fat.
Dominating endocrine organ; Paranephrost
Type D; Hourglass-like body. Rounder body with tiny waist. Larger bust and hip. Dairy products and vegetables can enhance metabolism.
Dominating endocrine organ; Reproductive gland
Type E; Smaller and thinner figure. Smaller bust. Teenager-like body structure. Unbalanced diet is taboo. Need a variety of foods in her/his diet.
Dominating endocrine organ; Reproductive gland and Pituitarium
If you would like to know more about each body type, please visit http://www.indigoworld.com.au/weightlosstips1-eng.htm
Now, which one of above is your body type do you think? Let’s find out what your body type is by answering the following simple questions. So, you can figure out what sort of weight loss method really works for your particular body type. Check the closest answer out of five options. Think about only your bone structure.
Question 1; Your heights
A: Very tall B: Taller than the average C: Average D or E: Shorter than the average
Question 2; Your hand’s shape
A: Strong and rough. Joints are very clearly seen when you clench your hands.
B: Thin and dainty. The length of fingers are almost same as the length of palm.
C: Strong-boned. Fingers are thick and short.
D: Soft and puffy. Joints are hardly seen. Thick fingers but they are getting thinner toward finger tips.
E: Small but firm. Long dainty fingers.
Question 3; Head and face
A: Larger head with long face. Strong nose, jaw and cheek bones.
B: Long and thin face.
C: Square face getting a little thinner from under the eyes toward jaw.
D: Larger head with round soft face.
E: Small head with sharp face.
Question 4; Bone structure
A: Big bones. Strong and tough joints.
B: Tall but thin and dainty. Thin joints and wrists. Even when you put on weight your wrists and ankles are still thin.
C: Bigger and shorter bones with strong joints. Developed muscles around upper arms, calves and thighs. or a little plump.
D: Big and short bones. Dainty joints but strong.
E: Short and dainty bones but stronger than the way it looks.
Question 5; Below ankles
A: Thin and long feet. Long toes and definite malleolus.
B: Thin feet with long toes.
C: Wide and plump feet. Wider toward toes and thinner on heels. Average toe length.
D: Small and puffy feet. Shorter toes. The width of toes and heels aren’t much different.
E: Similar to D but thinner toward heels.
Question 6; Chest and torso
A: Strong chest and big collarbone. Average to bigger bust.
B: Slim and thin chest. Small to average bust.
C: Thick chest and torso. Average to bigger bust. Athletic looking body.
D: Plump chest with average to bigger bust.
E: Dainty chest with small to average bust.
Question 7; Frame
A: Tall and not much contour Long and thing limbs with strong joints. Larger figure.
B: Long and thin torso with thin neck and thin legs. Dainty figure.
C: Strong torso with shorter muscular legs. Sticked out bottom and chest.
D: Short with shorter legs. Not muscular but rather sticked out bottom and chest. Definite waist and hip lines.
E: Flat and straight body. Dainty looking body but quite muscular and strong.
Question 8; Balance between upper and lower body
A: Straight torso with no definite waist. Small hip.
B: Getting thinner toward lower body from the shoulders with little waist. Rather solid hip and thighs.
C: Broader shoulder. Torso is getting a little thinner toward waist. Width of hip is about the same as upper torso. Strong thighs and legs.
D: Large chest with definite waist and hip. Hourglass like body. Whole body could be covered with soft fat.
E: Dainty torso. Width of shoulders and hip are the same. Almost no waist. Sometimes they look younger than what they really are.
Which one have you got the most? If 6 or more of your answers are A, you are definitely type A. If it was 5 or less, start with the type with the largest number and then check the ones with less numbers to figure out which one is your type.
If you would like to know more about your body type and weight loss rules for your body type,
title:Weight Loss and The Stress Factor
If you are overweight, you will be aware of this and you will feel that you are not very nice to look at and so your self-esteem will take a tumble.
Adverts on the television and in the newspapers and magazines all seem to show these young peoples who look like a good meal would do them the world of good.
Personally, I have looked like I was ten months pregnant for many years and was often devastated when feeling like I looked good, then someone would ask me if I was pregnant. I’m still being asked if I’m pregnant and I’m now 66 years old. Then after years of exercises for my tummy and a lightened purse through buying the latest ‘Tummy Flattener’ I have now found out that with having Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) my swollen tummy is just one of the unpleasant signs and symptoms of that disease. I’m sure I’m not alone with this problem and if you have a swollen tummy, maybe I’ve just given you a reason or excuse for it.
But I know from the above experience, if you are not a Twiggy, you have a feeling of being different and so not as attractive as you would like to be. This causes stress.
Stress is a form of worrying. That old saying that worry brings wrinkles ……. well it can do can’t it? If you are worried / stressed you will frown more than you smile. Another useless piece of information for you, stored in my memory box for many years, when you smile you use only thirteen of your facial muscles; but when you frown you use thirty-nine. So stop tiring yourself out by frowning.
It is only when you realise that you are overweight and that you can lose weight, then and only then is when you will do something about it.
It’s no use blaming it on your glands or your ancestors, if you are overweight you must accept full responsibility. You have been in the habit of taking in more calories than you have used up with some activity.
So to save yourself being too stressed, decide to do something about it and lose weight.
Now to go back to your being overweight and the stress factor. You will only feel better about yourself when you go on a weight loss programme. As the pounds and inches start to disappear, so your good feelings about yourself will increase.
title:Weight loss and Teenagers
Obesity has ruined the lives of people of all ages. In most of the countries, a large number of obese population belongs to the teenage group. The worst part about obesity is that it influences the psyche of a person and ignites negative feeling about his own self. The teenagers inflicted with obesity starts to isolate himself/herself from the common people as he/she lacks self-confidence.
The best way of overcoming obesity (http://www.phentermineslim.com/what_is_obesity.html) for teenagers is to inculcate healthy eating habit instead of eating junk stuff. There is no single healthy diet as such but as long as you eat a variety of foods from the main food groups i.e. fruits, vegetables, grains, lean meats, dairy, fats, you’ll get all the vitamins, minerals and other nutrition required for possessing a healthy body.
Eating healthy is better than eating less. Dieting is never considered a healthy and viable option for weight loss as it can damage our physicality. Even a short period of very strict “dieting” during your early teens can lead to low bone density, which causes weak bones in later life. Dieting may also lead to poor intakes of folic acid and iron. Both these nutrients help to prevent anemia, a condition which leads to constant tiredness as well as impaired intellectual performance. Normally, all the teenagers lead a busy life therefore they can’t afford to suffer from the ill-effects of anemia or any other ailment for that matter.
Most of us have this notion that healthy eating means exclusion of higher-calorie foods, like rich ice cream, toffee popcorn, cheeseburgers and stuff. But in reality it’s the other way around. You can enjoy these and other similar foods, but in moderation, or as occasional treats. Healthy eating means eating everything in moderation as it can provide our body all the required nutrients.
Strict dieting won’t make your weight or health any better. In most of the cases, it’ll make the situation worse. Therefore, it’s better to focus on eating healthy food and taking daily exercise. It will take care of your weight and health.
title:Weight Loss and Pitfalls
WEIGHT-LOSS PLATEAUS AND PITFALLS
It’s kind of like running into a wall that feeling you get when, after a few months on a weight-loss program, you suddenly stop seeing results. This is called hitting a plateau and it is not uncommon. In fact, unless you continually update your program to reflect the changes your body has already experienced, you can almost be guaranteed to plateau at some point along your journey toward reaching your goal weight.
WEIGHT-LOSS WOES
The first thing you should do upon hitting a plateau is try to determine the cause. Could you be eating more calories than you think? Research shows that most people underreport the number of calories they eat it’s not that they’re lying, they just don’t know how to make an accurate assessment of how much they’re eating. And even if you’re eating less calories than before you lost the weight, you could be eating just enough to maintain your current weight at your current activity level. It is important to keep in mind that as you lose weight, your metabolism slows down because there is less of you to fuel, both at rest and during activity. So, while a diet of 1,800 calories per day helped you lose a certain amount of weight, if you’ve hit a plateau, it could be that 1,800 calories is the exact amount you need to stay at your current weight.
EXERCISE YOUR OPTIONS
This leaves you with two options:
Lower your caloric intake further or increase the amount of time you spend being physically active. The first option is less desirable because you may not be able to get sufficient nutrients from a diet that is very low in calories, and it is difficult to stick to it for very long. It is much better to moderately reduce calories to a level that you can sustain when you reach your goal weight. The same is true for exercise. Trying to exercise for several hours per day to burn more calories is a good way to set yourself up for failure.
Not only does this type of regimen require an enormous time commitment, it is hard on the body, making you more susceptible to injury and overuse syndromes. Another means for getting you off the plateau is strength training, which has been shown to be very effective in helping people manage their weight because the added muscle helps to offset the metabolism- lowering effect of dieting and losing weight. Muscle is much more metabolically active than fat; therefore, the more muscle you can add, the higher your metabolism will be.
GET OFF THE PLATEAU
If you’ve stopped losing weight, the key to getting off the plateau is to vary your program. The human body is an amazing piece of machinery, capable of adapting to just about any circumstance or stimulus. By shaking things up a bit and varying your program by introducing some new elements, you’ll likely find yourself off the plateau and back on the road to progress in no time. To help balance the intake with the expenditure, a good rule of thumb is to multiply your goal weight by 10 calories per pound, and add more calories according to how active you are. Again, be realistic. Don’t attempt too much in an effort to burn more calories. Instead, aim for 30 minutes of moderate activity most of the days of the week and, as you become more fit, gradually increase the intensity and duration of your exercise sessions. Choose activities that you find enjoyable, whether that be in-line skating, step classes or even mall walking.
