What a shamefully bad weekend of pigging out! There is really no shock to this weigh-in being so horrible. But I'm clinging to the fact that it has to all be water weight. My sodium was out of control and while I might have gained a pound, no way I gained 8.
We picked up our new roommate on Thursday, which meant grabbing lunch while there. I actually did pretty well with that: a chicken sandwich with avocado and lettuce, no sauce (they forgot) and fruit instead of chips. Then we stopped by a couple stores that sell exclusively cherry-themed goods. So yummy!
For dinner, we decided to treat the roommate to one of our favorite places because who wants leftover goulash their first night? So we took him to one of our favorite pizza places instead! And then came Friday night, after a long trip to Ikea, where we of course had lunch! So dinner was a great burger place that we hadn't been to in a few months.
Saturday was disastrous in terms of food. My oldest niece had her graduation party, so again, lots of bad food. I went into in with the mindset that I wasn't going to eat much, that we'd eat sensibly before and afterward. Not so much! I had made cake and Oreo cheesecake cupcakes, plus there was a cake from a bakery. Saying the fat girl emerged would be an understatement!
After we left the party, we both agreed we were really hungry. Even after all the food we had eaten, we just didn't feel full. Maybe it was because most of it was processed junk, maybe it was in our heads, who knows. So we picked up dinner from a favorite chicken place local to our area so the roommate could experience his third local area favorite.
This week, after all of that awful food and increase in calories, it has been really hard to get back into the groove. I've not been drinking enough water. I've gone over on calories a couple times. I've not been to the gym thanks to busy-as-heck schedules during the day and a lack of motivation after dinner.
This next weigh-in will actually be a day late as we are going camping, and while I intend to thoroughly enjoy myself, it will not be anything like last weekend! I felt fine up until around Sunday, when it felt like my stomach was going to war with all the horrible food choices I had made. So while I don't always feel like we eat the best we can, we've definitely come leaps and bounds!
Monday, August 27, 2012
Monday, August 20, 2012
179.4 - 54.4 pounds to go!
Finally! To see that scale dip below 180 was such a great feeling, and it happening this weekend was all the better. I celebrated one year on Sunday, even though I technically started this journey last July. But after some thought, I decided to go with the date I became truly serious. I had been trying to eat a little less and eat better, but it wasn't until mid-August that we joined the gym and I signed up with MyFitnessPal. So, yes it's off, but ignore that!
I met with the nutritionist on Friday and I guess it went okay. I had only lost 3 pounds since my last visit with her, which was 6 weeks prior as opposed to 4. That was a bit depressing, but I had gone into the weekend saying that all negative thoughts were going to be pushed aside. She also pointed out, again, that I was eating 1600 calories before and now I'm actually eating more than that and should ween myself back down. I tend to disagree on this point though. I think I was eating too little when I was starting out, so while it was great to have the pounds just dropping off, I'd rather go about this in a healthy manner. I've also been pretty good lately about hitting the gym at least 4-5 days per week, so I think 1850 calories is completely safe. And from the scale saying I dropped 2 pounds, I'm going to keep on the way I am for now! Aside from that, we changed up my meal plan a little bit. I'd recently been feeling really hungry in the late morning up until dinner and she decided maybe it was due to having too few carbs before/after a workout. I'd been trying to really up my protein and lower my carbs (I always go over 40%) but she said 85-90g of protein is just fine and that I should think about upping my carbs to 45% to help fuel my workouts. As always, I'm willing to try it! Being hungry so often is really annoying and if that helps, I'm all for it! Aside from that, we're trying to mix in more fruits and veggies - nothing too new there. I'm always really bad with veggies being as I hate most of them unless they are cooked. Her idea involves either a side salad with lunch or some leftover veggies from dinner. Why I had never thought of that, who knows. I'm also back to eating a full sandwich at lunch to see if that helps. I had recently started eating just the meat and cheese since I kept going over on carbs, but the last week or two, every time I would get to the gym before lunch, my stomach would start growling like I hadn't eaten all day and I would just feel like I couldn't give it my all. So, more carbs equals more bread and hopefully less stomach growling and fatigue!
I spent a good few hours on Sunday trying to find "before" pictures of myself that weren't half naked and completely embarrassing. The best I could come up with was one from October, after I had already lost 20 pounds. Looking back, I wish I had taken pictures not only in limited clothing to see all my rolls and jiggly spots, but in an outfit or two for comparison sake. But, I found the picture below and decided it would suffice. The shirt is an XL and it was pretty tight though the lighting poorly shows it. The pants are the dreaded Target pants that say they are a size 20, but I currently wear a loose 16 (omg, to say that!) and those 20's fit almost perfectly. But, what you can't see in the picture is that they were about three inches from buttoning. (I decided to keep that picture to myself for now!)
My favorite picture is this next one. I had calculated the number of inches I had lost in the last year and decided to get a picture of me showing the number of inches with a measuring tape. It also shows how lose the shirt and jeans are a little better since I'm not standing with my arms straight at my sides. It's so weird to remember those jeans being so stinkin' tight. My thighs barely fit and I was just praying for the day when I could zip them up, even if it meant laying down on the bed first!
I met with the nutritionist on Friday and I guess it went okay. I had only lost 3 pounds since my last visit with her, which was 6 weeks prior as opposed to 4. That was a bit depressing, but I had gone into the weekend saying that all negative thoughts were going to be pushed aside. She also pointed out, again, that I was eating 1600 calories before and now I'm actually eating more than that and should ween myself back down. I tend to disagree on this point though. I think I was eating too little when I was starting out, so while it was great to have the pounds just dropping off, I'd rather go about this in a healthy manner. I've also been pretty good lately about hitting the gym at least 4-5 days per week, so I think 1850 calories is completely safe. And from the scale saying I dropped 2 pounds, I'm going to keep on the way I am for now! Aside from that, we changed up my meal plan a little bit. I'd recently been feeling really hungry in the late morning up until dinner and she decided maybe it was due to having too few carbs before/after a workout. I'd been trying to really up my protein and lower my carbs (I always go over 40%) but she said 85-90g of protein is just fine and that I should think about upping my carbs to 45% to help fuel my workouts. As always, I'm willing to try it! Being hungry so often is really annoying and if that helps, I'm all for it! Aside from that, we're trying to mix in more fruits and veggies - nothing too new there. I'm always really bad with veggies being as I hate most of them unless they are cooked. Her idea involves either a side salad with lunch or some leftover veggies from dinner. Why I had never thought of that, who knows. I'm also back to eating a full sandwich at lunch to see if that helps. I had recently started eating just the meat and cheese since I kept going over on carbs, but the last week or two, every time I would get to the gym before lunch, my stomach would start growling like I hadn't eaten all day and I would just feel like I couldn't give it my all. So, more carbs equals more bread and hopefully less stomach growling and fatigue!
I spent a good few hours on Sunday trying to find "before" pictures of myself that weren't half naked and completely embarrassing. The best I could come up with was one from October, after I had already lost 20 pounds. Looking back, I wish I had taken pictures not only in limited clothing to see all my rolls and jiggly spots, but in an outfit or two for comparison sake. But, I found the picture below and decided it would suffice. The shirt is an XL and it was pretty tight though the lighting poorly shows it. The pants are the dreaded Target pants that say they are a size 20, but I currently wear a loose 16 (omg, to say that!) and those 20's fit almost perfectly. But, what you can't see in the picture is that they were about three inches from buttoning. (I decided to keep that picture to myself for now!)
 |
| XL Shirt and size 20 (really like a 16) pant. 10/09/11 vs. 08/19/12 |
My favorite picture is this next one. I had calculated the number of inches I had lost in the last year and decided to get a picture of me showing the number of inches with a measuring tape. It also shows how lose the shirt and jeans are a little better since I'm not standing with my arms straight at my sides. It's so weird to remember those jeans being so stinkin' tight. My thighs barely fit and I was just praying for the day when I could zip them up, even if it meant laying down on the bed first!
 |
| Showing the number of inches lost - 40.25" |
So, here are my tallies for the year.
Weight lost: 59.2 pounds (238.6 down to 179.4)
Inches lost: 40.25 (almost as many inches as pounds!)
Measurements from 8/21/11 and 8/19/12:
Neck: 16" down to 13.5" - 2.5" lost
Bicep (R): 15" down to 13.25" - 1.75" lost
Bicep (L): 15" down to 13" (estimated starting measurement) - 2" lost
Chest: 49" down to 41.5" - 7.5" lost
Waist: 49" down to 41" - 8" lost
Hips: 50" down to 45" - 5" lost
Thigh (R): 26" down to 22.25" - 3.75" lost
Thigh (L): 26" down to 21" - (estimated starting measurement) - 5" lost
Calf (R): 17.25" down to 15" - 2.25" lost
Calf (L): 17.25" down to 14.75" (estimated starting measurement) - 2.5" lost
I keep hearing the voice in my head saying that some of those measurements are probably off (just look at the new thigh measurements and the difference between the two). But I'm pushing them back because I know those were only a sampling. There's really no true way to know how many inches I've lost but just look at all the areas I wasn't measuring that are now slimmer: my chin, my fingers, my ankles, etc. So, 40.25" it is whether it likes it or not. Now to work on all the negativity!
Oh, I almost forgot the best (well, maybe not) part! I got my hair hacked off on Saturday, so I was fussing around with it on Sunday morning, trying my best to make it look decent. As I turned my head this way and that, I noticed wrinkles on my chin. Not age wrinkles, but "I've lost weight" wrinkles, the ones caused by excess skin. The only way I could describe it is if you've ever played with balloon weights made from filling a balloon with sand. I pushed the current fat aside, the wrinkles went with it and stayed. I pushed the other way, and again, they went that way. I came out of the bathroom telling my husband about my new, weirdly scary but fascinating discovery, pushing my chin fat this way and that for him to see. It's my first taste of the loose skin issue and it's one I've been afraid of since the start. I've no doubt in my mind that it will be an issue after 10+ years of being obese. But, I'd rather be skinny and worry about loose skin than be miserable and obese again. Mark my words, self - you are never going back to 250 pounds again!
Monday, August 13, 2012
181.6 - 56.6 pounds to go!
I was delightfully surprised by the scale this week. My water intake wasn't so great and the scale pretty much stuck at 183-184 all week. Saturday I was feeling pretty deflated: the scale was sticking again, one year is rapidly approaching, clothes felt like they were tighter than normal. And while it's never a feeling of giving up, it definitely leaves me wondering what else I can do differently. I'm definitely proud of how far I have come, I won't argue that, but I am a huge bit disappointed when I see that I've lost just barely more than 20 pounds since January 1st. Eight and a half months later, I was hoping to be a good deal lighter than I am now. Twenty-one pounds in eight and a half months is barely 2.5 pounds per month. Ugh! I miss how easy it was in the beginning, how the pounds were just flying off. Granted, I was eating about the same amount of calories as I am now, and I was 65 pounds heavier, but dammit, it was nice! I don't even want that overnight-I'm-suddenly-skinny dream so many have - just a constant 1-2 pound loss per week would be nice. I'll just keep dreaming, and hopefully make it happen.
So, next week marks one year. It's bittersweet as I see how far I've come, but also how far I have left to go. I keep holding onto that mantra of "the year is going to pass whether I do something or not." Ultimately, I have to remember that it won't matter how long it takes, that no one but me will care (and once there, even I probably won't!) and that the end is all that matters.
So, next week marks one year. It's bittersweet as I see how far I've come, but also how far I have left to go. I keep holding onto that mantra of "the year is going to pass whether I do something or not." Ultimately, I have to remember that it won't matter how long it takes, that no one but me will care (and once there, even I probably won't!) and that the end is all that matters.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
183.0 - 58.0 pounds to go!
I kind of knew this weigh-in was coming. The initial drop in water weight was nice but it wasn't really a loss. It's disappointing though. My weigh-in the week after this upcoming one marks my one year anniversary, and with last week's weigh-in, I was hopeful that maybe I could hit the 70 pound mark. I don't understand why the scale is being so stubborn.
This last weekend we didn't do so well on the food front. Seems like when dinner time would roll around, we were floundering and caught off guard. We had a scare on Saturday morning when we learned that our dryer had stayed on all night long the previous night. I dried a load of clothing on Friday night and figured I would just get it out the next day. We're usually good about not running the washer/dryer/dishwasher at night, just in case something goes wrong. In this situation, I was under the impression it would have stopped by about 9:00p.m. and didn't think to go check on it. By morning, the husband ran down to the basement for something and said he heard the dryer running. At first, I thought maybe he was mistaken as the air conditioner was running. Nope, he was correct. I had noticed probably a week prior that my niece ran some clothes in it and that the dial didn't appear to advance. I second-guessed myself though and thought I was imagining things. Luckily, it appeared that the dial hadn't rotated through the cycle but the timer must have because the dryer was basically stuck cooling down. I really don't want to think about what would have happened if the heat had been going for the 12-14 hours it was running. Should be a swell electricity bill though! Of course, once we had purchased our new set and I tried to get as much laundry done as I could before the new set was delivered, the dial started advancing. So, I know that wasn't weight loss related, but hopefully you can learn from our little scare!
This week I'm going to focus on making sure I get back to drinking 12+ glasses of water per day. The last several days have been horrible and sodium has been up - not a good combo. Next weigh-in has to be a loss!
This last weekend we didn't do so well on the food front. Seems like when dinner time would roll around, we were floundering and caught off guard. We had a scare on Saturday morning when we learned that our dryer had stayed on all night long the previous night. I dried a load of clothing on Friday night and figured I would just get it out the next day. We're usually good about not running the washer/dryer/dishwasher at night, just in case something goes wrong. In this situation, I was under the impression it would have stopped by about 9:00p.m. and didn't think to go check on it. By morning, the husband ran down to the basement for something and said he heard the dryer running. At first, I thought maybe he was mistaken as the air conditioner was running. Nope, he was correct. I had noticed probably a week prior that my niece ran some clothes in it and that the dial didn't appear to advance. I second-guessed myself though and thought I was imagining things. Luckily, it appeared that the dial hadn't rotated through the cycle but the timer must have because the dryer was basically stuck cooling down. I really don't want to think about what would have happened if the heat had been going for the 12-14 hours it was running. Should be a swell electricity bill though! Of course, once we had purchased our new set and I tried to get as much laundry done as I could before the new set was delivered, the dial started advancing. So, I know that wasn't weight loss related, but hopefully you can learn from our little scare!
This week I'm going to focus on making sure I get back to drinking 12+ glasses of water per day. The last several days have been horrible and sodium has been up - not a good combo. Next weigh-in has to be a loss!
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
180.2 - 55.2 pounds to go!
So, I'm having very mixed feelings about this week's weigh-in. On one hand, I am so ecstatic that the scale went down, especially by 3.4 pounds! But on the other hand, I feel like it won't last.
I saw my doctor on July 23 to get some blood work done. It had been a few months since my last profile, and even longer since my last cholesterol check. Of course, with all the stress and drama in my life lately, it wasn't all good news. I had been monitoring my BP since March when she agreed to take me off of it and the measures were never that great: not as high as they used to be, but still a bit high, particularly the top number. While I was there, I measure 140/87 and then 152/90. Years ago, that number was more around 155-160/110-15, so it has improved, just not as much as I was hoping. So the bad news is that she placed me on a diuretic (water pill) in hopes that it will help with the numbers a bit. This, in turn, equaled a big loss on the scale this week and now I'm left worrying that when I stop taking it, the pounds will go back on again.
The good news from the visit is pretty great though! My cholesterol came in at 202, just 2 points above "normal." It's not been that low, ever! My HDL increased, LDL decreased, and triglycerides decreased: all were considered in the "normal" range. At my previous visit, she had checked my glucose levels, even though I told her I had recently eaten, and then stated she wanted me to continue on Glucophage. This is always fun to explain to people taking a medical history as I am not diabetic, but have Poly-cystic Ovarian Syndrome which can cause insulin intolerance. The worst thing about this pill, for me anyway, is that it makes me really ill when I first start taking it, and I am horrible at remembering to take pills. Add to that the iron pills I was on, which really upset my stomach, and I was one miserable individual!
At this appointment, I got to tell her again, with shame in my voice, that I hadn't been taking either. She weighed me in, congratulated me on losing another 9 pounds since I saw her in March, and then informed me that depending on the results ,she may switch me to a timed-release glucose pill, a different type of iron pill, and since my vitamin D was also always low, a smaller dose of that. I felt so discouraged leaving there. I've worked so hard to lose those 65 pounds, hoping the whole way that I could get rid of my medicine cocktail, and I was leaving with the possibility of it having not changed. And then those results - I about did a happy dance! My numbers had gotten better in spots, but I truly think that eating out at restaurants, even though we were trying to make better decisions, restrained them from improving much.
So the great news is the improved blood profile! My iron is still low, but low normal. My vitamin D was normal due to all those wonderful walks outside! My cholesterol levels have improved to numbers I have never seen! But that cursed water pill. I sincerely need to learn to chill out and look into things like yoga and meditation. It seems unbelievable that I could quiet my brain, but it is definitely a goal!
We took new measurements and photos as well. I'm working on figuring out a way to overlay two photos so that I can see a true difference. Looking at two pictures side by side just doesn't show the inches I have lost very well I've noticed. I played around with one program and tried lining up my face but the differences were so huge that I started to doubt it's accuracy. Hopefully soon I figure out how to gauge if the two photos are truly the same scale.
Measurements from 8/18/11 and 7/31/12 - almost one year apart!
Neck: 16" / 13.75"
Bicep(R): 15" / 13.25"
Bicep(L): 15" / 13.5" (starting measurement is an estimate as it was not taken)
Chest: 49" / 42.5"
Waist: 49" / 42.5"
Hips: 50" / 45.25"
Thigh(R): 26" / 21.5"
Thigh(L): 26" / 22.25" (starting measurement is an estimate as it was not taken)
Calf(R): 17.25" / 15"
Calf(L): 17.25"/ 15.25" (starting measurement is an estimate as it was not taken)
Body Fat Percentage: 54% / 40.5%
That brings the total number of inches lost to 35.75, and a 13.5% decrease in body fat. None too shabby!
Current Weight: 180.2 pounds
Current BMI: 32.96
Pounds Lost: 64.8 pounds
BMI Lost: 10.68
Pounds to Meet Mini-Goal #3 (175): 5.2 pounds
Pounds until BMI is 'overweight' instead of 'very overweight' (176.5): 3.7 pounds
I saw my doctor on July 23 to get some blood work done. It had been a few months since my last profile, and even longer since my last cholesterol check. Of course, with all the stress and drama in my life lately, it wasn't all good news. I had been monitoring my BP since March when she agreed to take me off of it and the measures were never that great: not as high as they used to be, but still a bit high, particularly the top number. While I was there, I measure 140/87 and then 152/90. Years ago, that number was more around 155-160/110-15, so it has improved, just not as much as I was hoping. So the bad news is that she placed me on a diuretic (water pill) in hopes that it will help with the numbers a bit. This, in turn, equaled a big loss on the scale this week and now I'm left worrying that when I stop taking it, the pounds will go back on again.
The good news from the visit is pretty great though! My cholesterol came in at 202, just 2 points above "normal." It's not been that low, ever! My HDL increased, LDL decreased, and triglycerides decreased: all were considered in the "normal" range. At my previous visit, she had checked my glucose levels, even though I told her I had recently eaten, and then stated she wanted me to continue on Glucophage. This is always fun to explain to people taking a medical history as I am not diabetic, but have Poly-cystic Ovarian Syndrome which can cause insulin intolerance. The worst thing about this pill, for me anyway, is that it makes me really ill when I first start taking it, and I am horrible at remembering to take pills. Add to that the iron pills I was on, which really upset my stomach, and I was one miserable individual!
At this appointment, I got to tell her again, with shame in my voice, that I hadn't been taking either. She weighed me in, congratulated me on losing another 9 pounds since I saw her in March, and then informed me that depending on the results ,she may switch me to a timed-release glucose pill, a different type of iron pill, and since my vitamin D was also always low, a smaller dose of that. I felt so discouraged leaving there. I've worked so hard to lose those 65 pounds, hoping the whole way that I could get rid of my medicine cocktail, and I was leaving with the possibility of it having not changed. And then those results - I about did a happy dance! My numbers had gotten better in spots, but I truly think that eating out at restaurants, even though we were trying to make better decisions, restrained them from improving much.
So the great news is the improved blood profile! My iron is still low, but low normal. My vitamin D was normal due to all those wonderful walks outside! My cholesterol levels have improved to numbers I have never seen! But that cursed water pill. I sincerely need to learn to chill out and look into things like yoga and meditation. It seems unbelievable that I could quiet my brain, but it is definitely a goal!
We took new measurements and photos as well. I'm working on figuring out a way to overlay two photos so that I can see a true difference. Looking at two pictures side by side just doesn't show the inches I have lost very well I've noticed. I played around with one program and tried lining up my face but the differences were so huge that I started to doubt it's accuracy. Hopefully soon I figure out how to gauge if the two photos are truly the same scale.
Measurements from 8/18/11 and 7/31/12 - almost one year apart!
Neck: 16" / 13.75"
Bicep(R): 15" / 13.25"
Bicep(L): 15" / 13.5" (starting measurement is an estimate as it was not taken)
Chest: 49" / 42.5"
Waist: 49" / 42.5"
Hips: 50" / 45.25"
Thigh(R): 26" / 21.5"
Thigh(L): 26" / 22.25" (starting measurement is an estimate as it was not taken)
Calf(R): 17.25" / 15"
Calf(L): 17.25"/ 15.25" (starting measurement is an estimate as it was not taken)
Body Fat Percentage: 54% / 40.5%
That brings the total number of inches lost to 35.75, and a 13.5% decrease in body fat. None too shabby!
Current Weight: 180.2 pounds
Current BMI: 32.96
Pounds Lost: 64.8 pounds
BMI Lost: 10.68
Pounds to Meet Mini-Goal #3 (175): 5.2 pounds
Pounds until BMI is 'overweight' instead of 'very overweight' (176.5): 3.7 pounds
Monday, July 23, 2012
183.6 - 58.6 pounds to go!
The scale finally had different numbers this week. Thank goodness! That was actually my weight from Saturday morning as I knew my sodium was going to be high Saturday night. But I was so excited to see those numbers that I snapped a picture.
Nothing otherwise exciting last week. I'm working on keeping my promise to my personal trainer. I was a bit disappointed when we spoke about the scale not moving and his only recommendation was to start eating a bit less, but as the husband said, that's the typical thought regarding weight loss. So I'll just silently agree to disagree and keep on my path. If the number don't seem to move, I'll think about dropping them lower, but I'm guessing it won't be a problem. If anything, looking back, I wasn't eating enough. I wasn't someone on a very low calorie diet, eating only 1200 calories per day and exercising like a mad woman. But, 1600 calories per day while exercising 5 days a week is low according to the calculators I've used. I ate my exercise calories back at least, so there is that. At the moment though, I'm playing around with the numbers. Part of me wanted to drop to 1800, just to push the weight loss a little faster, but the other part of me decided 1950 was a better option. I'll have to gauge it better once a few more weigh-ins are under my belt though.
In four more weigh-ins, I'll hit my one year mark. Well, my fudged one year mark I should say. I started weighing in around mid-July, but it wasn't until mid-August that I started watching what I ate and really "trying" to lose weight. So, I'm going with that date. I'm really far off of the number I had hoped to lose within a year, but I'm trying my hardest to focus on the positive. And I am sure after today's doctor visit, I'll feel a bit better. With all of the unwavering drama in my life that just won't seem to go away, it's hard to focus on the positives, but you can be sure I'll be celebrating the big day!
Thursday, July 19, 2012
How to Break a Plateau via Fat 2 Fit Podcast #45
Today is another day where I am feeling stuck. After almost three months of seeing the same numbers, I'm starting to really wonder if I'm stuck here for good. I still have so much more to lose and I just can't seem to shake this plateau. So, off I decided to listen to a few more Fat 2 Fit podcasts and what do you know? I caught up to the one about weight loss plateaus. I thought the information may be useful to others, and as a reminder to myself. So here are my notes from the Fat 2 Fit podcast regarding breaking weight loss plateaus.
Causes of plateaus:
1. Not eating enough
2. Giving up on diet/exercise and/or not trying as hard
3. Dieting 2-3 months and body stops losing
Breaking a plateau:
1. Eat at maintenance or slightly above for at least 1 week
2. Try zig-zagging: eat more one day, lower another day (e.g. 1500 one day, 2200 the next, for avg. of 1800 per day)
3. Change your diet and exercise regime. Try eating more protein, or adding interval training.
Ways to avoid a plateau:
1. Moderate calorie restriction - never more than 500 below maintenance
2. Exercise
3. Take time off from dieting such as once a week, one meal a day, etc.
4. Don't let your body adapt to a specific workout routine - change things up by increasing intensity/speed, trying different machines, etc.
5. Eat more often throughout the day to speed up metabolism
Our bodies are designed to keep us alive through times of famine. So to avoid a plateau, we need to keep it guessing. If a plateau does sneak in, we need to show it that we aren't really in any danger by shaking things up a bit.
Causes of plateaus:
1. Not eating enough
2. Giving up on diet/exercise and/or not trying as hard
3. Dieting 2-3 months and body stops losing
Breaking a plateau:
1. Eat at maintenance or slightly above for at least 1 week
2. Try zig-zagging: eat more one day, lower another day (e.g. 1500 one day, 2200 the next, for avg. of 1800 per day)
3. Change your diet and exercise regime. Try eating more protein, or adding interval training.
Ways to avoid a plateau:
1. Moderate calorie restriction - never more than 500 below maintenance
2. Exercise
3. Take time off from dieting such as once a week, one meal a day, etc.
4. Don't let your body adapt to a specific workout routine - change things up by increasing intensity/speed, trying different machines, etc.
5. Eat more often throughout the day to speed up metabolism
Our bodies are designed to keep us alive through times of famine. So to avoid a plateau, we need to keep it guessing. If a plateau does sneak in, we need to show it that we aren't really in any danger by shaking things up a bit.
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