Getting Through Weight Loss Plateau is a post from: How to lose weight fast
The word plateau is dreaded by anyone on a diet. When you hit this stumbling block it can be extremely difficult to get through it. For many dieters it is a time when they simply give up and let their old habits creep into their lives. Don’t let this happen to you! Keep reading to discover easy ways to break through that plateau.
The actual definition of a plateau is ‘no weight loss for at least 3 weeks or longer with no changes in your eating or exercise routine to cause it’.
Your number one priority when hitting a plateau is not to give up! You are much better off to stay at the same weight than put on a couple of pounds. Your next step is to write down what you are eating and keep a log of your exercise. You may have increased your portion sizes slightly or be eating too much of a certain food.
By writing things down you will have a clearer picture of what you are doing. Look at the food groups and make sure you are eating enough high fibre vegetables along with your protein.
One food that sometimes gets eaten too much is cheese! Remember you should only eat about 1oz of cheese per day on a low carb diet. If you haven’t been weighing and measuring your food get back into that habit for a few days.
Other area to take a look at is the labels on your food items. Make sure you are working out the carb level correctly. Don’t forget to subtract the fibre from the carbs to get the true amount of carbs per serving.
I have to bring up being honest with yourself! Have you snuck in a few extras and then convinced yourself that you haven’t? Or has your exercise routine slacked off a little bit?
If you smoke this can be another reason why your weight loss has stalled. Did you know that sugar is added to tobacco? You may want to rethink your smoking habits. Is it time to give up this habit and speed up your weight loss?
Alcohol should be included in the same category as smoking. Some people may still be able to have a couple of drinks and lose weight while others will not. If you have been drinking a few times a week and have hit a plateau then try cutting it out for a week or two. You can always add it back in when you have reached your goal weight.
While eating low carb many books recommend not counting calories, but you can still be eating too much. By keeping a food journal you can see if you are eating too much. Just cut out 500 calories per day and you should start seeing results again.
Water really does help no matter what type of diet you are on. Doctors recommend that you drink at least 8 8oz of water each day. I found this to be a great guide as well. For every 25lbs that you are overweight you should try and drink 9 8oz glasses of water. This may sound like a lot but you will get used to drinking this amount within a couple of weeks.
All of the above tips should really help make a difference in getting out of your plateau. Just remember not to give up try something different like doing more exercise or decreasing your portion sizes. You will quickly find what works for you and your plateau will be a thing of the past.
