The scales don't budge or-gasp!!-creep in the other direction. What to do? First: Breathe. Second: panic ISN'T an option.
So you’ve been a gym regular and stuck to your guns in getting healthy. Gone are the Twinkies and in their place is kefir and muesli. You even gave yourself little rewards along the way. As a result, your toned, looking and feeling stronger look, and shrinking caboose, is paying off. And the cute mailroom guy is starting to coyly notice your well-fitting Riders on dress down Fridays. All is right with the world.
Then it happens.
The scale numbers start crawling upwards. Couldn’t be you, nah, you’ve been doing the right things, eating the right foods, taking the tailored-for-you supplements. It’s the scale’s fault, that’s it, you declare….and go right back to pounding the last bit of life from the treadmill you deemed “your machine” since you enrolled in the local health club.
Another setback. The scale numbers stay the SAME this week. Flipside to this panic trigger you're about to push —yes, you need this silver lining to keep you heart and soul in the healthier lifestyle game—don't push the panic button just yet. You didn’t gain. And you're learning early on how to maintain that number as you lose--and that's really a good thing.
Factoring in hormones and naturally storing fat more than men do, women have a rougher time in losing weight than do men. It’s not fair, yes, but if you get and keep a battle plan in mind, you’ll know what to do when the inevitable plateau seeks to knock you off course.
STAY STRONG MENTALLY
Right about here—whether you’ve plateaued for three weeks or three months—is where many give up the healthier journey and beeline for the comforts of dark chocolate or nacho chips. Don’t do this. Weeks of hard work are shot in a matter of minutes—and in this instance, you’re setting yourself up for one step forward, three steps back in the certainty of gaining back the hard worked for pounds and inches lost.
ASSESS WHAT AND HOW YOU’RE FUELING UP
Simple carbohydrates, refined or enriched white and wheat flours and sugars-- glucose, fructose, sucrose, dextrose or corn syrup—and any foods in vacuumed sealed wrap, boxes, bags or listing ingredients you can’t pronounce, let alone imagine digesting—are poor candidates for permanent weight loss. Consider always reading packaging labels, if you absolutely have to venture the middle aisles of the supermarket, before putting the item in the basket. And although enjoying a Twinkie once in a great while isn’t a cardinal sin, you will notice a substantial taste difference in that snack from what you’ve been eating. Eventually, by sheer taste alone, you’ll amaze yourself what you saw in that Twinkie in the first place. Maybe it's time to reconsider portion sizes in your meals. A 2 ounce meat serving’s about the size and weight of a deck of playing cards, whereas a large Granny Smith apple is almost 2 servings of fruit. Lastly, if you're working out harder, you've got to eat more. Chances are, if you're bonking out in the middle of a hard-core workout, you're not eating enough prior to and post workout...and that's your body's way to tell you it's time to eat more. Visit websites like www.sparks.com to get a good caloric countre in your daily intake....and it's free.
FOOL YOUR BRAIN, FOOL YOUR BOD
Even though you’ve claimed your favorite treadmill, it could be time to visit a high-intensity kickboxing class or get involved with racquetball to set the metabolism burning again. Your body and brain are used to the new activity, thus telling the fat burning process to stay set at that rate. When you learn a new workout skill, like agility in a one-on-one game or make your legs throw roundhouse kicks, that’s a sure way to get the sweat meter going, full charge.
Overall, to keep your success on track, change workouts and foods from time to time. Your mind and body will reward you with a well-earned night’s sleep for it.
