Be

ating the Weight Plateau
By Kimberly Tessmer - RD/LD


Does this sound familiar to you, "I lost weight initially but now I have hit a weight loss plateau"? If it does, you are not alone. Plateaus are a very normal part of weight loss. There are many ways to deal with these plateaus. They don't have to spoil all of the hard work you have done to this point. It is important to focus on problem solving instead of trying to place blame on the program or yourself. Think of plateaus or lapses as a useful learning opportunity.

There are numerous reasons and risk factors for plateaus but there are also things you can try so that you can continue to work toward your weight goal.

Reasons for plateaus may include the following:

• Your body requires fewer calories to function as you lose weight. Your body may need time to adjust.
• Your portion sizes may not be as precise as they were when you started your program.
• Your metabolism may have hit a plateau because of the same repetitive exercise.
• You may not be following your program as closely as you did when you started and it was new.

Risk factors that can lead to plateaus may include some of the following:

• Being in a negative emotional state.
• Decreased motivational level compared to when you started your program.
• Not having emotional and social support of family and friends.
• Coping skills.

What can you do to deal with potential setbacks or weight plateaus?

• Focus on weight loss as a lifestyle change rather than a "diet". Dieting is often a short-term tactic.
Successful long-term weight loss and weight maintenance require changing to a healthier lifestyle.
• Start to measure your food again to make sure you are eating the correct portion sizes. Making portions just a little bigger than they should adds calories.
• If you have stopped filling out your food diary, start it again. It can help you and your counselor pinpoint where you may have problem areas. This way you can focus on solving the problem.
• Don't forget to drink your water! You should drink at least 64 ounces per day. Water is vital to optimal health and can also help to fill you up during the day to help make controlling portion sizes at meals easier. • Don't skip meals! Skipping meals can make you so hungry at the next meal that you overeat. It also tends to slow down your metabolism making it harder for you to lose weight.
• If you don't exercise, talk to your doctor about starting a program. Walking is one of the easiest ways to add exercise to your day. Exercise helps increase your metabolism, which helps you burn calories and lose weight.
• If you already exercise, try something new or increase your workouts gradually. A few more minutes here and there can go a long way to help shake up your metabolism. If you always do the same exercise you are only working certain muscle groups. Adding a new exercise can help move you off your plateau. Move your body in fun ways. Try dancing, roller-blading, weight training or kickboxing.
• Don't rush through meals. Eat to feel satisfied. Try to savor your food and focus on texture and taste when choosing your foods.
• If you feel you have lost motivation try a "Why I Want to Lose Weight" list. Make a list of the top reasons you want to lose weight and hang it up so you see it everyday. Let those reasons motivate you. You may just need to revisit your goals!
• Go easy on yourself. Realize that weight loss is a process and it takes work and time.
• Check out the weight loss products that The Weight Loss Center has available. Protein supplements can be great mid-morning or mid-day snacks that help hold you over until the next meal. Protein is also important in helping to build muscle mass. Muscle mass is what burns calories in our bodies. The more muscle mass you have the more calories you burn.

Again, weight plateaus are a normal part of weight loss. Try some of the tips listed to help get you over the plateau. Most of all, don't let plateaus change the good habits you have acquired to this point and don't let them lesser your motivation. You have worked hard to get to where you are. Keep doing what you are doing, try a few new tips and remember it takes time! Take it one step at a time!

HOW TO AVOID A BINGE:

* let’s get this straight. you DO NOT NEED TO BINGE. even when your stomach is screaming eating huge amounts of food WILL NOT MAKE IT FEEL BETTER. You can get exactly the same full feeling from eating relatively small amounts of food. Here’s how
* Choose a food that is HEALTHY. sure, you may feel like eating a bar do chocolate because you think it will help how you’re feeling. IT WON’T. All it will do is bloat you and leave you feeling disgusted with yourself. If you choose something healthy and eat it right you will feel great cos you avoided a binge and didn’t blow your diet.
*Eat it right. If you take a large gulp of water in between tiny nibbles of food you will fill up amazingly quickly and the need to binge will be gone. Think about it. That food is not going anywhere. You don’t have to scarf it down.
* If you start to binge, or are about to, STOP. Think about what you’re doing. You will only feel guilty. the binge will not get you anywhere. go for a run, or read a book, or drink 2 liters of water. If you have to eat do it healthily!
*Are you an emotional binger? Do you want to binge when something bad happens? work back through the problem and find out what upset you. Do something that resolves the original problem, don’t complicate it b adding more stress by binging.
* "the Fuck-It Syndrome". If you’ve already had a bad day, eaten too much, exercised too little, you might think, "I’m a fat bitch, what difference will it make if I eat this?". It’s the DIFFERENCE, sugar. It’s the DIFFERENCE between you STAYING a fat bitch, (possibly becoming fatter) and becoming thin, desirable and powerful.
*Think where the food comes from like if its meat just imagine the animal getting killed or whatever check out petas website! *Play around with you good poke and jab and move it around the plate. *If worse comes to worse dump belch on it or drop it on the floor. *Punish yourself and stick with it...if you binge you don't see your family and stick with it!