Weight Loss Plateaus -- 7 Easy Steps to Overcome It
by Tracy
Lee
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Have you ever experienced this scenario before?
"I have successfully lost 15 of the 25 pounds that I want to lose, but
now I am stuck at the same weight even though I am faithfully controlling
my food intake and doing my exercises. What happened? Is the diet not
working anymore?"
Yes, many women over 40 start off their weight loss programs full of
excitement and determination, and indeed you do see the pounds dropping
off over the first few weeks.
That's great, of course.
However, the next thing you know is that your progress has come to a
dead stop...
...and you have just hit the dreaded weight loss "plateau."
But don't despair -- you are _not_ the only one experiencing this.
Hitting a plateau is a common experience for most women over 40 on a
weight loss program.
And it can be one of the most de-motivating things to happen.
Thankfully, overcoming it is easy... IF you know the simple steps you
can take.
Today, I'm going to show you some very simple and specific steps you
can take to overcome your plateaus:
1. Be careful of the little things: It's easy to lapse into complacency
over time, so I suggest that you keep a food diary. Writing down what you
eat each day can help you to spot those times when you might be taking in
more food than you realize. A little snack here and there can (and will)
add up to a lot of extra calories.
2. It may not be the food: Sometimes, it's not the food per se that is
the cause of the plateau. For example, work or family stress may be the
culprit instead. Stress can cause you to want to go dig into that tub of
chocolate ice cream. If you are feeling stressed, it's important to
acknowledge it right now, and go find some other forms of relief other
than reaching out for more (typically unhealthy) food. Go take a walk,
listen to music or play with your dog instead!
3. Start off on the right foot: You got to eat something for breakfast
every day. Not only will you start the day with your stomach feeling
satisfied, eating breakfast actually kick starts your metabolism so that
you'll burn more calories throughout the day.
4. Eat more often: Instead of eating 3 big regular meals each day, opt
to have 5 smaller meals. After you eat, your body releases the hormone
insulin, which causes your body to store fat. The larger the meal, the
more insulin your body releases. But smaller, more frequent meals keep
insulin levels lower and more stable. The less insulin you have in your
blood, the more fat you burn, and the less you store.
5. Try water first: If you're feeling "hungry," try drinking a glass of
water first before you go grab something to much on. Sometimes we confuse
thirst for hunger, and end up eating more food unnecessarily. If the water
doesn't make that hunger pang go away, you can always grab something to
eat later. And the bonus is that the water would have helped you to feel
fuller, so you don't have to eat as much!
6. Avoid snacks at night: After you've had your dinner, do not snack or
eat supper. And never ever eat just before you go to bed. Take it from
Oprah -- she says that one of her secrets to her successful weight loss is
that she does not eat anything after 7:30pm... not even a grape.
7. Try a weekly one-day "cleanse": Choose 1 day in the week to cleanse
your system by taking only vegetable juices. And please use fresh
vegetable juices if you can, and avoid the canned stuff that are
chock-full of sodium or added sugars!
Apply these 7 simple steps and you too will be able to overcome those
plateaus easily.
Copyright 2006 Tracy Lee
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tracy Lee is the owner of the "Weight Loss for Women Over 40" site.
Get the latest news, tips & tricks that can help women over 40 to lose
weight safely and permanently, and your complimentary copy of our Special
Report "9 Little-Known Insider Weight Loss Secrets To Help Women Over 40
Make Those Extra Pounds Disappear" instantly here: http://www.weight-loss-for-women-over-40.com/insidersecrets/
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