About a month ago, Courtney at Don’t Blink. Just Run commented that she was having difficulty breaking through the plateau in her weight loss journey. In the early months of Courtney’s weight loss journey she saw good results, but then things slowed down and she stopped losing weight. This isn’t unusual, and I told her that she had inspired me to write about it because it’s a concern that I sometimes have to address with my clients.
The most important thing to remember during a plateau is to not give up and revert back to old unhealthy ways. Remember that body weight is just a number, it does not define anyone. The real focus should be on learning to make healthy food and exercise choices during your healthy lifestyle journey.
Approaching your day during your plateau in a proactive way will make a huge difference in breaking through and seeing results. On the following two charts I have made the first point the same: Every morning ask yourself, “What can I do to become a fat burning machine?”* This applies to both exercise and nutrition. By starting off your day with a plan, you will be far more likely to meet your goals for that day.
You can become a fat burning machine by taking the stairs instead of the elevator, biking to work, getting up and moving every hour during your work day, etc. Even if you’re scheduled to go to the gym after work, try to fit a quick walk in during your lunch break (even 15 minutes can make a difference). Instead of just running or riding your bike at a consistent speed, change up the pace by doing intervals or fartleks. And don’t do the same workout every time you hit the gym. Change it up and keep your body from getting used to the same workout. Challenge your body to do different things, and don’t allow it to become complacent.
On the nutrition side of things, you can become a fat burning machine by eating a nutritious breakfast to fire up your metabolism, eating nutrient and fiber rich vegetables and fruits, hydrating properly, etc. Hold yourself accountable by logging your food intake into a phone app, or even onto a piece of paper. You might be surprised by how much food you eat when you see it in writing, and might be surprised at how small a serving size really is. Often portion sizes at restaurants are much larger than what is considered a serving size and leads to overeating, so try to limit visits to your favorite place, especially if the food is so good that you find it impossible to save any for the doggy bag.
Good luck breaking through your plateau, and remember, you’ve worked too hard to get to this point to give up and revert back to your old unhealthy ways.
- Questions:
- What can you do to become a fat burning machine?
- What have you found effective for breaking through a plateau?
*Phrase introduced to me by Jack Broderick, instructor for my Nutrition and Weight Management Specialist course.
I love this: “What can I do to become a fat burning machine?”. I’m gonna start saying that out loud to myself and make myself giggle every morning by doing that. Thank you for writing this. 🙂
Courtney @ Don’t Blink. Just Run. recently posted…Face The Music Friday #22
You are welcome, and please keep me posted on how you are doing!
What you say is so true – we underestimate how much we eat. Whenever I keep track of my calorie intake I become very aware of that! I find it hard to lose even a pound or two if I don’t hold myself accountable for what I eat.
Dana recently posted…Not-so-guilty pleasures, the music edition
Portion control is huge, and understanding serving sizes is even bigger…
I try to go above & beyond my daily workout, especially when I travel. Those biz dinners add up. I always take the stairs and park far away…unless I have the kiddos. Then I’m all about that front row spot!
Nicole @ Work in Sweats Mama recently posted…Raising Not-So-Girly Girls: A Guest Post at VITA Train for Life
Eating out is so tricky. I tend to look at eating out as a treat, so I allow myself to splurge. If I were to eat out a lot on business travel, I’d have to change the my thought process for sure.
Nutrition is something I have been thinking about a lot, lately. At the start of the 30 Day Shred program, I decided I needed to buckle down on what I was eating. So far things are going well.
Question: I have been eating what I consider to be a healthy breakfast, and I want your input (if you don’t mind!). It’s old fashioned oatmeal (prepared following the serving size directions: 1 cup of water, 1/2 cup of oatmeal), with one whole apple chopped up, cinnamon, and less than 1 tsp of white sugar (I do use a measuring spoon to make sure). I have been losing weight, so I think this is a good option, and it keeps me feeling full, but I was curious if I’m making a good choice with the oatmeal.
Meagan recently posted…Runners tell all: My running story
Your breakfast sounds pretty good to me. You might want to cut back a tiny bit on the sugar (gradually) and see if you still like the taste. Otherwise, if it’s keeping you satiated, I’d say stay with it.