Lately my body is giving me the “stuck” zones again, and I feel like I’m not progressing as readily as I was.
Enter Jessica Plowman, fitness expert (both in professional training and common sense) and a truly beautiful person, inside and out. She is a former Life Coach for my prior program, LIFEChange, and was absolutely fabulous in helping women with their life/fitness issues.
Below she’s shared some great wisdom as to how to get unstuck from those weight-loss plateaus.
Enjoy!
Connie
Breaking Through Weight Plateaus
Have you ever hit a frustrating weight loss plateau? Many a dedicated fitness participant, zealous runner, and nutrition-conscious soul, has come to this same frustrating halt in the process of losing body fat. Why is it that even when we stick with our healthy habits that have resulted in awesome successes, we aren’t immune to hitting frustrating plateaus, thus struggling to behold some of the much-anticipated fruits of our labors? What’s a person to do?
For those who feel like they might be spinning their wheels listlessly when the scale is so, so, soooo . . . intractable and insensitive . . . listen up. Whatever your relationship with your scale, don’t kick it, throw it, or do anything irrational . . . just yet.
Think with me for a moment.
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What’s going on in your life? I’m talking hormones, stress, sleep, friends, family, and life in general. Is there any self-sabotage or other such treachery going on here? Call it out. Recognize it.
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Are you simply putting in time and “checking the box,” or are you training for something that pushes you to keep the intensity up and work out of your comfort zone on a regular basis?
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Do you regularly engage in challenging resistance training to overload your muscles in a full-range-of-motion? Working with too light of weights or failing to challenge muscles, leads to muscle loss over time. This equates to to a lower metabolism down the road.
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What about your non-scheduled exercise activity? When you are not formally exercising would you best describe yourself as a sedentary potato, a wanderer, or a jumping bean, always going and jumping to and fro?
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What about sleep? Are you getting enough and is it high-quality sleep?
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Ahem. Diet. Is your day calorically balanced? Protein? Whole grains? Colorful vegetables and a lot of them?
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Overall, how do scheduling demands, emotions, exercise, and various work, family, and social events affect your nutrition choices and your movement?
Aha! You may just have found some wonderful solutions to this conundrum. Pick two to three habits that you would like to focus on in moving forward. The little things really can make such a difference in making certain that stubborn plateaus don’t stand a chance.
There really isn’t a “magic number” on the scale. Instead of just looking at your weight on the scale, focus on other fantastic indicators of success as increased muscle tone, energy, health, and performance, in addition to decreased body fat percentage. Go strong and know that I have faith in you. Break through!
“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Jessica Plowman, MS, RDN, CSSD, CD, CPT
About Jessica
- Bio: http://realfoodfitness.com/about-jessica/
- Website and Social Media: Realfoodfitness.com, blog at http://realfoodfitness.com/blog/, www.facebook.com/RealFoodFitness
