Losing weight can be a wonderful journey, but it can also be frustrating and downright depressing if you feel like you are doing everything right and nothing is changing. It can make you want to pull your hair out, throw the scale out the window, and run all the way to the ice cream store.

Let’s face it. Starting and sticking with a healthy lifestyle is not always easy, especially when the results are not happening as you planned. I’m here to tell you, though – there is hope, and your patience and consistency will pay off!

There is light at the end of the tunnel, and you CAN get to a point where you are doing a little happy dance while trying on a smaller size or two in a Nordstrom’s dressing room in a ridiculously cute outfit.

“When you feel like quitting, think about WHY you started.” – Anonymous

Why DID you start this journey?

Was it because your clothes weren’t fitting well anymore? Were you tired of being tired? Did your doctor give you the “weight loss talk” because of poor lab results? Was it because you wanted your children to have a role model to live healthy? Was it because you wanted your sexy back?

Whatever the reason… you ARE brave and amazing, because you took the hardest step, which is to START living a healthy lifestyle. However, you now may be doing a few things inadvertently that are stalling your progress and increasing frustrations, so let's figure these out.

PLATEAU CHECKLIST:

1. You Skimp on Sleep. – we’ve all done it, but are you consistently getting 7-8 hours of sleep EACH night? Be honest, now!!

2. You Haven’t Stopped. – When was the last time you took a rest week? If you can’t remember… It is time to rest that body, my friend. Don’t be scared. Take this week to layoff of all workouts and just do things like walk and stretch. Your body needs to recover and re-energize.

3. You’re Dehydrated. We talked about this last week. Do you know how to tell if you are dehydrated? Find out HERE! Just like the body holding on to fat, the body will retain water when dehydrated.

4. You Don’t Have a Plan. Let’s face it; most people do NOT have a plan when it comes to health goals. – If you are going to achieve your goals without a coach or accountability partner, I strongly urge you to make a plan – for both your food and exercise.

Okay, so you may or may not being doing some of these things, but NOW WHAT?

Here are my tips on keeping frustrations low and getting unstuck from a plateau:

Tip #1 – Change Your Exercise Routine. If you are exercising like you did when you were 25, (and you’re 40-something), it is time to change things up. Lose the long, steady-state runs and instead try a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workout 1-2 times per week. Stair intervals are a great one to try at home.

TRY THIS: Grab a timer on your phone and run up and down your stairs as fast as you can for 1 minute, and then rest for 1 minute. Repeat for a total of 20 minutes.

Tip #2 – Challenge Yourself. For one… If you are not lifting weights (including your own bodyweight) 2-3 times per week, get started now. And, if you are lifting weights, give yourself a pat on the back! That being said… Are you still using those 5-pound dumbbells you started with? If so, increase your weight to the next heavier dumbbell (i.e. 8-pound).

How do you know if you are using the right resistance or weight? You are at the right weight when can use good form throughout all reps, but the last couple of reps are much more taxing to complete.

Tip #3 – Sneak Away Your Calories. If you know me by now, you know that I’m not huge fan of calorie counting. But, if you are stuck, you are most likely maintaining on the amount of food you’re consuming.

So, here’s a little trick I recently shared in my Inner Fire Facebook group… Eat only until you are 80% full and leave 3 bites on your plate at each meal throughout the day. You’ll eat less without missing it!

Tip #4 – Cycle Your Calories. Just as you keep your muscles guessing with changing exercises or your workout, your body gets used to the same foods you eat, too. Try a little surprise on your body by alternating what you’re feeding it.

For instance, on days that you workout, add a morning and afternoon snack. On days that you don’t workout, stick to three square meals.

Are you ready to change things up? Here is a BONUS tip that you can start implementing today? Ready?

Start a Food Journal. This is one of my least favorite things to do, but you can’t lie in black and white. And here’s my gift to you - Keep a week’s worth of your food intake and send it to me. That’s right, just write it down and send it to me. Then we’ll schedule a FREE consultation call to figure out how to get you past this bump in the road.

Although this journey includes exercise, you HAVE to have the nutrition piece in place and on track… 80% of your success depends on it.

Weight loss plateaus are very normal. Everyone experiences them at one point or another, and they are a good reminder to step things up again. Just remember, that no matter how slow you go, you are lapping everyone else that is not doing a damn thing.

Let’s get FIRED UPP,

Nat

#plateau #caloriecycle #foodjournal #HIIT #weighttraining #weightloss