Every person who’s serious about their health and well being has faced the plateau problem. You’re doing everything right. Watching what you eat. Regularly exercising, but those last few pounds?
The closer you are to your ideal weight, the more you have to shake things up to get your body to start working hard again. The workout plateau can disillusion some, but there’s no need. You can push yourself past this roadblock by observing yourself.
Are you hydrating enough?
You’re actively exercising. Taking your daily raw coconut vinegar detox drink. Having your avocado smoothies, but are you drinking enough water? We’re burning calories like crazy, and losing toxins as we sweat, but we’re also losing our bodies H2O. Water is the number one detoxifier of our bodies.
If we don’t hydrate well, our bodies will hold on to what little water we have. This causes bloat and water weight gains. Since we can only see our bodies from the outside, you don’t know which it is.
Are you cutting out water by having coconut water after a workout? Do you regularly have a kombucha as you’re exploring the neighborhood. You are hydrating. Doing lots of things for your body, but sometimes we need to strip away the multi tasking beverages for the most simple of things our body needs.
Are you eating large meals?
Yes, you are eating healthy meals. Full of color and greens, but is this salad bowl bigger than your head? Having big meals less often, makes your body hold on to calories you've eaten. It thinks you're in starvation mode. Nutrionist suggest having more small meals through out the day, instead of fewer, larger ones. Alicia Reich had lost 78 pounds over the last year and a half but couldn't budge the scale past 150. She consulted with weight-loss expert Madelyn Fernstrom,
“I couldn't understand why my 1,200-calories-a-day diet wasn't working. She said my body would resume losing weight when it sensed it wasn't in starvation mode. Madelyn had me eat snacks throughout the day, like sliced turkey rolls and fruit, to stoke my metabolism. Oddly, when I ate 1,700 calories daily, the pounds started to come off.”
How we eat, can help us reach those last extra pounds we think are impossible.
Are you sitting for most of the day?
Most of us sit and type on keyboard all day. From there we go sit in our cars in traffic. When you think about, the only time you’re really moving is when you’re working out. Unfortunately this could be another reason for not being able to get rid of the last couple of pounds.
According to a University of Missouri-Columbia study, sitting for a few hours causes your body to stop making a fat-inhibiting enzyme called lipase. Get the upper hand in this situation by getting up and walking for two minutes every hour. I realized I was guilty myself as I was writing this post. We get so caught up in what we’re doing, we lose track of time. Do yourself a favor. Set an alarm. Get a fitbit. Do whatever helps you literally step away for two minutes every hour. So simple, but without making the conscience effort, it’ll never get done.
Are you doing enough cardio?
A lot of people I talk to hate cardio. I probably should have put it in a cap locks for them. Cardio simply is the fastest way to burn calories. Rethink your opinion. You don’t have to make your life more complicated. What if instead of walking the dog, you ran with dog. You don’t have pay for additional classes or spend more time driving somewhere. Make cardio something enjoyable.
Living in southern California, there are several trails for cyclists. Explore the L.A. River! Take a cruise along the coast either on two wheels or two legs.
I was in the camp “no cardio.” I already work out. Adding a 15-20 minute jog with my furry kid hit those difficult areas, I thought would always be a part of my life. I can’t wait to see what happens with a little more time.
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