Weight Loss Plateaus

"I eat right and exercise 5 times a week and my weight is the same"

"I have been the same weight for months with no change"

"No matter what I do I can't lose that last 5 pounds"

These are some of the things I hear all the time from friends, clients or what I overhear in the gym. We need to understand that our bodies get comfortable at a certain weight and the body sometimes just needs a break.

When you lower your caloric intake for a lengthy amount of time your body thinks it is deprived and will hold onto any fat stores you may have.

Reasons for a plateau

1. Not eating enough

2. Adaptation to your fitness routine

So basically your metabolism has adapted to your eating and exercise routine, so where do you go from here? I always suggest when first starting out to write everything down that you eat. Make a food diary. That way you can always refer back to what you were eating so you can make any necessary changes. Some things may work, some things don't so you have to play around.

Having said that let's move on to how to break the dreaded plateau that has you so frustrated.

Let's start with food.

*You MUST eat within 1 hour of waking to rev your metabolism. I'm still amazed at people that say they don't eat breakfast. You should be hungry since you have been "fasting" since bedtime.

* Understanding proper portions is important so make sure your kitchen is equipped with a food scale so you know how much you are eating.

*Protein must be included at each meal. Protein is the KING of macro nutrients. Some protein choices are chicken, lean meat, turkey, fish, bison, eggs and whey protein.

*Eating 5-6 small meals every 2-3 hours keeps the fires burning so to speak. It has a tremendous impact on your metabolism.

*Don't forget that food diary!!

Lets move on to exercise. I see this all the time... cardio cardio cardio and no weight training! I can go on and on about the importance of weight training until I'm blue in the face . Ladies listen........you WILL NOT bulk up! Don't be afraid to get in the gym and lift HEAVY!

Assess your current fitness routine and make some necessary changes. Are you doing "steady state" cardio? If so, add some high intensity interval training (HIIT) to your routine. Shock the body, give it something it hasn't had already and you will break through that plateau. But it comes with patience and perseverance. Change does not happen overnight, it happens over time.

Change the intensity and you will change your body!

Eat Right

Train Hard

Stay Focused

BE WELL!

Please email me with any questions you may have.

dianenunez@comcast.net