The Dreaded "P" Word

pjdamico

Fat people know this word all too well - Plateau. I've climbed a chunk of hill and have hit a flat spot. There's even a dip or two along the way that stymies progress. Now what?

Hitting this plateau has been going on for just over a week. During that time I've started to really think and reflect on what's happening. Luckily I've figured a few things out.

The obvious plateau is weight loss itself and the inches that come off with it. My weight has actually ticked up a bit, about a pound. That happens on a long journey and really doesn't concern me. What does concern me is why now? What is really happening to cause the issue.

One word answers this - Motivation. I'm still motivated by the concept of a better life. Where I am lacking is the day to day grind to make my goals happen. Sound familiar? I think this is the crux of most issues when it comes to weight loss and life improvement.

The first step in correcting my attitude was to look at everything I've been doing and determine what's different. The second step was to be completely honest with myself about what I found. That self-honesty thing is soooooo hard!

I will take what I found and put my fixes in place. Whether I succeed or fail with my fixes, I will share because I know that you will be honest in your feedback to me. Your feedback helps me in ways you will never know. There is a hill ahead, a pretty steep one, and I plan to climb it because I just packed up my tent from this plateau.

fteale

Keep going. I hit a 5 weeks plateau about 3 months in. It happens. Just keep going and the weight will start to come off again. Make sure you have adjusted your weight in here and reset your goals, you need to lower your food intake the lighter you get. Also make sure you are getting enough sleep, that makes a huge difference.

jcdfish

Why do we so often blame ourselves as though something like a plateau is a character issue? Don't fall into that thinking! I've always thought plateaus were nature's way of protecting our bodies from a few things. Like if we aren't eating enough, or if the body needs to take some time to regroup, in a manner of speaking.

I've noticed in my lifetime that when I hit a plateau that my body continued to change a bit. So I thought maybe my body needed to redistribute weight or was continuing to lose fat and gain muscle.

Take this time to continue to concentrate on health and don't worry about the weight. It'll just frustrate you. Also, reassess what and how you are eating. And that doesn't mean to cut back, but means that now and again we need to be certain we are getting a truly healthy balance of nutrients.

Take care, don't be too hard on yourself. Enjoy your life.

pjdamico

Thanks for the encouragement!