1 year down, 100 lbs GONE!!

Someone asked me about plateaus, and what to do. I thought I'd share my response as others may have the same question. There's a lot of advice out there, but this is mine:

I just kept eating healthy, it will break. My longest was 6 weeks with no weight loss, and even a couple of gains. It's just something that happens when your body goes "wait, maybe I should hold on to some of this". I know it's discouraging when it happens, but it can't go on forever. Try changing to different foods, but healthy foods. DON'T CUT YOUR CALORIES!!! Some people will even tell you to "take a break", but I never took that advice because I know how easy it would be to slip back into my old bad eating habits.

As far as how many calories you should be eating, that's something that you should really discuss with your dietitian. As you lose weight, your calorie intake should increase, not decrease, as your metabolism will be faster, and your body will require more nutrients to maintain. I eat a consistent calorie count every day, as spiking can confuse your body. I also have no more than 1 "treat" meal a week. Sometimes I just skip it if I'm just not in the mood for anything unhealthy.

Stop weighing yourself for a few weeks. I know it's hard, I used to weigh myself every single day. Stress will make you stop losing weight, and even gain. Unless I have what I refer to as a super week (where I lose more than 2 lbs), I try to only weigh myself every 2 weeks (sometimes longer). Even though 1/2 lb is still a loss, even now it still feels like defeat. Obviously I've done something right, but I still have trouble seeing the "big" difference in my body. The size of my clothes, and the fact that I don't have to go to the plus sized section anymore, are the reminders that I'm actually doing it right.

Whatever you do, don't give up!! :flowerforyou: