Plateau

I've mentioned "the plateau" in previous posts, in so doing taking for granted that everyone knows what that means. Certainly, anyone who manages their weight has experienced a plateau. So has anyone who has pursued any sort of goal. Simply put, the plateau is the point at which whatever you're doing to improve ceases to be effective.

To put it in the frame of weight loss, most folks begin with excitement over a new plan. They lose 5-10 lbs in the first week, then less and less week to week until they stop losing, but they're doing the same thing that lost ten pounds in week one! Some folks get discouraged and quit at this point and gain twenty pounds.

The plateau is something that happens to everyone. My take on the plateau is that whatever change you make initially shocks your body into change. This is a good thing. It's what we want. Gradually, our body adapts and what we're doing is no longer a shock. We can maintain this level of achievement, but we want to continue! It can be frustrating. So, what do we do?

Make another change.

Take my current weight loss as an example. At first, I ate exactly the same foods, I simply cooked at home instead of eating out. This simple change resulted in 10-15 lbs of weight loss in a few weeks, which I maintained for a few months, but lost no more. I plateaued.

Next, I began a journal. Because I've done this before, I set a calorie goal and tracked calories in my journal all at once, but it is also effective to step through each of those changes. I lost another 15-20 lbs, then plateaued again! I feel great, but it's time for more change.

The next changes I plan to make are to increase my intake of vegetables and clean water and to start a daily exercise program. I'm still researching the exercise, which is new to me. I expect these changes to bring me to my goal weight, but if I plateau again, I'll simply make adjustments to my nutrition and exercise, because the bottom line is that's what weight management and fitness in general are all about.

Incidentally, I'm also still wrestling with old habits. I ate cheeseburgers at a fast food restaurant tonight, which would be fine, if I hadn't eaten out last night, and lunch two days ago, etc. However, I will succeed because I know that no matter how many cheeseburgers I eat all I need to do is resume eating veggies and exercising.

Weight management is like housekeeping. It's never over, but it's much easier if you stay on top of it.