Dear Plateau: I hate you

Weight loss plateau???? Why can't it be a weight GAIN plateau!?!

It's just not fair, seriously (insert me pouting with my arms crossed here)! 

The above picture is the weigh-in I had right before I hit my plateau, I had lost 34 lbs. The before picture was taken Easter of 2012 (I am the fat girl, not the baby alligator), and the after picture is after 3ish months in to my weight loss journey - and is my most current pic, even though it is now outdated (fist pump in the air!). I am happy to report that since this "after" picture was taken, I broke my plateau, and I am down a full 38 lbs since June 2014.

So picture this... you work hard and lose weight, and are doing great! 34 lbs, and you are actually looking forward to getting on the scale (this alone is a huge triumph!) So, Friday morning, you do your "weigh in ritual" (yes, it's a thing...) and you get in the scale, count to three in your head (1... 2... 3...) and look down!

WTF!?!

That's right! Your number not only didn't budge, but it went UP! Maybe that was only an ounce it went up, but that was still a higher number than last week! Repeat: WTF!!!

Ahhh, yes, awesome reader. It's the dreaded "plateau."

I wish I could tell you that the weight loss plateau is a mythical thing. Think unicorn, centaur, or hippogriff (yes, that really was a Harry Potter reference...). Unfortunately, plateaus happen, and when it happened to me, I wanted to jump off it. But don't jump off, preserver, because generally they only last about 3 weeks (according to WebMD and various other reputable sites). Mine lasted about two weeks.

Here is the info... So plateaus are perfectly normal (and stupid, IMO). And they happen to everyone. Basically, you are taking in less calories, ideally... and not on a fad diet... and your metabolism has slowed down to conserve them. This of course is a simple explanation.






Here are some simple ways to "break through."

1) Make sure you are counting your calories. If you aren't logging everything (butter you put on your toast this morning, the bite of cupcake you ate etc), you might have some sneaky calories slowing you down. Keep logging and tracking what you eat.


2) If you are a lady... it could also just be hormones (bLoAt) - they certainly don't help the dieting issue. If this could be the issue, give it a week, you'll be fine.

3) Is your workout working for you? If you are doing the same ol' work out, it may be time to kick it up a notch. The key is intensity, so intensify. More weights, longer or harder cardio.

Additional things I've found that have worked for me: upping my water intake. A reasonable "reward" meal. Going from a low calories to a more low carb focus for a few days.

Whatever you decide to do, this is what you NEED to do: Don't give up. It will pass. Keep going.