How To Deal With Weight Plateau

Weight loss plateau is a common scenario for people trying to lose weight. This phenomenon is when your body seems to stop losing pounds or worse even gain a pound or two. Some experience this for weeks while some for months. However, this phenomenon should not discourage you from continuing your diet program.

The reason why most weight watchers experience weight plateau is that the body is starting to adjust to the new weight. Since you have been cutting down on your calorie intake, your body has gone weight which is mostly from water. So after losing those water weight, you’re body tends to hold on to every drop of water that comes in which add to your current weight. This process and adjustment may look like an added “weight” to you, but it’s not. This is merely water retention which eventually passes. But, you need to take note that water retention can manifest as fat if not flushed in the body. This can be seen through swollen, feet, arms and face.

However, to prevent this water retention, you need to drink more water. Opposite to what most people believe, drinking at least 6 – 8 glasses of water a day prevents water retention. Drinking enough water helps your body to excrete that excess water through urine and sweat.

In order to overcome this weight loss plateau, you should apply these following recommendations.

1) Drink at least 6 – 8 glasses of water.

2) Stick with your diet plan as long as you abide it religiously.

3) Avoid daily weight check for this will discourage you more.

4) Avoid constant fitting of your old clothes. Your body hasn’t adjusted yet and your skin might be a bit loose now.

5) If possible, do not allow your frustration affects you, especially if you tend to binge on food whenever upset.

6) Focus on your goal. Think that this weight plateau is just a phase and will soon pass.

7) Walk more. This will help you flush out water through your sweat.

8) Assess your diet plan. Are you eating fries or pizza again? You might be too lenient in following the program

9) Revive your enthusiasm. Never lose your drive to change

You need to keep in mind that you're halfway to your goal of achieving your desired weight. If you allow this phenomenon stops you then you will just waste everything that you have started.

Weight Loss Trivia

1) Do you know that when you multiply your weight in pounds by 15 equals the number of your daily calorie need per day? So if you decrease your calorie intake by 300 a day, you’ll approximately lose one pound in ten days!

2) Do you know that chewing an ice cube fools the stomach that there is food to be digested? So, when you feel like binging, chew an ice cube or drink water rather than chewing a gum or candy.

3) Do you know that watching health and fitness channels subconsciously motivate you to diet? So, if you want to heighten your drive to lose weight, watch those aerobics channels.

4) Do you know stomach is the first part of your body that gets fat? Well, that is enough reason not to eat much.

5) Do you know that walking after meal for at least three to five can reduce four pounds of body fat in a year? So that explains how walking can be effective in weight loss.

6) Do you know that eating candy bar a day can add five to 20 pounds in a year? So start pulling out those candies from your pocket.

Walking Helps You Lose Weight Fast

Yes, walking can do the trick! In order to continue losing weight or maintain your fit body, you need to do 2 thirty minute sessions of "walking" per day for seven days. You can also adjust it to 45 minutes a day if you have a hectic schedule. Never force yourself doing strenuous exercises because they actually don’t help. Intense aerobics or exercise in the gym only burn carbohydrates not the fatty tissue. Simple as it seems but walking is a very effective way of not gaining weight forever.

Additionally, walking prevents weight cycling. Weight cycling is characterized as the constant losing and gaining of weight.

How to Walk Properly

1) Your chin should be eye level and your shoulders need to be held back.

2) When you walk, make sure that your heel touches the ground first. Put your weight forward as you walk. Your toes should be pointed forward.

3)Try to move your arms by swinging them as you walk.

Weight Loss Myths

Myth 1: Salad is one of the healthiest foods you can eat

Everybody believes that eating SALAD is always a healthy and non-fattening, but this is not always TRUE. Many restaurants prepared salads with high calorie, high fat dressings. Also, they often add cream or ranch-style sauces and fatty toppings like croutons, bacon bits taco meat, avocado and cheese which make your salad even more fattening.

You probably think that it is okay to eat salad regardless of its ingredients because you tend to associate the word SALAD with DIETING; hence salad becomes an excuse to binge on the food that you desire. Eating salad is non-fattening if you only put either fruits or vegetables such as lettuce, tomatoes, kiwi fruit, cucumber etc. Also, remember to only use Italian or any vinegar-like dressing so that your salad will not be calorie dense. Never use any of that creamy, mayonnaise- like or ranch-style sauces because if you do; you are sure to add pounds in your weight. If you eat salad with everything on it (croutons, bacon bits, cheese and the like) you are just like eating a quarter pound burger or a solo pizza.

Myth 2: Wheat bread is non-fattening

Some may be confused as to “wheat bread” is healthy or not. Pretty much everyone has heard that wheat bread is much better than white bread because WHEAT is perceived as a healthy and non-fattening ingredient in bread. However, wheat doesn’t always mean WHOLE WHEAT, right? No one will explain to you how to pick a wheat bread, and heaven knows there are about a thousand choices. So here’s a tip, when shopping for bread skip anything white or wheat... yes that's right wheat.

Myth 3: Natural honey and brown sugar are better than white sugar

Replacing honey for white sugar, brown or any other table sugar is really no better for you. In fact, a tablespoon of honey has 64 calories and a tablespoon of granulated sugar only 49 calories; and so honey contains even more calories than sugar. You may think that honey might be better for you than the granulated sugar (there’s really no scientific proof that it is) but still honey has more calories. There is no difference as far as your body is concerned between more refined sugars and more natural products such as the honey.

Another misconception that most people have is the notion that BROWN sugar is less fattening than white sugar. This is just silly. Both are sugar therefore both have high calories which can make you fat especially if you often put in too much on your food and drinks. The only difference between the brown and the white sweeteners is that brown sugar contains more vitamins and minerals. Brown sugar sold at grocery stores is no different with white sugar because brown sugar is actually white granulated sugar with added molasses. Yes, brown sugar contains minute amounts of minerals. But unless you eat a gigantic portion of brown sugar every day, the mineral content difference between brown sugar and white sugar is absolutely insignificant. They are both sugar therefore they both are loaded with calories that can make you fat.

Myth 4: Eating after 6 or 8 in the evening will help you lose weight

Starving yourself is a big mistake in dieting. When you are in a weight loss program, it doesn't matter what time of day you eat--it's how much you eat during the whole day. Time doesn’t any significant relevance in losing weight. You know from a fact that too much calories in your body causes extra calorie deposits; thus become your stored fat tissue. It is even better if you will have 4 small meals a day. You just need to plan carefully on how you will evenly distribute your daily food into 4 smaller portions. This will allow you to eat anytime you want and still absorb few calories. Also, fewer amount of calorie intake allows your body to burn and process those calories easily. In this way, you are assured that every meal you eat is totally burnt by your body. It is recommended that you eat less during night time because during this time of the day, you will not be doing much work. You meal allocation for night time should only include a very light snack, preferably a slice or two of you favorite fruit.

Myth 5: Eating celery, cabbage soup and grapefruit can help you burn fat.

There is no food that burns fat. Even caffeine in colas and coffee does not eliminate fatty tissues in the body. These foods may somehow stimulate your metabolism but that is only momentarily.

Myth 6: Drinking green tea helps you lose weight.

There are still not enough proof that green tea helps in burning body fat. The caffeine that most teas have is known to stimulate metabolism for certain period of time but is still not yet linked to burn fatty tissue.

"Crash Diet" A Dangerous Weight Loss Plan

Crash Diets or the Yoyo Diets

In trying to lose weight fast, a lot of people sort to “crash diets” or sometimes called as the “yo-yo diets.” This kind of diet plan forces you to drastically cut down on your calorie intake. This is not a good option when you want a long-term diet plan since it basically encourages you to deprive yourself from food. Can you live with that? Crash diets are dangerous. Its effect doesn’t last long since you cannot stand its restrictive approach.

During crash diets, your body slows its metabolism since it receives extremely low amount of calories. Since your body adjusts to its metabolism, it now burns fewer calories to supply the energy need of your bodily actions. If this continues, you are likely to get fat easily when you eat a little more after your diet. Your body’s metabolism stays slow for few months or even years even after your crash diet since you conditioned it to burn fewer calories.

So, before you get carried away by some unreliable testimonials that you find in the net or watch on television, read the consequences of this diet on the succeeding pages.

Health Risks of Crash Diets

Depriving yourself from food like what crash diets aim to teach you can cause life threatening ailments. These ailments can be long-term or short term.

Mental Health Problems

Crash diets are extremely hard on you both physically and emotionally. Aside from causing severe food cravings, you also get frequent mood swing. Crash dieting also makes you more irritable and depressed. This type of diet plan is also associated to developing mental problems like anorexia and bulimia.

Nutrition and Vitamins Deficiency

Because of the nature of this diet, you will not be able to get the right amount of vitamins and nutrients needed by your body. This results to malnutrition and some vitamin deficiencies like:

• Anemia or iron deficiency
• vitamin B12 deficiency
• potassium and sodium deficiency

These side effects caused by crash diets may lead to serious health problems. Anemia or iron deficiency can cause damaging effects to your heart due to lack of healthy red blood cells. You also get easily tired even with light physical activities since there is not enough oxygen getting into your blood. Deficiency in potassium and sodium may cause high blood pressure or worse heart attacks.

Organ Damage

Extreme low amount of calorie intake as proposed by crash diets lead to serious damage to your vital organs such as the heart, kidney, liver and pancreas. This is due to the reason that when your body needs energy to function and there is not enough, it actually burns the muscle tissues that make up these organs.

Osteoporosis

Since you deprive yourself from nutrients, you tend to get inadequate amount of calcium which is essential to your bones. This leads to osteoporosis, a bone disease that cause it to be brittle and prone to breakage. There are cases of crash dieters that experience bone injuries on hips and wrists due to osteoporosis.

Weight Loss Mistakes

1. Avoid doing the strictest diet you can find.
Due to desperation, a lot of people follow a super-strict diet, which eventually and usually leads to failure. Don't rush and push yourself in following any diet that may be too strict for you. If you are just starting a regimen and you do not have any dieting experience, choose a simpler one, MODERATION of food intake and follow the ten simple truths about weight loss. You can be sure that you’re doing a safe and effective weight loss plan. It is better if you just eat 4 - 6 small meals a day so you won't deprive yourself from nutrients. However, make sure that you eat only when you're hungry or have an interval of at least 2-3 hours in every meal.

2. Avoid calorie-counting.
We know that cutting down on calorie intake is one of the foundations of all diet plans, but be cautious about it. Cutting down on too much calories and our body will start storing anything it possibly can. This is not a good idea losing weight.

3. Avoid skipping meals.
Many people have a wrong notion about dieting. If one wants to lose pounds and inches, one must eat the right food and not starving yourself. Like what is reiterated above, have 4 small meals a day.

4. Be Realistic.
Come on be realistic! Things just don’t happen over night. If you want to meet your goal, start small, but be ready to go far. If you hear someone saying that he lost huge number of pounds in a short period of time, don't pressure yourself to match his performance. Diet results differ from one person to another.

5. Avoid rushing to the gym every day.
Some hit the gym every day due to excitement, but hey, this won't help you at all. Your body needs time to heal and expand the muscles after each work-out and frequent visit to the gym every day interferes with this natural process. A straight seven days of non-stop training could not offset your ten or twenty years of static, couch potato lifestyle anyway. Better to walk those pounds off. Walking is still the simplest and one of the most effective ways to lose weight.

6. Avoid frequent/daily weight checks.
Yes, you are eager to see the results of your efforts in the form of pounds lost, but you should not let this enthusiasm leads you to checking your weight everyday. You might get depressed because of the daily fluctuations of our weight which might lead you to quit dieting. Patience is always good! It takes one pound at a time and in few days time; you’ll see how the scale drops pounds and pounds each day or week.

7. Do not rely so much in your own willpower.
You should know how much calorie we actually need. Educate yourself with the proper food to eat. If you have to be reminded often, post your meal plan or menus on the fridge. Willpower is not enough to meet your goal, you need to do something!

8. Do not let emotions interfere your diet goals.
Deal with your stress, boredom, frustrations and anger. Don’t let these emotions get in between you and your goal. Besides, ice cream and cakes are not the solutions to these emotional hang-ups.

9. Ask for help.
Ask friend or professionals about proper weight lost management. Don’t hesitate to get advice from them since not everyone is born with an iron will and the nerves of steel.

10. Do not deprive yourself of your favorite foods.
There’s nothing wrong to treat yourself with your favorite ice cream or pie. But of course, this should not become an indulgent. Remember that diets are ways of food control; thus it should not hold you hostage. You may eat every now and then but make sure to consume less than your usual serving.

Foods To Avoid In Weight Loss

PIZZA
Most commercial and restaurant pizzas are packed with outrageous amounts of calories, fat, and salt which makes it as one of those foods at the top of the "junk food" food chain. Isn’t that enough reason to forget pizza?

FRENCH FRIES
You must avoid eating French fries, because potatoes, like rice and pasta have too much calorie plus the oil used to cook it makes it “calorie-packed.” French fries are not vegetables; they contain extremely high in fat and have tiny amount of nutrients. So, please, never eat FRIES.

POTATO CHIPS
Even if it says “Low Cal,” potato chips should never be part of your meal. Again, potato chips are made from potatoes; hence they are a sure source of fat. More so, potato chips are seasoned with too much salt which makes it more fattening. Remember, any food which is made of potato can make you fat.

ANYTHING FRIED OR BREADED
You are sure that the skinless chicken breasts and the lean meat in your fridge are healthy; however cooking them in a wrong way is also a sure bad choice. Any fried food is already a huge source of fat, how much more if they are breaded? If you do not want to super size yourself, it’s best to make a clean break with fried or breaded foods.

SWEET BREAKFAST CEREALS
Sure, cereals are a good source of fiber. But not all cereals are created equally, some are considered healthy, and some are not. Cereals are supposed to be healthy, however, if they are sweetened or flavored; then they just become a good source of high calorie and fat. You must be wise on what kind of cereal you should have for breakfast. You need to choose the ones that are made with whole grains

REGULAR SODA
You can drink soda, iced tea or coffee as much as you like as long as they contain 10 calories or less per glass. That is why a regular soda is a NO to dieting. If you cannot resist drinking soda, you need to choose the diet ones.

CAKE AND DESSERTS
Any food that is sweet is a major cause of weight gain. Even if they are “fat free” cakes and desserts, they can stuff your body with too much calories. If possible, replace cakes and other desserts with fresh fruits. Remember that “sugar means calories;” if you eat food with lots of sugar then you are actually eating numerous calories.

ANY KIND OF CHOCOLATE
Any kind of chocolates even if they are “fat-free” is causes of gain weight. This is due to the “sugar” content of these sweets. Milk chocolate especially is very high in calories, fat and sugar. You should always bear in mind that chocolate is energy bundled food and regular or excessive eating results in weight gain.

TOO MUCH BREAD
Bread is a general no-no for weight loss because most bread in the supermarket is made with white or enriched flour which is calorie-packed. White fluffy breads, baguettes or croissants are truly mouth-watering however they can also make you fat. You may opt to buy breads that list whole grains like "whole wheat" or "whole rye" as the first ingredient. Whole grains provide the fiber and healthy nutritional content you are looking for. Furthermore, serving size is another consideration when you're comparing labels. Usually bread companies show two or three slices of bread as a serving in order to increase the fiber or nutritional content of their products. When that is the case, you are now eating two or three times the fat, sugar, salt or other bread content than you think you're eating. Your comparisons should be equal - slice for slice. Remember that whenever, you eat too much of the ordinary bread (you find in groceries) you are turning your body into a fat manufacturing machine!

DELI MEATS
SODIUM and FAT are high on these commercially-available deli meats. Some may even contain sugar depending on how it is prepared. As much as possible, avoid meats that have high fat content suck as hams and salamis. If eating deli meats, however, is your only option, stick to lean and low-fat meats such as chicken and turkey.