With any weight loss plan, you are really gung ho the first couple of weeks and then it becomes harder and harder to stick with it. Life has a way of creeping in on your rigid eating plan and it is really hard to say no to a pizza dinner at the end of a long work week. Add to that co-workers who won't stop bringing in donuts and cake (you know who you are) and temptation is around every corner.
Of the seven of us participating, almost all of us have plateaued in the last two weeks. It is really hard to stay motivated when you aren't losing weight. I know that even with myself, there have been some intense pep talks so I didn't dive face first into a bag of Valentine's day candy.
In the spirit of keeping everyone motivated to lose more weight, here are some weight loss tips from the Mayo Clinic on how to get past a weight loss plateau:
- Reassess your habits. Look back at your food and activity records. Make sure you haven't loosened the rules, letting yourself get by with larger portions or less exercise. One study found that off-and-on loosening of rules contributed to plateaus.
- Cut more calories. Further cut your daily calories by 200 — provided this doesn't put you below 1,200 calories. Fewer than 1,200 calories a day may not be enough to keep you from constant hunger, which increases your risk of overeating.
- Rev up your workout. Increase the amount of time you exercise by 15 to 30 minutes and possibly the intensity of your exercise to burn more calories. Adding exercises such as weightlifting to increase your muscle mass will help you burn more calories.
- Pack more activity into your day. Think outside the gym. Increase your general physical activity throughout the day by walking more and using your car less, or try doing more yardwork or vigorous spring cleaning.
