Diet & Fitness 

Advertisement

Break free from your weight loss plateau: Part 1

continued from page 1

3. Ask for help: Social support from a partner, slimming group, friend or website can provide essential help and emotional encouragement. And statistics show that people who have a support system tend to lose weight and keep it off, as they can share their diet ups and downs with others.

4. Get real: Are you trying to lose too much weight or shed the pounds too quickly? If so, your goals may be unrealistic. Dieters tend to lose most of their weight in the first few weeks, although most of this is water. After losing this initial weight, people tend to lose one pound a week on average, which is still considered good progress (even a few pounds a month is good). To put matters into perspective, one pound of body fat is equivalent to 500 calories, so to lose two pounds means cutting out 1000 calories, which is no small amount. Remember, you didn't put the weight on overnight, so you can't expect to take it off instantly either.

5. Look beyond your diet: Are there other factors getting in the way of your weight loss efforts? For example, stress might be bringing up inner feelings and needs that are sabotaging your eating plan. Go back to your food diary and jot down the thoughts and feelings that make you want to eat, or use your social support network to talk about the emotional connection between food and mood.

6. Be prepared: Always eat breakfast so you don't start the day feeling hungry, and make sure your environment complements your diet. This might mean taking smart snacks to work with you or filling your fridge with healthy foods so you're not tempted to eat things that might sabotage your diet.

7. Keep it varied: Some people find it easier to follow a monotonous, structured diet as there is little room to stray. However, others need variety to stay true to a plan. If you get bored easily, try looking at websites and books for new and interesting recipe ideas so you don't feel your diet is too tedious or depriving.

8. Eat little and often: Eating small meals frequently can help regulate your blood sugar and appetite. Also, as your body expends energy when digesting food, eating several mini meals a day can help boost your metabolism. Drinking water can also help fill you up and regulate your appetite. It's important to be sure you are getting enough water since many people can mistake thirst for hunger.

To see how you can change your fitness routine to break through your weight loss plateau, check out Part 2 of our series.

  Related Links

• Diet & Fitness Home

iVillage TV - Diet & Fitness

View video in larger player

RATE IT

Delicious     Digg     reddit     Facebook     StumbleUpon

  Get the latest iVillage news on your desktop    Sign up for more iVillage RSS feeds

© iVillage Limited 2000-2008. All rights reserved. | © iVillage inc. 1995-2008. All rights reserved.
iVillage Ltd is a UK company registered in England & Wales (3837269) at 80-110 New Oxford Street, London WC1 1HB