As I sit here in the middle of a plateau and letting it play that typical head game with me I started taking a hard look at why and formulating a plan. I figured why not write a blog post about it. I'm not the only one to deal with these. So here I am.
So without any question Plateaus SUCK! You've been working along, making progress, then for some reason your weight loss seems to stall (and while I'm referring to weight loss plateaus I am sure this can apply to stagnating results in many life areas).
These little slow downs or full out stalls in your progress can really mess with your head. You may be thinking that this is where I should stick at, you may be thinking well why am I trying so hard I'm going to quit, or maybe you actually get a little depressed about it and turn to some comfort foods. Scouts honour I've done it all. Many times my reaction throws all logic about it out the window and I feel like throwing my hands in the air. I know I should know better too, but hey, we are ALL human.
Here is my personal predicament. Before Christmas I hit 149 and was SUPER excited about it. Between then and now I have actually gained 8 lbs. Which honestly isn't much. Also that 157 can be predominantly assumed to be muscle gain. I WAS doing the P90X3 mass schedule after all. I wasn't expecting the scale to drop in the first place.
However, I have now switched to a different program and the last few weeks have found myself stuck at that 157 mark. It has been suggested that perhaps this is my mark, but I don't buy it. I did hit 149 before, my goal is 145 and I know for a fact that I can definitely lose some flub in very specific ares (like my butt and thighs).
So lets talk about some of those plateau logistics shall we. Like what causes a plateau? Well, hard to say. They can happen for a variety of reasons. Here are a few:
1. You are trying to lose those last 5-10 lbs. This is different than weight loss at a heavier level. The body doesn't quite respond the same way. If you are already at a healthy weight the body doesn't necessarily want or need to lose them. I have seen these referred to as "vanity pounds".
2. You are losing fat but adding muscle. It is all balancing out really. This is where it is important to look at progress pictures and measurements. Just because the scale isn't telling you what you want to see doesn't mean that things aren't happening.
3. You are eating too little. If you have been following a calorie deficit it is actually possible to eat too little. Sometimes the body gets protective about it's fat stores if it is worrying that it isn't going to actually be fed. Your metabolism may have slowed down and isn't as effective.
4. You are eating too much. This happens a lot and has to do with what I could call complacency. You just kind of get used to what you are doing, not measuring as much, not tracking as well, not as consistent, getting bored.
5. Your body has reached a particular fitness level and won't progress until you ramp it up. The body adapts to exercise and just won't go further if you just keep doing the same thing. There is also muscle memory. You just aren't challenging your body. Change things up. Challenge yourself.
6. Are your actually tracking? Keeping a running tally in your head isn't enough. How many workouts a week are you nailing? Did you start out at 6 a week and now down to only two or three? Start tracking and you may find out exactly where this plateau is coming from.
7. Are you putting to much pressure on yourself? Is it really a plateau or have you just had a few off weeks? I can honestly say I have never had a gain where I didn't know it was coming, lol.
8. Stress and Sleep. These are SUPER important. Even if your diet and fitness are on point if you aren't getting enough sleep or you are stressed more than usual you need to dial things back in both those areas.
9. You may have a hormonal imbalance or some other type of medical issue that is affecting your weight loss. Thyroid issues and PCOS come to mind. If you have exhausted ALL other options and still are not seeing progress it is time to hit up your doctor.
My biggest take away from all this?
YOU HAVE TO BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF!!
Ask yourself questions like are you letting all this go to your head and restricting too much? What are my goals? Have I looked at other means of measuring progress? Have you gotten quite frankly a little lazy on the nutrition side of things and those portions are creeping up and having a little too many treats/treat meals? Is it time to move out of that comfort zone and push a little harder in your workout?
A) Here is my personal assessment. First off, my nutrition has been ALL over the place. I find best results when I hang out at an 80/20 balance. Recently I've been probably more of a 50/50. I haven't been tracking since about September/October so quite frankly it is a miracle I haven't gained much more. I have switched over from P90X3 Mass Schedule to the 21 Day Fix which is a calorie deficit. My body is adjusting.
B) Honestly, this past week I was NOT consistent with my containers on the 21 Day Fix. I'm having a personal issue with deciding which category I need to hang out in. I have some experimenting to do. I'm pretty sure my problem isn't eating too few calories, lol. This is also where it doesn't matter what your balance is, you could be eating 100% clean but if your portions are still out of whack you aren't going to see results. I'm kicking my own butt on this one.
C) Vanity pounds? Guilty as charged, lol. It is also an area of weight loss I never really thought I'd find myself in. It requires a slightly different mind set and a little more consistency on my part.
I have been going over in my head the last several months and I have some serious tightening up to do. I'm going to be more consistent with my containers. I'm going to go the next caloric category up and see what that does. I'm also going to try to give a little harder in my workouts. You don't get to that next level without letting go of that comfort zone. I MUST practice what I preach after all.
Above all I hope this has helped you in some way. If you are struggling first of all be honest with yourself, do some tracking, and figure out where your troubles are coming from. Maybe it'll only take a few tweaks to get yourself back on track. Maybe you don't realize how "off" you've gotten. You aren't alone in this struggle. Keep at it, I know we can rock this thing together.
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