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Weight Watchers

Powering Through Plateaus

Why the Scale is at a Standstill and How to Get it Started Again.

It's a phenomenon familiar to most people who are trying to lose weight: Suddenly the numbers on the scale refuse to budge!  You've hit a weight-loss plateau, and you're wondering what's causing the stall. Is there something you're doing (perhaps unconsciously) to sabotage your own efforts? Or is it an inevitable, physiological part of the weight-loss process? The answer probably lies somewhere in between.

Before you start berating yourself, give yourself a break. Recognize that your weight loss efforts may have relaxed a little.  Then reaffirm your commitment to losing weight, and move forward. Try a new recipe, go back to weighing and measuring your food, or add some jogging intervals to your daily walk. By mixing up your routine, eating and exercise can become fresh and enjoyable again.

Ain't Misbehavin'?

As much as we may not like to believe it, our actions are probably at the root of most weight-loss plateaus. More often than not, plateaus are due to "loosening up." The half-hour walk, seven days a week becomes a 20-minute walk, four days a week.

The Body at Work

Although less-than-faithful adherence to an eating and exercise plan is usually the culprit of a plateau, there are times when something going on within the body is causing the pounds to hang on.

Medical research tells us that approximately one-quarter of the weight we lose is actually lean tissue. Lean-tissue loss means burning fewer calories. While this effect is relatively minor, when combined with other factors, it can contribute to a plateaus.

Because half of the pounds shed in the first few weeks of weight loss are composed of water, people are often fooled into thinking they are reaching a plateau when, in fact, they're really just approaching a normal (read: slower) rate of weight loss.

Five Ways to Tip the Scale

The good news: Whether the cause is behavioral, physiological or both, there are steps you can take to move past a plateau. First, strengthen your resolve to keep losing, then:

1. Increase your Physical Activity - According to experts, this may be the best way to get the weight off. Look for simple ways to get more activity in: Take the family (or the dog) for an afternoon walk. Park the car farther away, or get off the bus a stop or two away from your destination.  Ever tried walking in place while watching the news?  That's an additional 30 minutes of activity!
2. Eat Right and Write - Research has shown that people routinely underestimate the number of calories they consume daily. Keep track of what you eat.
3. Eat Fruits and Vegetables - Fruits and vegetables are loaded with a variety of vitamins and minerals and are typically low in calories. Including them at meal time will help keep you satisfied and contribute to your health.
4. Spice Things Up - Try substituting your turkey on rye with water-packed tuna, mixed with dill and lemon juice on toasted pita bread. This might stimulate your taste buds enough to keep you satisfied.
5. Get Busy - Consider a group activity, attend an opening, just get out more! The less you're in the kitchen, the less tempted you'll be to eat.

So, if you think you've hit a weight loss plateau because all you've lost in the last month is 30 days, you're invited to be a guest at one of Parkpoint's Friday morning Weight Watchers meetings, held every week in Studio B (7:30 a.m. weigh-in; 8:00 a.m. half-hour discussion).  Join Parkpoint's "Great Bunch of Losers;" and we'll be seeing less of you real soon!
 

[Edited for Weight Watchers by Parkpoint Leader Pat Fodor. Meetings held in Studio B every Friday morning: 7:30 a.m. weigh-in; 8:00 a.m. half-hour discussion. Contact Ellie Walker or Stephanie Conway for more information.]