Have you ever had the uncomfortable feeling that you were stuck in your weight loss efforts? Plateaus happen when you are doing everything right and the scale does not budge.
An amazing thing happens when we get stuck in a plateau: we tend to give up and stop taking care of ourselves. Are you scared that for all if your hard work nothing will go right and you will send up at square one? Does that feeling alone hold you back from giving 100% of your effort to your weight loss program? Let’s give you hope and strategize your next steps.
But first, let’s assess what we currently do.
Do we:
- cry and eat bon bons
- stop exercising and get lazy
- feel like we are too old “for this”
Or do we get back in the game? It seems like there is more to heath and fitness that meets the eye. We need to get acquainted with such ways to improve our metabolism and reduce inflammation. Another key factor is to heal the adrenals while moving the fat burning factor into full gear.
Are you needing more information? Do you feel like you need accountability in trying new things for weightloss? Are you serious about losing weight but scared that if you don’t get results soon that you will actually throw in the towel and give up?
The answers to getting over the hump lie in a few factors: hydration, rest/recovery, balancing out the emotions and mixing up your fitness program. You have an amazing system called a body. Chances are you are doing what most women do: cut out carbs, reduce calories, drink coffee and energy drinks, along with having too much stress. Did you know that some simple shifts will truly change your body chemistry and reduce the issues you are facing? Let’s look at more details on all of this.
Step one is to drink a minimum of 8 glasses or bottles of water a day up to an entire gallon. You will have to use the toilet alot, which is ideal for getting the weight off. Most of us are walking around dehydrated and that helps us to swell with inflammation. Furthermore being dehydrated makes our metabolism slow down and keeps waste in our bodies. A great hydration program will produce wonders for your outcome.
Step two is reviewing the amount of sleep you are getting and assess what that looks like. Are you spending hours on social media? Do you see that your media consumption is steeling from your sleep and even causing you to not rest deeply? Did you know that there is such thing as “white light” and that means that your eyes believe the sun is still up? Ideally you should get between 7-9 hours of sleep every night and turn off all digital devices an hour in advance. That way you can really get the recovery sleep that will help with recovery and fat loss. You might think this idea is crazy, I mean “who really sleeps that much?”, and who stays off their devices prior to going to sleep? I once hired a trainer and she put me on stage for my 39th birthday. She had me sleep 9-10 hours a night and as a result my body was ripped! Definitely look into this strategy to get the extra weight off.
Adding to these strategies is balancing out your emotions. Did you know that by using your emotional state as balanced as possible you can navigate your weight loss efforts better? You need to really dig into this one. Many of our family members and friends are overweight and we are learning how to love them and cater to them while we navigate our new weight loss journey. Sometimes they don’t support your efforts or they are plain jealous. You will also have to contend with having bad days of your own, realizing the energy dips and shifts along with muscle soreness. Sometimes you will feel like you have hit an emotional plateau and that might surprise you. I can teach you how to deal with codependent behaviors in others and how to stay on your path. I can also show you what I did to lose 60 pounds and 10 dress sizes by limiting my exposure to toxic family and friends. In doing so I eliminated severe jealousy and insecurities that were not my own. It was tough to do but definitely worth it! Want me to walk you through some of those activities and exercises? Email me at nissa@nissasalasfitness@gmail.com.
Finally, it is beneficial to mix up your exercise program from time to time. Fitness progress happens when you incorporate the warm up, appropriate stretches, resistance training (weight lifting or body weight training), flexibility and cardiovascular exercise. The best thing you can do for your body is to surprise it. You would do great to hire a reputable trainer that is certified in NASM. Reach out to me and I can share details about what to look for in a reputable program or trainer. I believe in you and can’t wait for your success!