It happens to all of us...the dreaded weight loss plateau.
You're cruising along, ecstatic because you just completed the induction phase of Atkins or the first couple of weeks off of sugar and grains on The Primal Blueprint. It was a miracle you got though those few weeks and made it through the withdrawal symptoms. Maybe you've incorporated exercise, the scale is moving in the right direction and you're feeling great.
Then, dun dun dunnnn...the scale slows way down or even stops. By this point you're weighing yourself every day and going bonkers.
Now what!?
Water
Are you drinking enough water? As you body fat melts away, it needs to be flushed from your system. The best way to get it out is by drinking lots of water.
How much water do you need? This is debatable and I recommend that you listen to your body and experiment to find out what works for you. Some people say stick to the 8 8oz glasses a day. Some people recommend drinking at least half your body weight in water. Some say just listen to your thirst.
For me, the best way to go about water intake is to try and get in 1 gallon of water each day. This is my ideal water intake and it works for me. You may be different. Be careful not to go overboard with your water consumption. You can drink too much!
Metabolism
Everyone's metabolism is different. You may not loose 60lbs in six months like your friend did.
Make sure things like your thyroid and adrenal glands are working properly. Visit your doctor if you feel like something is out of whack. Watch your stress levels as stress can make you retain water and hold on to fat and make sure you're getting enough sleep.
Plan
Are you really eating on plan?
It's really easy for things like diet sodas, artificial sweeteners, low-carb processed products, and extra nuts to sneak into our daily diet. Be diligent about reading labels and make sure you're keeping a log of your food so you can pin point items that may need to be eliminated.
Some foods I've read about that tend to stall weight loss include cream cheese, diet soda, aspartame, and caffeine.
Hormones
I've already mentioned the thyroid and adrenal glands, but another area to look out for are sex hormones. Ladies, you know what I'm talking about. Women need to take into account additional cravings and water retention around the menstrual cycle. If your thyroid and/or adrenal glands are struggling this will also effect your sex hormones. Think of these three sets of hormones as a tripod. If one leg is broken the entire structure goes down. It never hurts to talk to your doctor to make sure everything is working like it should be.
Stick with it!
The most important thing you can do is stick it out. Don't change diets, don't cheat, and don't quit! Think about how long it took you to put on that weight. It's not going to come off in just a few weeks, maybe not even a few months. Let your body heal and you'll breakthrough that weight loss plateau.
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