Chewing the Fat on Skinny: Rut Busters

Over the past few weeks several people have asked me what they can do to break through their weight loss plateaus- so guys and gals- this one’s for you.

The only thing more frustrating than a gain during the weight loss process is the scale being stuck at the same number week after week. I’ve experienced plateaus for weeks, even months and it is maddening! As a former Weight Watchers leader I saw members quit when the scale stopped moving in the right direction. It was the WORST to see people make such progress only to give up, and I totally get it.

Here are a few ways to bust through your rut when the going gets tough.

1- Read the labels. This may seem obvious…however…take a moment to look at more than the fat and calories in the foods you are eating. Food manufacturers are sneaky; they add sugar to low fat and non- fat products to make them taste better. Look for foods that are lower in sugar and higher in fiber. Look at the ingredients, if you can’t read or pronounce them, consider an alternative. The less processed the better. My daughter brought home some veggie chips the other day. They had just as much fat and calories as regular chips and had no added nutritional value, don’t be tricked by business.

2- Patrol your portions. Speaking of labels, are you paying attention to the recommended portion size? When was the last time you weighed or measured your food or beverage? I know, I know- weighing and measuring can be a drag- you don’t have to do it all the time but it’s good to check in every once in a while to see how you measure up (pun intended). Sometimes those one cup portions slip to one and ½ cups. Those innocent little slips can add up throughout the day and you don’t even know you’re self-sabotaging. If you’re not weighing and measuring your portions, take a week to do so and be honest about how you’re doing.

3- Take a look at your liquid intake. For years I was a Coke drinker, a total waste of calories (but tasted so bubbly and refreshing-aaaah). I weaned myself off of the Coke to water; it took me almost a year. I’m glad I skipped over the diet soda routine. There’s a lot of research showing that the artificial sweeteners in diet drinks can trigger the same sugar craving in the brain that real sugar triggers. Do yourself a favor and ditch the diet drinks. If I can rehab my coke (a-cola) habit, you can too. How’s your water intake? Water’s not only good for our bodies; it’s a great filler too. I drink a bottle of water before social events so I don’t show up ravenous (I eat a healthy snack too). In the evenings if I’m still hungry I’ll drink a bottle of water first. Often I find I’m not hungry, I’m just bored, thirsty, stressed <fill in your blank here>.

4- Shake up your fitness routine. When is the last time you changed up your routine? A while back my husband and I realized we were doing the same 3 mile per hour walk in the evenings. Our bodies became accustomed to that activity. We made a few changes to shake things up. When we walked the YMCA track, we did the stairs after a few laps. When we walked in the neighborhood, we did curb step ups. Walk for a little while and then turn and face the curb, step up and down for a minute and then continue walking. Sure, your neighbor might think you’re a lunatic, but it’s getting your heart rate up. Some people are reluctant to introduce strength training into their routines because it doesn’t burn as many calories as cardio. However, muscle tissue burns more calories than fat, so pick up a pair of weights and give it a go. Maybe start out by doing some basic strength training during TV commercials? Think about a new activity you can try this week and make sure it’s something you enjoy; you’ll be more inclined to stick with it.

5- If you bite it, write it. If you drink it, ink it. I must give credit to a former Weight Watchers leader Ann Marie for that clever saying. How many times have you gotten to the end of the day and truly cannot remember what you ate or drank? It happens to me often. My mind is whirling with so many thoughts and “to do’s” I can’t even remember what I had for breakfast. Writing down what we eat and drink, either in paper form or an electronic tracker serves a few purposes. It forces us to take a hard look at what we’re consuming and provides insights into why we did or why we did not lose weight that week. It helps reinforce the good food choices we make while hopefully helping us to think twice about the less than wise choices. Please don’t use time as an excuse to tracking what you’re consuming; it only takes a few minutes a day. I really like to pre-track my entire day in the morning or the night before. When I pre-track I’m more inclined to stay on track and be intentional about my choices.

6- What’s your why? The weight loss journey is long and hard. Like baby fit hard. Like I’m so tired and frustrated I want to throw myself on the floor and have myself a little baby fit hard. Right? It’s important to re-evaluate when we are stuck. What is your why? Why did you start your weight loss journey to begin with? Has your goal changed? Is it even important to you anymore? Why? Does it need to be modified based on your current life circumstance? What will it look and feel like to reach your goal?

Wherever you are in your weight loss journey, I am begging you- DO NOT QUIT!!! You might be stuck but you are one step ahead of the person who quit.