Hitting the Wall.....and Plowing Through It

Sounds dramatic doesn't it? But hitting the weight loss wall or plateau can be extremely frustrating. I recall a few folks in my WW group who hit the wall and couldn't get passed it for weeks and weeks. One even quit and gave up. DON'T QUIT. You CAN fix it. But I know - it can be so frustrating to feel like you are doing so well, and BAM - the weight loss stops. You haven't cheated, you're still watching what you eat and exercising but the weight isn't coming off. But take heart - if you've really hit the wall, its actually a good thing.

How can it be a good thing, you say?? Pull up a chair. What it means is that your body is adjusting to the new calorie intake and exercise. As you get smaller, your body requires less to function then it did before. So, you have to shake things up. Here are a few suggestions to break thru:

1. Write down what you're eating. I know its annoying, but it WORKS. Just do it for 3 days. You think you are really watching what you eat and how much, but maybe you're not. Do you taste what you cook? Do you eat off your kids plates? Grab a few crackers from the box on the way out the door? I'm telling you, the journaling thing can be VERY enlightening.
2. If you really AREN'T cheating, then maybe you're being too strict on yourself and not eating enough. If you aren't eating enough, your body will tend to store more because it feels starved. Make sure you're eating what you need, listening to Lesleh on the protein too, especially if you're doing alot of exercising/weight training.
3. Another tip if you really aren't cheating. Have something that you are craving - a cheeseburger, or a little ice cream, or whatever. Shake your body up a little. Don't go overboard, obviously, but shake up that metabolism.
4. Add or change your exercise. If you aren't exercising by now, start! If you are exercising, change it up. Increase the time you're doing something or add some hand weight training. Do an exercise DVD a couple of times a week instead of walking. Shock your body a little. Move some different muscles.
5. Make sure you are drinking your water. Seriously.
6. Get enough sleep! I'll be doing a post later this week on sleep deprivation and how it affects weight loss - (thanks for the idea Alison!) Suffice it to say, get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night and your body will thank you. And it will help you lose weight.
7. Think about why you wanted to lose weight to begin with. Write it down. Get copy of a 'before' picture. Keep the list/picture with you in your purse or wallet. Pull it out when you want something you shouldn't have. Taking the time to write things down and reminding yourself can be a great motivator.

We want you to succeed - if anyone has any tips on getting over this speed bump, please share. Here are some of my sources. Check them out for additional tips too. If anyone has any specific questions, please post and we can try to get some answers.

Good luck swimmers!