Plateau

     Have you ever hit a plateau while you are dieting?  Come on, tell the truth!  We have all been there!  I was there and was stuck forever!  However, my husband just kept saying don't give up, keep doing what you are doing and while I love his support I couldn't keep doing the same thing. Something had to change so I could get off of this maddening plateau.  To understand how to get off the plateau, it helps to know why it happens.

     1. You aren't getting enough water.  Your body is made up of  70% water give or take, since men and woman and children are different.  When we don't drink enough, our kidneys don't work as they should so the body turns to the liver for added support.  (Aren't our bodies amazing?)  Now because the liver is having to over compensate, it hangs onto the fat and so you don't lose.

     2. You aren't eating enough protein.  How much protein do we need?  A lot less than you might think.  10-35% of a day's calories should be from protein.  That's about 46 grams of protein for woman and 56 for men.  This is according to the CDC.

     3. You are sitting at your desk all day.  Have you noticed that most of our jobs are sitting behind a desk, and when we get home from work we are too tired to do anything else so we sit and watch TV? Experts say that if this is the kind of job you have, set a timer and get up at least every hour and move around.

     4.  When you work out, do you eat more?  Have you ever gone to the gym and then go out to eat only to undo all that you just did?  Also when you work out, your muscles get sore, and you aren't drinking enough so that causes water retention.

     5.  Stress!  Do I need to say more?  Yes.  When you get stressed you get the munchies and to comfort yourself you eat.  Well maybe you don't, BUT I DO!  Getting better though.

     6.  Scale madness.  Some of us seem so obsessed with that scale.

     7.  Fast food.  While it tastes so good it contains a ton of sodium and added sugars that we don't need.

     Recently I joined a challenge with some friends of mine.  I decided that I was going to give it my all.  I would drink enough water.  I actually drink 1/2 my body ounces in water.  That's a LOT!  Can I just say that I'm in the bathroom all day long!  That's good right?  Also because of all the fiber I'm getting, I'm no longer backed up.  (If you know what I mean) lol.

     With eating a whole foods plant based diet, I'm getting enough protein.  Maybe more than I should.  What I do is I eat only until I'm full, and only eat when I'm hungry.  Eating this way gives me a lot more freedom as I don't count calories.

     I don't sit behind a desk which is nice.  I'm a Medical Assistant, and I get lots of exercise and I try to get in at least 30 minutes a day.  I eat before I go to the gym, that way I don't starve and eat more when I get home.  If I am a bit hungry I pick a healthy snack like a piece of fruit or veggies and hummus.  My favorite.

     Stress is a tough one.  I have heard a lot of good things about meditation, but I need to look more into that one.

     We won't even talk about the scale.  Once a week people.

     One thing that I have done that has seemed to help is having the right kinds of foods around that I can eat.  I don't buy junk anymore and I cook large batches of rice and potatoes so that I can grab something in a hurry that will satisfy me and help me to feel full.

     Since Friday when I weighed in, and now and today being Wednesday I have lost 6 pounds.  I really increased my water intake.  Hopefully I will be off of this plateau for a while until it happens again and then I will have to readjust again.