Don't listen! Keep pressing toward the mark! You will be rewarded for your faithfulness!
I have a few tips that have been gathered from my own research and that have been given to me by a friend who is a nurse with weight loss patients. Many of these you may already know or be applying, but it is good to have a reminder. These things have helped me to push through those plateaus.
1. Make sure you get plenty of sugar free fluids everyday. If you are struggling with your daily water intake, you can add crystal light or some other kind of calorie free flavoring to at least help you get use to drinking the correct amount. The recommended amount for weight loss is half of your body weight in ounces per day. I am visual. I needed to SEE it in order to drink it in the beginning. I placed the amount of required water bottles on the counter each morning. I knew that I had to be half way through by midday. If I wasn't, I was behind. This helped me to be more accountable. If your kids are anything like mine, they WILL tell you that you are behind!
2. Make sure you are having a bowel movement on a regular basis. At least one a day, preferably two. Aim for no less that 30 grams of fiber everyday.
3. NEVER skip breakfast!! Think high protein. I like to eat Greek yogurt with some fruit and granola. One cup of my store brand has 19 grams of protein. I add half a cup of granola that has 10 grams of protein. BOOM 29 grams of protein that tastes amazing! I even layer it in a pretty clear glass to make me feel like I am eating a fancy parfait. If I am in a rush, I drink a protein shake or eat a protein bar or a boiled egg (I boil these on Sunday and have them in the fridge.) and a piece of whole grain toast in order to jump start my metabolism every day.
4. Do not graze/snack between meals. Every calorie counts.
5. Use an app like my fitness pal to track your calories. I love that it will tell me how many I should eat based on how much weight I won't to lose and my body size.
6. Measure in addition to weighing at least once a week. (Something we already do in this challenge.) Don't do any more than that or you will get discouraged. Pick the same time and day every week. We all fluctuate a few pounds of fluid every day.
7. If you are not taking a probiotic, START! If you are, increase your daily amount.
8. Get enough sleep.
9. Cut back on refined carbohydrates and focus on a diet high in lean protein, complex carbs, and lot of fruits and veggies. Most dietitians recommend getting at least 60 grams of protein a day (80 for men) and no more than 45 grams of carbs per day when you are trying to lose weight.
10. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.
11. Make a rule not to have any calories after 8pm-earlier if you are able.
12. Move MORE! Start increasing your exercising slowly. Don't forget to lift some weight/tone your muscles. The more muscle mass you have the more calories your body will burn. It doesn't have to be heavy weight either. Just some small 5-10 pound weights will get the job done.
13. Read others stories and be encouraged and motivated by them. I love this group for that! Right now I am also enjoying this blog, Overweight...AND OVER IT!
Still crunching with you!
Rachel
Ok, so last year, I hit a plateau. I was 18 pounds weight-loss and wasn't moving. After reading an article on tricking metabolism (I wish I saved it, but didn't), I did something ridiculous and took one week off - no exercise and no counting calories. I didn't go crazy, but I ate a bit more than usual. Then, after that week, I hit it hard again with exercise and strict calorie intake. It worked! I began losing again. I don't know if my body just needed a rest, or if my metabolism really did reset itself during that week. If nothing else worked, I'd try it again.
ReplyDelete~FringeGirl
I have done that before also. I should have put that on the list! It's like giving the body a reboot. It works!
ReplyDeleteYeah, been here. Great tips and what I like is that now they are all in one place. We gotta keep at this.
ReplyDelete