Well, it happened. Already. I thought I’d make more progress before it happened, but it seems that I’ve hit the weight-loss plateau. It’s one of those inevitable downsides to deciding to lose weight, and when it happens, a lot of people get frustrated and give up. It’s hard not to.
The good news is, plateaus can be overcome. It’s going to take some changes that I’m not thrilled about, and now that my clothes fit again (whew!), the motivation is a little more difficult to come by. But it’ll be worth it to reach my goal.
I already know that the toughest spots for me are evenings and weekends. There’s a lot more temptation to eat more and move less. To help me with this, the first thing I’ve done is reset my daily calorie intake goal on My Fitness Pal to about 150 fewer calories than it’s been set for. This drops it pretty darn low, but the more I exercise, the more leeway I have.
And, since I like to eat, the leeway will be important, which will help get my ass in gear. Here’s the plan:
- More yard work. Sun therapy, dirt therapy, accomplishment, and extra calories burned – what’s not to like?
- Run, run, run. OK, so this is probably more like jog and wheeze, but it’ll get better.
- Play with the puppies. In a few days, I’ll have not one, but two active little puppies that also need their exercise, and I’m happy to accommodate.
- Hike! It’s been far too long since I’ve done this, and I miss it terribly. And the puppies will love it!
- Pump iron. Overall, I’m feeling pretty damn good on the strength training, but when people lose weight, some of that includes muscle loss. Since muscle burns more calories, it’s time to build that muscle again.
The plan so far is based almost entirely around physical activity, which is only a small part of the equation. I’m still chewing on what part of my diet needs improved (bad pun, I know). I have made some good changes already, though, which I think are helpful. The nutrition part is definitely more challenging for me than the physical activity – like I said, I like to eat – so this will have to happen in baby steps with one small change at a time.
So yes, I’ve hit a plateau, I’m far from my goal, and changes are needed. Changes are uncomfortable and they’re challenging, but it’ll be worth it. I’m so familiar with the feeling of giving up that getting past this plateau will be almost as great of an accomplishment as actually reaching my goal.
With that, happy Friday, and cheers to not giving up!
Badass Is the New Skinny 