How To Maintain Your Weight Loss Goals And Avoid Plateauing

     If you have tried to lose weight before, you have probably come across the term plateauing. When you plateau it means you have stopped losing weight and you seem "stuck" at your current weight. This isn't to say you can't or shouldn't lose more weight; it just means something isn't working quite right. There are two main reasons for people plateauing. The first reason is they aren't eating enough. It has been said over and over, if you are trying to lose weight, you have to have a healthy diet. Note, I said healthy, not a small diet.

People get so excited when they are losing weight, that they continue doing whatever they can to make an impact on the scale. When the same person would eat half a dozen donuts without blinking, they will now only eat an apple for breakfast. While an apple is healthier than the donuts, the caloric intake is so small, by itself, that it can negatively affect your weight loss, if done over time.

For instance in an episode of the Biggest Loser, one team was eating so little they started plateauing. Their trainer couldn't figure out what the problem was, because he had them working so hard in the gym. After watching a food diary of what they were eating, he noticed they were eating far too little. All in all, after things were said and done, the nutritionists said they could eat almost double what they had eaten for all three of their meals, not including 2 snacks.

It was interesting because all of the foods they ate were very healthy. A homemade breakfast burrito, a salad for lunch, and fish for dinner, but they just didn't get enough food to help their bodies work off the fat. The kicker was they were all very proud of themselves for all the calories they had saved. They thought they did a great job, but their trainer was NOT happy. In the end it was a great lesson for them and for the audiences at home.

Another reason many people plateau is because of the exercise they do. In order to constantly lose weight, you need to constantly change up your routine. Everyday should be or have something different. This doesn't mean you can't work out at home though. You just have to make some variations. If you have a treadmill, it should NOT be the only thing you use. You should also do some kind of weight training, and cardio, such as Pilates, or videos.

The point is to work the whole body out, not just one part. With a treadmill you are going to be running or walking. With an elliptical you are going to use your arms and your legs, by cycling. But you need to switch up the muscles you use as well. Exercise different muscles sets often, and you should be able to avoid plateauing more easily.

The bottom line to being healthy and maintaining weight loss is to watch what you eat, eat enough of the good stuff and exercise your whole body, but separately. It might sound difficult, but once you set out a routine, you will do great.

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