The Dreaded Plateau

Oh yes. It has arrived. That week (or two weeks) when the scale lies and tells us that the work we have been doing each day doesn't matter. Well, as frustrating as the plateau is, I have decided to take away it's power. My problem with each diet that I've been on, my entire life, is that I didn't believe that anything matters but the number on the scale. And if the numbers weren't changing, I considered my diet a failure and went back to my old habits.

Now I believe that there is a much bigger picture. There are so many things besides weight loss to be thankful for. My energy level, the decrease of toxic crap in my body, the knowledge that I'm doing the right and healthy thing, the joy I get from seeing my children making healthy choices because of MY example... all of these things matter more to me than ever before.

That said...this f***ing plateau is a b****h, and I hate her.

So, what do we do? First off, make sure you have been eating ENOUGH calories. Your body needs enough calories to know that it's not starving. IF you aren't eating enough, your body fights even harder to keep the fat on...thinks you'll need it to keep you alive and warm this winter. I have found that taking a day where I eat a little more than I have been (200-300 calories worth) is enough to remind my body that we live in the land of plenty and to stop worrying already. And THEN... ramp it up. Change the intensity and/or the length of your exercise. Do something new that you haven't done before. Challenge yourself.

That is what I will be doing this week. I have been slacking at the gym, because I was BORED OUT OF MY MIND with the circuit and elliptical at Renew. So, last night I joined Juniper to take advantage of the many classes they offer and immediately went to a great yoga class which has made my arms feel like limp noodles all day today. Yay!! This morning I bought 3 new workout DVDs, guaranteed to kick my ass into fat-burning mode! If you are just starting out, I cannot recommend highly enough Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. It's awesome, makes your whole body hurt and only takes about 20 minutes. And it's only $7.49 on Amazon. Just do it!!! And keep doing it!! You will feel stronger and more in shape so quickly. Trust me on this.

What are you going to do this week to push yourself?