Plateau - a living hell or a time for reflection?

We've all been there, we know what it feels like. No matter what you do, the scale won't move. +-0 for weeks, sometimes even months, or even a weight gain. Usually this is the time where most people give up. Because it's not working! A lot of people give up when they hit their first plateau, others stick through it but then fail after the third of fourth one. It is scientifically proven that it's easiest to give up when you've hit this infamous plateau.

So, you aren't really doing anything horribly wrong and it's not that your body can't lose more weight. Your body has just gotten used to what you're eating and how you're working out. It gets comfortable. There can of course be tons of other reasons. But will you give up when you've gotten this far? Or is this the time when you fight even more?

Of course you shouldn't give up! It's ok get to a plateau. It will happen sooner or later. You can't just lose weight and think it will magically happen quickly and painless. It will hurt, mentally and physically. It's more than likely that your body weight will be a bit of a roller coaster when your body has come to a certain weight where it feels comfortable. It doesn't want to let it go. And it's understandable. But what you must do now, is to shock your body.

Perhaps you can try a different kind of work out? How about dancing? Or maybe lift weights for an hour at the gym if you don't normally do this. It can be anything, as long as it's something new. Do you usually eat cereal for breakfast? Change it to oatmeal with fiber, or if you usually eat apples, switch it to pears. Whatever works for you and whatever will make your body react. If you believe in counting calories, which a lot of us do, then you can try to alter your calories, either up or down, as long as you don't starve yourself.

Worst case scenario, you can continue just the way you are right now and wait for the plateau to pass. You will see numbers again, good numbers. Maybe it'll take a while, just don't give up. It will get better!

It can also be a good time for reflection over your journey. If you want to lose 70 lbs but have "only" lost 7? Think about the fact that you've lost 10% of your goal. And 7 lbs is not little. It's roughly 4 packages of milk or almost a bowling ball! No matter how little you think you have lost: every loss is a victory.