I hope you are all enjoying your summer. At CMH, we are enjoying a record number of success stories for patients who are meeting or exceeding the weight loss and health goals they set for themselves when they first walked through our doors. This is what gives true meaning to what we do and fuels our passion for helping patients solve their particular mystery of why they have a hard time losing weight and keeping it off. We thank you for persevering and finally learning what it takes to experience successful weight loss.

 

One thing that is inevitable during your weight loss journey is a weight loss plateau. This is very frustrating and often results in a setback or response such as “why am I working so hard when I am not seeing progress?”  If you don’t understand how to manage a plateau and actually believe that statement, it can be a recipe for disaster! You must not take an expected plateau and turn it into a big relapse or an excuse to abandon all weight loss efforts – Please do not do this!   This is where your individualized counseling sessions, educational classes, fitness classes and Weight Management University at CMH come into play – education is key so you understand what is happening and more importantly – what to do about it. Maximize the use of your CMH resources…that is what we are here for!  

 

Also, if there is a particular topic you would like to see addressed in future podcasts or newsletters, please let us know via e-mail at support@centerformetabolichealth.com, phone 757.873.1880, fax 757.873.1990 or in person the next time you are in the office. Enjoy!

Remember, you are not alone! Join our blog and get free education, information and advice from our experts. We are updating our blog and podcast library every week and welcome your questions, comments and stories. Give it a try today and visit often – you will be happy you did! 

What is a blog or “weblog”? It is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. (Wikipedia) Basically – the CMH blog is great information/online conversation that will help you understand how to lose weight and keep it off – a way to communicate with the CMH weight loss experts. Have fun!

 

We all reach a point in our weight loss efforts where nothing seems to be happening and we can become very frustrated. First of all, you need to know that a weight loss plateau is normal. There are several things to consider besides re-evaluating your exercise and eating plans.

 

We tend to forget that understanding our weight loss personality plays a part in how we deal with a plateau. Recognizing certain traits will help us to put strategies in place and make it easier for us to work through plateaus. If you tend to be impulsive, you might see a tempting food and grab it, so it is important for you to remove temptations. You may be the kind of person that in certain situations, you pay no attention to what you are eating. If sitting in front of the TV has you eating mindlessly, eat at the table instead and don’t snack while watching TV programs. Some of us eat because we are anxious, nervous or depressed. Recognize your emotions and find something you enjoy doing such as listening to music or reading a good book. If you are highly self-directed with a lot of stick-to-it determination, you are going to have an easier time working through plateaus.

 

Keep your weight loss goals in mind and have a vision of success such as lowering blood pressure, getting off medication or wearing that fabulous black dress to an upcoming event. Your mind is a very powerful tool so you need to use it to achieve success.

One of the easiest ways to break out of a weight loss plateau is changing your exercise program. It doesn’t take long for our muscles to get used to a routine – for some, it may take only a month.

 

If you haven’t been exercising – START! This will definitely wake up your sleeping metabolism. To help with the motivation and skill to start (and actually enjoy it) talk to one of the counselors or personal trainers at CMH, start attending our weekly group exercise classes or add on a personal training package to your program. Remember, we specialize in helping you overcome your barriers to weight loss – overcoming your fitness barriers doesn’t have to be difficult – that’s what we are here for!

 

For those who have incorporated exercise into your daily routing – GREAT JOB – it’s just a matter of shaking it up a bit. You can start by changing the frequency in which you work out. Only working out 3 days a week? Push it up to 4 or 5 days a week. If scheduling additional workouts is a problem, another method could include changing the intensity of your training. This means the activity that you have been normally performing may now be too comfortable for you. For example, if you are a walker, you may need to add hills or incorporate a faster pace, or both. Try to push yourself to a new time.

 

Another method of exercise change includes mixing up the type of workout you perform. If you have been routinely a walker, you may add or replace this activity with swimming, a great summertime exercise. This change will allow you to use different muscle groups you did not utilize before. All of these methods will help in reducing physical and mental boredom. Remember – frequency – intensity – type (FIT) will keep you just that - FIT!

 

Weight loss plateaus happen to everyone during the course of their diet. Although plateaus can leave you feeling frustrated and unmotivated, by simply tweaking a few aspects of your plan, you can easily get back on track.

 

Some small changes that can result in big results are:

 

 

Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal;

Nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.
Thomas Jefferson

Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.
Robert Collier

If you don't know where you are going,
you'll end up someplace else.
Yogi Berra