Push past the plateau

 The scorching Texas temperature is a ceaseless reminder.  Texans keep fingers crossed that the extreme heat will plateau then quickly nose dive back down into the mid 90’s.

Speaking of plateaus, I want to address this real phenomenon that can happen to anyone.  Perhaps you are one of many who hit the weights hard during quarantine.  You put your best foot forward and actively pursued exercise, weight loss and healthy eating with an unshakable zest.  And it worked!  You impulsively embraced the project YOU and to your chagrin your efforts were not in vain.  Your sweat stained and drenched workout clothes now tell a tale of weight gone bye-bye replaced by sustained stamina and a smaller waist.

Then out of the blue, nothing is moving.  You hit a flat line in the change department and you are frustrated.  

You very well may be fed up and ready to quit. You’re teetering on the edge of giving up on this FITness quest. You’re pissed big time because the parade of weight loss has hit a momentary plateau and you feel futility.   RELAX…so what you’re a bit shy of missing the mark.   Listen up sweet pea, I have some real wisdom.   

Losing weight isn’t a perfect graph stair step downward!  Plateaus’ happen and they are perfectly normal. It doesn’t mean the game is over!

All of my favorite active wear, kitchen essentials, and FITness gadgets, casual wear and much more can be found here on the Abercrombie & FITness Amazon Store. 

WHY?  

One reason could be you’re workout or cardio pattern. If you do the same running, walking or biking trails day after day your body knows the routine.  It has to change.  You might need to find a new trail or walking place.  Incorporate hills and unique terrain and mix it up.  You’re not going to like this but run some sprints.  Find an empty parking lot and run lines.  Side shuffle up the road.  If you’re a treadmill junkie try the stair stepper.  In fact run bleachers at the local high school.  

The body adapts to demands. Change your tempo in the weight room.  If you are NOT in a regular habit of weight training, what are you waiting for?  Get hooked into one of my workout sessions or  ZOOM workouts.  

TEMPO

This is where I come in handy because I do the planning for you.  My workouts are designed to change tempo.  Muscles have memory and get use to curls, triceps, chest etc.  It’s important to change up the cadence in these classic exercises.   For instance, start a curl in a slow four count down, and fast up or vice versa.  Small changes or holds can help improve muscle tone and  change the muscle shape.

SETS & REPS

Perhaps you need to change your pattern.  If you only always do three sets of an exercise make it four or five sets.  Or change up the number of reputations you do.  For instance, try 25. reps instead of 15.  Lower the weight or increase the weight and do something DIFFERENT! Incorporate a HIIT Tabata workout on occasion.  SWITCH IT UP!

You might also need an old-fashioned diet check!  In these instances I find a diet journal to be most helpful.  It’s not a huge deal.   Think of it like an MRI.  The journal is going to act as screen shots to focus in on what your missing.    If you have a cell phone simply use the NOTES section on your phone or TEXT yourself.  If you are a writer downer like me…get a pad or notebook and write it down.  What I want you do to is chronicle every single bite of food you consume.  WHY?  Because it will provide a snapshot of your actual legit protein intake. In some cases I find that most folks hit a plateau because they are lax in protein consumption. In laments terms that means you will actually need to incorporate more food…more protein into your diet.  

This whole paragraph just blew your mind and left you bewildered.  Let me repeat myself.  YES, I’m saying that it’s possible your body actually needs more food, more protein to keep doing it’s job and get you to the next level,  I see it all the time.

1. What could be the culprit is lack of food and proper nutrition.  You got all into the whole working out gig.  You started feeling awesome and went full throttle and lost your way with food.  When you began to lose weight, the psycho side of your brain might have lied to you.  I call a this temporary time out similiar to the teenage stupid choice time.  You may have been lead astray with the idea of eating less plus working out equals faster weight loss.   It’s a total farce.  It actually works the opposite way.  The metabolism needs constant fuel to keep burning.  The campfire so to speak needs replenishing to burn as does your body.  Up your protein and burn this mother out!  Remember, you are working out…which means you need more fuel to get through the workouts…not less fuel!
2.  Another possibility is that while your diet is in mint condition your workouts have gone askew.  You have been wrestling with the new way of living in the pandemic and you skipped several the whole month.  Hop back on the horse honey.  Shake off the dust and get back to business.  Be honest with yourself and get over it.  Saddle up up sister!

This was me two Summers back stuck in a rut/ plateau.  I couldn’t get my muscles to shrink wrap, shape up or move an inch.  I was not eating my regualr diet because I had been on vacation traveling and was bloated to beat the band.  I might have skipped some workouts too…I’m only human!

A few week later after working my  FITness program and meal plan like an  “A double plus student,” I was shredded.

You have every right to be pissed at the pleateau.  But…the silver lining is that a plateau is just a flat line, it’s not the end of the world.  You have not hit a back slide baby doll.  At this point you have NOT digressed.  Keep your attention focused on ALL of the positives.  All of the obstables you have overcome prove that your efforts are NOT in vain.

Check out on of my super dee duper client testimonials.  Tiffany is just one of many who have experienced plateaus!!  YES…plural…PLATEAUS!!  Here in the real world with life, work, kids, stress, bills, social activities and such…we even out.  We aren’t on a reality TV show like the BIGGEST LOSER hidden away from life laser focused on weight loss all day long.  But look at what you have accomplished…

inches ⇓

dress size ⇓

weight ⇓

 energy level ⇑⇑⇑⇑

Now that you are back from plateau la la land I want you to first examine and inspect your TRUTHFUL diet journal.  This only works if you are honest!  You should have at least 4 or more big protein sessions a day.  By that I mean one of the six or so snacks or meals should incorporate a major source of protein such as eggs, protein bar, protein shake, grilled piece of fish or meat.  

 

Plateau solved my dear!  You’re welcome.  Now carry on and keep pushing passed the plateau.

If you have another plateau question or concern, ask away.  I’d love to hear form you!

Love, lift and be FIT!

 

 

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