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• Weight Loss Plateau Culprits

  Posted on March 25th, 2010

  What are some of the common culprits that contribute to weight loss plateaus? Some culprits may be obvious like overeating and lack of exercise but there are other culprits out there that may be sabotaging your efforts. But I’m doing everything right and the scale isn’t budging, you say. Well, let’s get personal. What are you doing during the day and at night to relax or decompress? I assure you that the subtleties of weight loss plateaus is what gets us - we just need to be more conscious of them. Read on so you can discern these subtle influences to weight loss plateaus and ways to beat them for good!

  Culprit #1 - TELEVISION

  We know we should keep our kids from the television but how many of us practice the same restraint on a daily basis? According to  recent study done by American Academy on Sleep Medicine, television watching before bedtime negatively impacts your ability to get the proper amount of sleep. Well known author Dr. Pamela Peeke cites in her book “Fight Fat After Forty” that as our hormones (ladies) shift we become prone to sleep difficulties and declining energy. If you’re up watching television, you’ve already cut off critical shut-eye that’s crucial to weight loss.Plus, at night, you’re more vulnerable to snacking as you recline. A cup of cocoa with a few cookies adds up over time. If you’ve hit a plateau, evaluate your television habits and make sure to turn if off 2-3 hours before bedtime. Getting adequate (regular) sleep is the one thing you must do to break out of your plateau. Trust me, exercise without sleep is a waste of time.

  Culprit #2 SHOPPING

  Shopping can also contribute to your weight loss plateau. Let’s say you get caught up in a shopping trip, realize that you’re running late to pick up the kids and decide to grab something quick. That something quick can derail your efforts. Most mall snacks are high carbohydrate, low protein foods. You’ll fill up quickly but be hungry soon afterwards. You can easily add up to a whopping 800 calories to your daily food intake with a pretzel and drink! In  fact, a study presented at the 2009 annual Society for the Study of Ingested Behavior stated that consumption of high-fat, high-suger foods alter your brain receptors. Translation? What you eat can and does have a great impact of your weight loss and in this case, your weight loss plateau. Next time you’re faced with a snack decision, grab some protein (a handful of almonds will do) a glass of water and get outta there!

  In my next weight loss plateau post, I’ll discuss more culprits that can derail your weight loss efforts. In future posts, we’ll delve into the psychology of why the weight won’t come off  and how we stay stuck.  Until next time, don’t give up…your body’s counting on you!

  Posted by valerie