What she’s doing now she’s hit a weight loss plateau
I want to share a story about a client of mine who is experiencing a frustrating weight loss plateau,
She has been a great client over the past 9 months. Doing everything I set her, and she has reaped the rewards.
Over the past 9 months she has managed to lose 25 pounds. Which, as I’m sure you’ll agree is a massive achievement.
2 blinking dress sizes, my friend.
Would you like to drop down 2 dress sizes?
However, she is not 100% happy with her results, because she is still chasing the dream….her ideal weight…..she wants to get to a particular weight and she is frustrated that her weight has plateaued.
Although she looks great, she feels amazing, she got caught up on trying to get to a specific weight.
Understandably, she is frustrated by this…….but weight loss plateaus happen. It’s pure physiology. Without boring you with hormones and other science stuff – when you lose weight over a long period of time, your body gets to a point where it says – I’m not losing any more fat.
You see, my chicken wing, your body doesn’t care what you look like. It wants to survive. It wants to keep fat because all fat is, is stored energy.
1- You try to lose weight by eating less and moving more.
2- Body (ie our physiology) is ok with this (for a while), therefore you lose weight.
3- you continue to eat less and move more for a few more weeks and months
4- body begins to think ‘hang on, aren’t we starving ourself? Better stop using this fat, otherwise we won’t survive because we’ll have nowhere to get our energy from’
5- body slows down and eventually stops fat burning. You stop losing weight. (There are ways to overcome this, which will help you lose a more weight, but that’s for another day.)
6- you get annoyed, eat even less food and do more exercise, which only makes situation worse.
7- then you think ‘sod it’ I’m giving up’! And go back to eating the sh** that made you fatter before…
Not very scientific,, but you get the point, right? Bum deal, eh? YOYO City
This is a reason why 90% of people who lose weight, put it back (and more!).
Does this ring a bell?…..
If you understand the following, next time you hit a plateau, you will have a better mindset and not fall into the ‘sod it’ trap and put the weight back on.
What I want you to know (which not a lot of people appreciate), is that there are 2 distinct phases to weight loss. Most people only focus on 1. Phase 1
Phase 1 – the bit where you lose weight over weeks/months (0.5lbs – 2lbs per week)
You will either hit your target and be happy or hit a plateau. At this point (don’t give up) it’s time to move on to phase 2
Phase 2- Maintaining the weight.
Keep the weight within this range and stop focusing on losing weight, but Focus on getting fit and strong and maintaining weight. In addition, over the next few weeks retrain your body to eat more, without putting on weight. (3-6 months)
Then go again
So, I’ve hopefully convinced my client to do this. She is loving being 25 pounds lighter because is gives her such a good feeling, including…..
She now enjoys shopping for clothes, instead of buying clothes to cover the lumps and bumps
She now feels more confident wearing fitted dresses on nights out
Although it’s still hard, she has more energy to better deal with the demands of being a mother and someone who is studying hard and working.
She just got caught up chasing the dream, and forgot about how well she’s done, how great she feels and revelling in her achievements
Happy Health
Daniel Wellard