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Last night I was entertaining guests at my home for dinner. Now,
when I'm with friends, I rarely talk about the subject of
health, or metabolic enhancement, or longevity - why? Simply
because I get so passionate about those subjects, and a friendly
dinner is hardly the place for a heated debate over health
matters. But one of my guests was telling me how she had began
exercising for the first time in her life, about 6 months ago,
and she was complaining and complaining about the 'plateau' that
she was currently on.
This is the plateau that's "going to be the one that breaks her
down" as she puts it, because 'everything' she does to try to
break this plateau just fails.
I realize, from personal experience and from working with tens
of thousands of people over the years, that plateaus are a
terrible thing, but there's a solution - and it's usually very
simple. You see, getting yourself off most plateaus require only
1 of 2 things to occur:
Either you must change your "mind-set", or you must add
"variety" to your lifestyle (diet and exercise program) - that's
it, nothing else. That's the plain truth - and the simple
solution. But beware, the word 'simple' doesn't mean that the
journey is going to be 'easy', it just means that there is a
step by step formula to fix the problem.
It's never that easy to get off a plateau, because in order to
get off of a plateau you must make one of those two changes, and
the desire to avoid Change is one of the strongest subconscious
desires that people have.
So here's a step by step formula to get you off of your
plateau... 1. Get clear on your ultimate weight-loss goal. Be
sure that your weight-loss goal is realistic and that your
expected rate of weight loss is reasonable. If you are on a
health enhancing, nutritionally rich weight loss program you can
expect to lose one to two pounds a week. Each body has its own
ideal weight and size. Don't compare yourself to anyone else,
but listen to your body and notice what feels best for you. A
simple way to approximate your ideal weight is by referring to
the Body Mass Index chart found at:
http://www.Body-Mass-Calculator.com
2. Go high-protein, medium to low carbs. Unless you're eating
enough protein to maintain your lean muscle mass, you are likely
to have lost weight already from both your fat stores and
muscle. Women need to eat approximately 100 grams of protein a
day and men 150 grams in order to preserve their muscle tissue
during a weight loss program. If you have lost some muscle
during your weight loss program so far, you need to focus on
protein so your body can build and/or maintain muscle, which
requires more calories to sustain, which in turn, kick starts
your weight loss again.
3. Add resistance training to your program. A wonderful way to
boost your metabolism and break through to the next level of
weight loss is by incorporating aerobic exercise into your
program, such as 30 minutes of walking three to four times a
week. (If you are 35 years or older, or haven't exercised
regularly, begin with 10 to 15 minutes two to three times a
week.) In addition, resistance training weight training with
free weights or machines) several times a week can help increase
muscle strength and density, which in turn allows you to burn
more calories faster. Studies show that weight training can
increase the rate at which your metabolism burns calories almost
overnight by five to 10 percent. Working out can increase your
metabolism for up to 21 hours after an intense workout. An
excellent workout program can be found in The 2 Day Workout -
which is a book that details a basic workout that can be
followed 2 days per week, yet get you faster results than most
of the 4 - 5 day per week workouts. Get a copy now at:
http://www.2DayWorkout.com.
4. Look out for hidden carbohydrates. If your weight loss
progress seems slow, look out for carbohydrates that might be
sneaking their way unnoticed into your diet. Sugar can lurk in
the most unexpected places such as ketchup, salad dressings,
teriyaki and barbecue sauces. Watch out too for cornstarch,
sugar or milk solids in many processed foods such as gravies, or
sauces on frozen vegetables. Be careful of "low-fat" foods where
flavor is enhanced by sugar and other carbohydrates. Try keeping
a diet journal for a couple of days of EVERYTHING you eat and
drink. You may quickly discover the hidden carbs that are
keeping your weight-loss progress stuck and be able to eliminate
them and move past your plateau.
5. Take the "refinement" out of your diet. Try eliminating all
refined sugar and refined grains (like white flour products)
from your diet. This includes white bread, pastries, pasta,
white rice, white flour crackers, sugar-coated breakfast
cereals, cookies and cake. This simple step can encourage a huge
weight-loss breakthrough and leave you feeling more healthy and
energized in the process.
6. Don't go hungry. Cutting back on how often you eat can have a
negative impact on your diet plateau. Many studies show that
small, frequent meals are more satisfying and produce better
weight-loss results than the same number of calories consumed in
three large meals. Take advantage of healthy snacking and crunch
on fresh slices of raw vegetables like celery, peppers, and
cucumber when you're hungry.
7. Drink to burn. It's vitally important to replenish your
fluids by drinking plenty of water on your weight loss program.
An inadequate supply of water in itself can slow down your
weight-loss. Carry water with you wherever you go throughout the
day. For additional weight-management benefits, add a high
quality "greens drink" to your water to help keep your
metabolism healthy. Keeping well hydrated not only helps you
burn fat efficiently, it also helps control hunger. If you need
help finding the best "greens drinks" on the market check out
our regularly updated supplements page at:
http://www.maximizeyourmetabolism.com/supplements.htm.
8. Keep your incentive strong. Remember the determination you
felt when you first began your weight-loss program? Remember the
excitement of watching the pounds drop one by one? Go back to
whatever your initial motivation was and see whether it still
works for you. It may have been the desire to lose weight for a
particular event or to regain your figure after pregnancy. You
may have been motivated by poor health or by the shock of just
how much weight you had gained. See whether the same motivation
still has juice for you. If not, choose a new one. Keep a
picture of yourself looking great (or bad!) on your refrigerator
as a daily reminder of where you are heading.
Following these tips can help you break through even the most
severe plateau -if you find that you absolutely can't do it
alone, then I'd be glad to help you - check out:
www.CoachingWithChristopher.com.
About the author:
Christopher Guerriero, is the founder of the National Metabolic
& Longevity Research Center and a best-selling author, speaker,
and coach to millions. He is creator of the award-winning
'Maximize Your Metabolism' system. To learn more about this
step-by-step program, and to sign up for FREE how-to articles
and FREE teleseminars, visit: Maximize Your
Metabolism
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