Plateau vs. Patience

Is it really a Plateau? Or do you just need to be Patient?

"I started logging my meals on My Fitness Pal, and I've not seen any loss yet! I've changed my food, eat healthy, and exercise 4 days a week. I've been doing this for 2 weeks and I haven't lost ANY WEIGHT! What am I doing wrong? How do I bust this plateau?"

"I just started working out but I'm not losing weight!"

Sound familiar?? It takes time. It really does. Think about how long it takes to gain the weight; it takes longer to lose it. When you start a new program your body goes into a WTH mode. It doesn't know WHAT's going on, so it hangs on to everything. BUT if you keep doing what you're doing, eventually your body will catch up and get with the new program. Results will come. As hard as it is to be patient, you have to be patient.

Sooooooo here is the deal. These scenario are asked ALL THE TIME in my fitness groups, and it boils down to needing to continue to do the healthy habits, and being patient. Not technically a plateau. Not technically a concern of Thyroid Failure. Not technically an issue at all.

When you make a change you have to wait, sometimes up to 6 weeks to see that change yield results. AND it's not always pounds off. Sometimes it's inches. AND you have to be patient. 

Ask yourself this: Are you changing your calorie goals frequently? Are you changing your loss ratio goals frequently?

When I started with MFP, I was 288. I was nursing my son (my only calorie burn), and I was logging my food. At the time, MFP suggested I eat 2400 Calories. So I said, why not, and just went with it. Lost 11 pounds that first month. I didn't touch any of the settings, just logged my food. Upped my water, and clocked a 500 calorie burn from nursing.

That's how I discovered the calorie goal readjustment. When I lost that first 10 lbs, the calories re-adjusted to around 2360, and slowly that number dropped to where I am now (roughly 3 years later).

ALSO... clothes may feel looser before you see a change on the scale. OR you could retain water around your muscles and see a gain, that's water weight and not actually fat.

I consider a plateau to have occurred when I'm doing the same thing for 4 weeks or more and no change. THAT's the moment when it's time to make a change. And that change sometimes is adjusting your food, sometimes it's trying a new workout. Not necessarily something harder, just different. If you're always walking, try adding a run. If you're always doing aerobics, try strength training... just keep mixing things up.

Be FLUID and open to new things. And be open to being your own guinea pig. Test the waters and see what yields results.

Make a change to see a change. But also practice patience. That bit is tough, I know, but truly, if you are patient you'll start to see changes.

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