So I am offiically hitting a plauteau and to put it bluntyly, it sucks. I am incredibly discouraged and all I can say it's like a have a TSFL angel on one shoulder and a you're so incredibly stressed who cares devil on my other shoulder. Today was incredibly difficult for me in regards to so many emotions and just stress surrounding the wedding. I got up at 530am to go to the gym. Today was my swimming laps day so I was hoping to do 1,000 but instead I really couldn't get my goggles to be on okay so I swam 700 instead but was mostly just grumpy. I was grumpy mostly because I woke up for the second week weighing about 139lbs. I weighed in at some point at 138.6 then went up to 139.6 and just can't seem to dip below that for wahever the reason... I'm working out regularly and staying to the lean and green and doing things like I normally have. My body just doesn't want to cooperate.
So to get back to me being bad today. i slipped out of annoyance with the platueau. At lunch I had a salad (good, yes), corn (okay), and then s spoon full of potatoes. Obviously the potatoes was my slip up. I really enjoyed them but then felt very guilty that I was giving in with my willpower.
Tomorrow I'm doing the food tasting for the wedding so I'm a bit nervous where I'll be. I do not want to regress and lose my healthy habits but I really also want to see progress. :(
Ahh - welcome to the plateau doldrums. I know - it's no fun. Just keep in mind that TSFL is not only about "weight loss" - but about learning, understanding, and sticking with healthy habits for life. Unfortunately, plateaus are part of the journey towards weight loss. The body is always fighting for equilibrium and so it adjusts to your caloric intake over time. Your exercise might actually cause you problems with maintaining weight loss. Theresa can point you to material that explains that - since it is counter intuitive. Talk to her asap and ask her to guide you to TSFL ideas for busting through plateaus. TRUST the program. It works!
ReplyDeleteAs for "slip ups" and "guilt" - bah! We are all human and have moments where the desire for something "not on plan" overwhelms our desire to reach our Primary Goal (Life long health - NOT 'weight loss'. Weight loss is just a step along that path.). No biggie. It WILL slow your progress, but not worth beating yourself up over it. You simply have to get back in touch with your big "WHY" - Why do you want this Maureen? What is MOST important to you? Imagine how you will feel when you reach your target. Imagine the benefits of life long OPTIMAL health. etc. You REALLY need to internalize that and VALUE it.
Then - when faced with those temptations -
STOP
CHALLENGE (Is my desire to eat this MORE important than my PRIMARY GOAL?)
CHOOSE (Maybe it is at that moment. You're at a wedding or party and want to have a glass of wine. Ok - so choose it as a reward with the knowledge that you're trading a slight delay in progress towards your goal for the right to enjoy this moment, and then get right back "on program".
It's about being MINDFUL (as opposed to just mindlessly chowing down on chips and soda while watching a game) and giving yourself permission to make choices. YOU are in control. Not your appetite.
Hang in there Maureen! Reach out to Theresa and she can get you pointed to great ideas to get past the plateau doldrums! Cheers!
Chuck's pretty much covered how to handle this reality of how our bodies work, especially the closer we get to our healthy weight. Here's the reality check:
ReplyDelete1) You've veered off plan a bit and you will have to with your upcoming tasting. This will slow or stop fat-burn and is NOT a plateau; it's an interruption. Don't get upset; just manage it as Chuck said until you can get back into fat-burn. Good practice for when you get on maintenance :)
2) Stress, both physical and emotional, can interrupt fat-burn by demanding more energy from your body than you are taking in. Look into the healthy habits of quiet time and stress management (see chap. 16 in DYOH & Chap. in HoH), and consider if you're pushing yourself too hard physically.
3) True plateaus (i.e. the natural stair-step pattern of weight loss) are the way our body reacts, as Chuck said. Go to www.mygreatpotential.com and read the plateau tips under "Fat Burning".
4) Finally, DON'T BE SO HARD ON YOURSELF! <3