Plateau 411 for the 911

[bogiesmom]

Dear Hungry Girl,

After a year and a half on Weight Watchers, and 86 lbs. down, I'm fighting a serious weight-loss plateau over here. What do you do to re-energize and motivate yourself when you've gained and lost the same pound for the past few months?

Stuck Scale in Sacramento

Dear Stuck Scale,

First of all, OMG, congratulations are in order! You've lost 86 lbs.! That is INCREDIBLE. Please do not for ONE SECOND downplay how awesomely amazing that is. Please! OK, now that we have that out of the way, we can address the plateau. I am by no means a plateau expert, but here are some tips that might help...

1. Change it up. Try altering what you're eating. You may be in a food rut! You could also try eating your largest meal in the afternoon instead of dinnertime. That works for me...

2. Work out a little more. This might not sound like fun, but think of it as a nice way to kick your weight loss into gear! And remember, even small increases in activity add up. Walk more, take the stairs... move around! The more you move, the more calories you'll burn.

3. Don't "cheat" the system. I'm not saying YOU do this, but some people push the limit on POINTS® (you know who you are, POINTS®-limit-pushers!). Don't undercount or fill your day with items that juuuust qualify as a lower POINTS® value. Maybe overestimate a little bit for a week, and see how that goes for you.

4. Don't lose sight of portion sizes. Make sure you haven't unintentionally been increasing your portions. Toss your food on a kitchen scale every so often.

5. Be patient. You are ROCKING. Truly. What you are experiencing is very common. That's a lot of weight to have lost in 18 months, and your body may just need some time to adjust. Do NOT let this discourage you. Just hang in there and stick with it, and you'll get over the hump. Really, YOU WILL!