I absolutely LOVE Jillian Michaels. She is such an inspiration and advocate for health and well-being.
I listened to a podcast of hers a few weeks ago where she addressed the topic of hitting a plateau and how to overcome it.
She honestly feels that the idea of a plateau is silly. If you hit a plateau it is because you most likely aren't doing something right. It is a simple concept of calories in, versus calories out.
I mostly agree with this idea, that the plateau is a result of not burning the right amount of calories, but I also disagree with her because hitting that plateau does happen, for a lot of people. The point is to recognize it and then take steps and create a plan to beat it.
There were three things she suggested in overcoming that dreaded wall of weight loss.
1. Take a serious look at the amount of calories you are consuming and the amount you are burning. She talked about 'vanity' pounds. The few extra pounds at the beginning of swim suit season. Your body has its own ideal weight, and if you want to loose those few extra pounds, they can be the hardest pounds to lose. She suggested a caloric deficit of around 700 calories to shred those extra few pounds. I personally feel that that is a lot to ask every single day. If you workout and eat the same thing every day, sure on workout days, that 700 calories can easily be burned in an hour workout. On the days that you don't workout it is crucial to stay within your calorie count. It is as simple as consuming less calories than you burn in a day. I use My Fitness Pal. I have the app on my phone and log everything I eat. I measure everything. Even water. This was a huge eye opener when I started my journey in December. The first morning I simply entered my morning coffee and realized it was 800 calories..... I changed my whole diet around.... My breakfast this morning including coffee was just under 300 calories.
Sure it was really hard at first to cut down my portions and not eat the foods I loved the most, but now almost 4 months later I can't eat huge portions, my stomach is smaller, and I eat every 2-3 hours. I hardly ever feel hungry unless I have upped my running distance throughout the week. Find foods that you like and are easy to prepare. Make substitutions. I love ramen noodles. I created a 'guilt-less' version that we have named Framen (fake ramen). It is lipton onion soup mix and 1 cup of whole wheat spaghetti noodles. Framen is 220 calories versus 400 for real ramen, and the sodium content is much less! Sure it tastes different, but it serves its purpose in my craving for some noodles!!
2. If it is only a week or two that you haven't lost anything don't stress. Your body fluctuates in the amount of water it retains and your electrolytes are probably off. This is normal. Everything can have an effect on water weight, stress especially. Your body will eventually catch back up to your healthy habits and you will pee all that extra weight out. This is normal when you change up your workouts. Your body gets stuck in a routine and changing up your workout shocks your system. Also for women this follows with PMS weeks. Your body will bloat. It is normal. Relax, take a deep breath and remind yourself that every day is a new day and look at how far you have come. Another thing to keep in mind is sleep. Getting enough sleep is crucial for weight loss. Your body needs sleep to recover after hard workouts. The lack of sleep causes cortisol levels to be higher in the body which leads to retaining water. I struggle with getting enough sleep, but I do allow myself naps when I really can't keep my eyes open!
3. If you honestly have tried everything, diet, exercise, electrolytes, and you still can't seem to lose. It probably is a hormonal imbalance and may warrant a trip to the doc. Many times a thyroid could be causing the issue or there is something going on in the body. Talk to your doctor and explain your frustrations. They can help you.
It is normal to have days and even weeks when you feel discouraged, like all your hard work means nothing. This is normal. Allow yourself to feel those feelings and then let them go. Look back at how far you have come, remind yourself how much you have lost and how good it feels to be healthy.
Health is a way of life, a mind set. Remember that. Give yourself credit. It takes a lot of courage to go against the norm, and choosing to be healthy makes you different than most everyone else. Embrace it. Being different is beautiful. <3
Light and Love,
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