The Dreaded Plateau

I think I have always been on diet .... I have never been "small" ....... and always wanted to be "small" ........ and always seemed to be working on getting "small" and always........ ALWAYS....... seemed to hit the dreaded plateau where the weight just stopped coming off for weeks !!  And I would get discouraged and say "oh fuck it" and there went all the work.

And as you all know - here I am again dieting.  Well not exactly dieting this time - just changing my eating habits - and being more aware of what I eat.  When I say "being more aware" it's not as easy as it sounds - I record every morsel of food that goes in my mouth.  I watch the calories slowly (and sometimes fast) click down to 0.  

I have been going to the gym 3 times a week and walking for 3 miles - aiming for 10,000 steps a day - falling short every day (well nearly every day) but watching the weight come off.  The one thing about walking on a treadmill - it counts how many calories I burn off.  Which I see as adding calories to my daily intake.  I am allowed 1100-1200 calories a day.  IF I burn 300+ calories on the treadmill I can have a treat that day.

Suddenly though - I noticed that despite the fact I was still walking 3 miles per session at the gym - the number of calories I was burning had dropped.  WTF?? At first I blamed the machine - must not be calibrated properly.  But after changing machines and still burning less calories my frustration/curiosity hit an all time high.

I talked to one of the trainers.

It turns out that the more weight you lose - the less calories you burn doing the same work out.  Hmmmmmmmmmmm..... really???? and my mind saw the "dreaded plateau" and there was no way I could cut any more calories.  Truthfully I am barely eating 1100 calories a day - and the program I use to track these calories yells at me - yes YELLS at me - in red - in capitals when I don't eat my 1100 per day.

So how to prevent a plateau that will discourage me - and have me saying " fuck this".  I have come so far............... 

The trainer suggested 1) increase the number of days at the gym 2) increase the speed of my walking - OR if that doesn't seem possible (and it doesn't right now) add an incline.

SO 

I am now striving for 5 days a week at the gym.  I have increased the speed a wee tiny bit...... and added a wee tiny incline.  (Incline tends to strain my old knees) 

and lo and behold - the calories are being burned off faster again - and the weight is slowly coming back off again.  The Dreaded Plateau didn't last more than 5 days!!

Who knew how easy it is to beat the Plateau syndrome!?  Well I guess a lot of people - definitely the trainers at the gym.  

And the other plus to this work out routine - I earn more sugar grams every day - which makes my sweet tooth very happy !!!

Ok now this probably isn't a big AH HA moment for most of you - but hell it was for me!!  It explains years and years of plateaus and yo-yo dieting.............. onwards and upwards - or in this case - onwards and downwards !!