Dealing With Plateaus

Soldiers fight to take a hill, we veterans of the "Battle of the Bulge," fight to overtake a plateau. What is a plateau? A plateau is a decrease or a "dead stop" in the rate of weight loss that occurs after an individual has consistently lost weight. Plateaus can go on for weeks or for months (been there, done that!). They can be extremely frustrating, as we are exercising and eating no differently than when we were losing weight.

What causes plateaus? A pound of fat is 3,500 calories. To lose a pound of fat per week we need a daily caloric deficit of 500 calories (a combination of decreased food intake and increased physical activity). Initially a high percentage of the weight we lose is water, which has no calories. As we continue to lose weight, we need to lose more calories as we are losing less body water. Another factor is that as we lose weight, we need fewer calories to maintain the lower body weight.

Plateaus are a natural consequence of a weight management program and should not be feared but should be embraced. Plateaus are an opportunity for our bodies and minds to adjust physiologically and psychologically. They enable us to sustain a safe rate of weight loss, which is no more than two pounds per week. (I failed at many rapid weight loss attempts. In 1991, I began my last weight loss journey by losing 11 pounds the first week, after 4 years my rate of weight loss averaged .8 pounds per week. I credit my success to S L O W steady weight loss, which occurred with a few plateaus).

Over the weekend, I was riding my bike up an extremely steep hill. It seemed that the hill would never end and I would not be able to make it to the top. Just as I thought this, I crested the hill and began "flying" downhill. My speedometer reached 45 miles per hour through some terrifying hairpin turns. I began applying my brakes and using my upper body to steer the bike safely. In some ways I was using more energy on the downhill than the uphill. I was scared that I would crash. I finally reached the bottom and pedaled for many miles on a flat road until I safely returned home. I then realized that any change we make in our lives is like riding a bike. The beginning is the toughest part. We face a hill and decide to ride up and not stop till we make it to the top. Then the ride seemingly gets much easier as we go down hill. We continue to pick up speed and just as we are about to go out of control and crash we reach a plateau. If we keep on pedaling on that plateau we will eventually reach home.

"Attitude is the mind's paint brush. It can color any situation."
-Alexander Lockhart