"I have recently leveled off in my weight loss. I started at 178 and got to 160. I have been running daily for at least 20 minutes, along with walking while at work (I have an active job), eating healthy, and sleeping 8 to 9 hours every night. I was losing about 1 or 2 pounds per week until the past few weeks when I stopped losing weight. After I stopped losing weight I began to change my diet and exercise but nothing has helped me, instead I began to gain the weight I had lost, so I went back to my original diet and exercise plan but have still lost no weight, and I am currently 164 pounds. Is there any way to help myself lose weight again?"
Ahhh yes, the old weight loss plateau- it’s the inevitable wall that almost every “dieter” hits. There are a few things to look at in your case. First; what is your goal weight? Is it appropriate for your gender and height? Also, instead of staring at the scale (we recommend only weighing yourself once a week) let’s think about the inches. Are you gaining, losing or maintaining them? The increase in weight could actually be muscle gain- that will increase your resting metabolism rate (equals more calories/fat you’ll burn baby burn).
And now onto the nutrition- our area of expertise, if you are consuming less than 1200 calories per day you will not be effective in losing the weight. That’s when your body goes into “starvation mode” and holds on for dear life (literally) and any fat stores you’ve got. Also; when you say “diet” it makes a dietitian’s soul die a little. Just eat food, that’s all we want. Make it well rounded, don’t skimp on enjoying all the food groups, don’t start saying that carbohydrates are evil or you can’t eat something that’s square shaped or whatever the heck people are selling out there.
Here is our basic advice to eating – it doesn’t have to be confusing!
Choose the whole grains; look at the nutrition facts label and go for at least 2 g fiber per slice of bread and at least 5 g fiber per serving of cereal, rice, pasta etc.
Get those fruits and veggies going; have them at all of your meals and work them in to your snack times as well.
Lean protein; enjoy 3 to 4 ounce portions (picture a deck of cards) two to three times a day.
Dairy; get milk , yogurt and cheese back in your life. Just choose 2 to 3 servings per day of low fat/skim products.
Sodium; drop that salt shaker! It’s just for decoration; we all ready get so much unwanted sodium in our diet that adding it to our foods is crazy and can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease and unwanted weight gain. Look at the nutrition facts label and choose foods that have 240mg or less per serving. If it’s a meal, go for 550 mg or less.
MVI: take a multivitamin as an insurance policy against any deficiencies. But let’s stay away from supplements for weight loss as this is not an area that is regulated by the FDA.
Hydration: drink water, drink a lot of it, and then repeat. Thirst is often mistaken for hunger, leading to extra food intake… never great for weight loss. Also, never drink your calories! Stay away from soda!
Portions: Eat the portion size listed on the bag or box of whatever you’re eating. A quick way to set up your plate is to do 1/2 fruits and/or vegetables, 1/4 lean protein, 1/4 whole grains; try to follow that at lunch and dinner and you’re in business!
Best of luck!
-Ashley
References:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss/WT99999
http://www.skinnyondiets.com/AmericanDieteticAssociation.html?b=7924
http://www.weightlossmd.com/
