4 Sure Fire Ways to Break a Weight Loss Plateau

 

4 sure fire ways to break your weight loss plateau in just 7 days or less! I have found that when I am constantly counting calories and restricting food groups from my daily intake, that is when I tend to fall off the wagon. We all want what we cannot have, right!? No amount of exercise can make up for a poor diet. Now, let me elaborate on this, what I mean is once you have gotten down to a goal weight or hit a plateau where you cannot budge the scale you have to start looking at what you are fueling your body with and not just at your calorie deficit at the gym. Plus, to create those long lean muscles and have energy we need to be feeding our bodies whole, natural foods.

Below are some tips and guidelines that if followed could be the solution to breaking your weight loss plateau. It will not be easy and will take some discipline, but our bodies respond quickly to small adjustments that we may never consider. So give these 4 tips a try for 7 days and see if you are able to break past the limits and push yourself further toward your goals.

1.       Allow a 12 hour window between your last meal of the day and your breakfast the following day. What does this look like? Well, if you eat your last snack or meal at 7 pm then you should not eat your breakfast until 7am. Your body does not want to go to sleep on a full stomach and needs those 12 hours to digest and burn – not what is currently in your stomach from that food you ate while walking to bed, but the stored fat, etc. You can drink as much water as you would like, but if you have your breakfast at 6 am, then after 6pm only water should be on your menu. If you do this you will wake up feeling more energized and refreshed!

2.       Switch up your MACROS! Macronutrients are the sum of the different fats, carbs, and proteins that make up your daily consumption. Now, all of us are programmed differently and our bodies will respond differently to different intake levels of each group. Track your current macro percentages and consider switching up the charts. For example, if you are more carb dense and that takes up a large percentage of your intake, consider upping your good fat intake and replacing that with the carb totals.  I saw great success when I upped my HEALTHY fat intake. It never hurts to switch things up for 7 days to see how your body responds!

3.       Limit your natural sugar intake.  Okay, I am not talking about processed sugar, because that should not be a part of your daily intake. Whole, natural, unprocessed foods are what your body needs. When I am talking about limiting your sugar intake, I am talking about natural sugar. I think that we forget that too much of a good thing can still be bad, especially if you are trying to break a weight loss plateau. Limit your natural sugar to consumption to only 2 pieces of fruit a day, or about 25-45 grams.

4.       Last, but not least switch up your exercise, if you typically do cardio then do some strength training. Throw in some plyometrics moves you have never done, go rock climbing, go roller skating, do fun outdoor activities that will switch up your daily workout regimen. This will allow you to work different muscle groups and also work your heart at a different rate then it may be used to. Have fun finding a new workout to incorporate!

Give these a try and report back or message me with your results! I bet you will be surprised!

 

Thyroid Issues Anyone???

I am not a doctor or nutritionist, however, I watched my mom struggle first hand with hypothyroidism and I wanted to write an encouraging post for those who may be living with this. She struggled for years, yes years to get diagnosed. One would assume once you are diagnosed that you can get out the streamers and balloons and have a party, because there is a medication you can take that will make it all better......WRONG. This was just the beginning of her journey that included  countless doctors visits, dieting, exercise, and all of this was not easy on the wallet either. It was emotionally draining - no matter how hard she worked she did not see the scale budge. But, there is hope!

My mom tried several diets - low-fat, low-calorie, low-carb, etc, etc but everything really started to click for her when she began eating whole, natural foods along with her Weight Watchers program. When she cut out processed foods - I am talking about the low-fat, sugar free type foods she really saw the weight start to come off.  Now she has incorporated Shakeology into her daily routine and is even doing P90X3 along with me! 

There are certain foods you can focus on and otherS you can avoid that may help mitigate your thyroid issues. First let me get into the typical symptoms of a hypothyroid:

- weak, tired, sluggish
- depression
- dry skin
- brittle nails
- heavy menstrual cycle

Now, if you have a thyroid that is on the brink of being diagnosed, a little sluggish or if you have been diagnosed, here are some foods you can try incorporating into your daily food:

Foods rich in Vitamin A:

Cooked carrots
Cooked sweet potatoes
Mangos
Cooked squash
Cantaloupe
Tuna Fish
Sweet mini peppers

Foods rich in Iodine:

Himalayan Sea Salt
Potatoes
Kelp
Kombu
Cranberries
Yogurt
Strawberries

Also, it has been suggested that if you have thyroid issues you should avoid large quantities of cruciferous vegetables like kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts and collard greens. 

My mom's journey is truly an inspiration, after 3 plus years of trying to get her weight under control the clean eating and exercise really started to click. She is now down 55+ pounds and still going strong. It was not quick or easy, but it is attainable. Everyone's body is different and finding the right calorie intake, combination of foods and exercise is key to seeing results. So, don't give up, keep fighting, keep tailoring your diet, change up your exercise and eventually you will find what clicks!

Before:                                                                     After:

    

                                             

Happy Thursday everyone!