Getting Over the Plateau - How to Beat Those Last Extra Pounds

Every dieter knows that weight loss is great for a while, but those last 5-15 pounds seem to be the hardest to lose. Have you hit a plateau? Here are some tips that may help you overcome those last pesky pounds.

Nibbler

Have you been 'tasting' the food you cook? Do you snack while waiting for things to cook? If so, you may want to check yourself on this. Sure you are giving yourself the same moderate portions of food when you serve it, but what about those spoonfuls you've been taking in while it was preparing? Those count too unfortunately. Nibbling is a problem even with the most faithful dieters. It's easy to put in a few unaccounted for calories here and there, but they add up. So watch your nibbling!

Old Habits

Old habits certainly die hard, as the saying goes. If you have made pounds and pounds of progress, you likely feel it is your 'privilege' to indulge in those old favorites that you've forsaken during your stricter days. While this may be true, it may also be standing between you and those extra 5-10 pounds you've been meaning to get off. Hang in there for a little while longer and you won't be sorry.

Getting Casual

There is nothing easy about weight loss and exercising self-control so it is easy to slip up. But when you are at the final stages to the finish line, you start to think like the hare, rather than the turtle. You feel like you have the time to sit a while and go lax in your counting of calories or portion sizes. After all, you came a long way and one day will not upset the balance. The only problem with this is that it doesn't stay at one day. Next thing you know weeks and weeks of lax eating habits are pushing you further from your goal. Don't let it! Take control now or it will be too late for your skinny jeans.

Listen to your Heart

I know you know this, but you need to up your exercise intensity. If you have been doing the same exercise, like walking, your whole diet plan, than you are probably not getting your heart rate up to where it needs to be. Once your body adjusts to an exercise, you aren't in your 'cardio' calorie burning intensity anymore and have to walk faster, climb higher, or run with more vigor. You also burned more calories at a higher weight than you do now, and will have to work up to a more challenging workout that will push you past your plateau. Don't bother with the low intensity activities anymore, just get moving and beat those extra pounds.

Change it up

You've probably become tired with the same ol' same ol' on your plate each day. Many diets rely on the fact that you are eating different things every day. So don't be afraid to trade in the wheat bread for some pitas or an iceberg salad for romaine. Look for healthy choices that will replace your current ones but give you that added flavor to keep you going. Your body can adjust to eating the same foods all the time and make it harder to digest other foods that you have forsaken in months or even years. Have a variety of foods in moderation and don't get caught in the same rut month after month.

And if you still can't get past that plateau maybe you should give this some thought. Are you healthy? Do you have more energy? Do you feel better? Is it relatively easy for you to maintain your current weight? If you answer yes to these questions than maybe those extra pounds are only in your head. Sometimes it's okay to keep those few extra pounds if they don't seem to be that harmful. So don't be discouraged, not everyone's ideal weight will bring them to a size 0.