To Really Break A Plateau

Sometimes over the past years in the past I've just copied the "Plateau Buster" From my hard drive and posted. (I did remove the nonsensical- "all the peanut butter you can gak down!...") More and more I started including the Caveat of- "Stalls or Plateaus are normal. Stay with protein first And stay the course, but don't fall back into the 'Diet Mentality' That didn't work for you before WLS." Well, that's not what they asked for, So who am I to "tag on" the little But what to do? Then it occurred to me.... What about a whole NEW (or 'alternative') PLATEAU BUSTER! A "Life-Style for Life." Not just a terse little list that reinforces the Diet Mentality that "Yo-yoed" so many to where they needed WLS to get a new start. So, I 'glommed together a whole 'butt-load' of stuff--- Here's my "beta-version" that I posted o the Grads-Board some years back. I'm not sure about the feasibility of it at all. But Like Me, It's a "Work in Progress." --------------------------------------------------------------- To 'really' Break A Plateau: BEFORE DOING ANYTHING- Realize many, in fact Most Post-Ops Share this common experience- Done everything right and lost weight steadily, Suddenly- the scale won't budge. Like many others, you've reached a plateau. When weight loss slows and comes to a stop. Before you get discouraged and abandon Your long-term weight loss Strategy of life-style change, Understand that plateaus occur in any slimming-down process. Stick with the program and your weight loss will kick in again. Before you rush to "prosecute," And take drastic action, Do some investigation. Figure out if you really are on a plateau. The scale may be a less than least reliable reflection of fat loss. Look at other indicators. Are you feeling better? Do your clothes feel looser? If you're losing inches but not pounds, Your fat cells are still shrinking/re-arranging location. Figure in the duration of the stall. You're only on what could be called a "plateau" If there's NO change at all For more than four weeks. And even at 4 weeks, don't "assume" anything. There may be a very Tangible Reason For the slowdown and Plateau. If you Truly want to BREAK a Plateau, Identify and understand the true "Culprit" Before you just "Open Fire!" Get this one out of the way first By being scrupulously honest with yourself. Are you "Cheating?" Cheating? It's not a Diet! Correct, But weight loss is directly the result of - Calories in versus Calories Used. Are you putting in any "unplanned" nutrition? Empty Calories? A little thing will be the "tipping point." Emotional and compulsive behavior May allow you to "sabotage" yourself. It certainly does. For so many Pre-Op. Yes? Look at what you are doing with Extreme Objective Scrutiny. Then- Check for hidden sources of - Calories / Carbs / Sugars / Un-wanted Fats- Read Your Labels Carefully! Sugar goes under many different names And in some cases does NOT appear as "sugar" on the label. Many vitamin tablets have sugar fillers. CHECK! Conversely, Are you taking in too Little Nutrition? Many times you carry over habits from other diets & eat too little. EAT UP... Food is Necessary Fuel, not the Enemy! Don't skip meals. Just eat Protein First, Higher nutrition, Lower Calorie Foods. Don't cut your caloric intake to less than 1000 calories per day. Increase the amount of protein in your meals. Don't starve yourself. Cutting calories to an extreme will eventually cause loss But at the expense of your health. It Does Not Help you. Try cutting excess fat and calories to a reasonable level (usually 1200 to 1800 calories a day, but determined by YOUR Size.) And divide these up into frequent small meals (of about 200 to 300 calories each) every few hours. Eat a decent amount of protein with each meal To help you feel satisfied longer. If you keep your carbohydrate intake to no more than 20 grams a day Your body will go into a state of Ketosis and it will be Hard Not to lose. A frequent eating schedule will provide a constant source of energy, Keep your metabolism higher without the insulin rebound. Six small feedings a day are better AT maintaining level metabolism Than 3 large meals. (notice I did not say that 6 meals are better than 3, just better at...) Perhaps aim for foods with a lower glycemic index. Check into it at- http://www.glycemicindex.com/ You may have a mineral imbalance. How's your blood-work? Such as zinc/copper. Or a trace mineral shortage. Such an imbalance can definitely slow the metabolism Reducing your "resting consumption" of calories. Certain nutrients are often recommended to aid in weight loss, Including chromium, pantethine, selenium, vanadium And biotin to help stabilize blood sugar and metabolize fat. Getting enough Potassium? Potassium shortages are common For early out Post-Ops. How's your blood-work? Exercise? Exercise can improve circulation, Stabilize blood sugar & other important metabolic benefits. If you're walking, great. But at some point in your loss, Walking becomes just Activity And no longer "Exercise." Are you Breaking a Sweat? If you have been only walking or cycling, Try doing some weight lifts and vice versa. If you are not yet exercising Try to add some sort of activity to your regular schedule. At least 20 minutes a day is recommended for beginners. Walk, Walk, Water, Water... There's a reason for that "Mantra." Increase your water consumption to stimulate lipolysis (The breakdown of fat stored in fat cells ) And clean your system of excess ketones. Many Nutritionists recommend Avoiding eating within 3 hours of bedtime. Especially avoid any foods that are higher in carbs As this can trigger insulin production which in turn Will inhibit fat-burning while you are asleep. Have you considered Food Allergies? These may cause all sorts of problems, fatigue, headache, etc... Check possibility of such causes by dropping out one food From your diet and checking for changes in how you feel. The most common culprits are- Milk, Eggs, Nuts & Peanuts, Fish, Shellfish, Soy and Wheat. Perhaps checkout- http://www.foodallergy.org/allergens/index.html Maybe you have issues with food additives? Some food colorings cause metabolic responses Such as sluggishness or hyperactivity in some sensitive children. Example- YELLOW 5 ... Artificial coloring found in Jell-O, baked goods, etc... Causes mild allergic reactions, Primarily in aspirin-sensitive persons. Check some of the food additives that show up on your labels. Perhaps a look at- http://www.cspinet.org/foodsafety/index.html Caffeine? Yes, it's a "fence sitter" when it comes to "Dieting" But- Coffee, cola & tea stimulate release of insulin With a temporary lift in energy, But followed by hunger, Fatigue & slower weight loss. Are you Drinking Alcohol? Empty Calories and Alcohol stimulates insulin. While we're on "the bible-belt vices," Smoking? Smoking uses up vitamin C & stimulates the adrenal gland. Although quitting smoking is classically A cause for weight increase, Long term non-smoking, actually aids The metabolism to remain a constant fat-burning, healthy machine. None of the above? It may be medications you are taking. Many drugs, even aspirin, can cause or increase incidence of hypoglycemia. Watch out for hormones, amphetamines, diuretics, antihistamines, Anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, anticoagulants, antidiabetics, Antibiotics, tranquilizers, clofibrate, acetaminophen, and propanolol. Beta-blockers, can make your body extremely resistant to weight loss. Sometimes it isn't what you ARE taking But what you WERE taking that slows you down. Different meds last month? Hormones? They can slow down weight loss And stimulate the production of insulin. Estrogen (for the Gals-used in birth control pills) and Testosterone have much the same effect. Too much Salt? Typically early on this is not an issue, But later, excessive salt can cause some water retention. What about 'plain old' portion sizes? Many people misinterpret the instructions regarding Eating as "Just Eat till you are Full! The pouch size will 'tell you' when it's too much." That assumes you have "re-learned" the feeling of Satiety As opposed to "Full." You may need to track your caloric intake and exercise more closely. Many people find "tracking at fitday.com" a very useful tool. Check it out at- http://fitday.com/ also- (new find since I first compiled all this babble- http://sparkpeople.com/ So you've made it through this long list and everything Checks out. Perhaps you have a metabolic resistance to losing weight, And if that is the case, you must consider everything - Except giving up and admitting defeat. Your Plateau, if it continues, could possibly require Medical attention. Continued thyroid problems would definitely call for medical solutions. Excessive yeast infestation may be part of your problem. Overgrowth of yeast in the digestive tract has been shown To provoke food intolerance, headaches and immune-system weakness, And can keep you from losing weight By causing unstable blood sugar. If your plateau WON'T Break, Enlist your physician to help find the problem. Done all of this and still looking for the "short list?" Then what can I say- "Eat Meat, Cottage Cheese and water for 10 days! - NOTHING ELSE! NO EXCEPTIONS! Just try Not to Think of it as a Diet." (this is of course very tongue in cheek...looking for sarcasm sign?) You will most likely get a "Bang!" That will jolt your metabolism into losing. But if you want more than a bang, If you want a real "Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster" To make your system Un-inhabitable for excess fat, For generations to come, Then adjust your "Life-Style for Life." Fromthe VA Board hope this helps... Mo

Good stuff! Thanks for posting it!!