So you've lost 20 pounds and you look great, you are getting tons of compliments from friends, family, and co-workers alike. Everyone looks at you like you are crazy when you tell them you are trying to lose more weight. You should be thrilled, right?
Well, the reality of the matter is that for many people, after losing the bulk of the weight they had planned, they reach a level where they feel "stuck".
It's a weird feeling because you feel good for what you have accomplished, but you can't really bask in the glory or enjoy your moment because you just can't seem to lose more weight or to continue your progress for some reason. This ambivalent feeling of not knowing in which direction to turn is known as the dreaded "plateau effect".
Now what many people don't realize is that this "plateau" is actually a good thing. Now before you call me crazy, first you need to understand why this plateau effect happens in the first place, and maybe you will agree.
When you start a new exercise or fitness regimen, you are taking your body (and mind for that matter) out of it's "comfort zone". The new exercises are challenging and force you to move in new ways and push yourself physically to new limits.
Your body needs to put in a constant effort to complete the task at hand. Your heart pumps faster, your lungs go into overdrive looking for sufficient oxygen, and your muscles are working more than they are accustomed to, causing them to release lactic acid for that wonderful "so sore I can hardly sit" feeling the next day. All these things require a greater amount of energy, which comes from calories. So, what's the point? Well, simply put, new exercises tend to make you work harder and in turn, burn more calories.
Now over time, your heart and muscles become accustomed to a particular exercise, intensity level, and routine. If you've been jogging two miles everyday for the past year, for example, and you never increase your intensity or distance, you are probably quite used to the routine and no longer feel sore after your run. It has become second nature-routine. When this happens, our bodies do not need to work as hard as before and therefore do not burn as many calories. And this is where the "plateau" happens.
So now that you understand how it works, you continue to wonder why it is a good thing. Well, for one, it is a measure of success. It shows that you have become stronger than you were before and can now easily complete an exercise that you once struggled with. Secondly, it will hopefully make you crave a bigger challenge.
It's just like being in kindergarten-you learn your shapes and colors and ABC's; the cookies and milk and nap time are comforting, but kids need to be challenged to reach their full potential. So, they move on to a higher grade level with new challenges.
The same goes for an athlete. That 2-mile jog may be a comforting routine after a hard day at the office, and it may be great to know you lost those 20 pounds- but you and I both know you are more capable of bigger and better things. To reach your full fitness potential, you need to graduate to the next level. And there are several ways you can do this.
You can increase your intensity level or the amount of time you spend doing a certain activity. You can also change up your workout program and try new sports and activities. If you are a soccer player for example, you can continue playing soccer but mix in a few days where you swim or do interval training on a track. If you are a bodybuilder or do strength training (which every one should do to some extent), increase your load or reps. Challenge your body.
As a result of these changes, your body will have to work harder to adjust to new environments and situations, and in turn burn more calories. You will also most definitely increase your lean muscle mass which in turn burns fat and increases your resting metabolic rate allowing you to burn more calories even in your sleep!
Now remember, in your quest to "lose more weight", remember that weight alone won't give you the whole picture. What you should aim for is fat loss. You may not see that scale budge after all that hard work, but I can assure you you will see positive and drastic changes in overall strength, endurance, muscle tone and definition.
So, don't get discouraged if you hit that plateau. Instead, use it as a stepping stone to the next level on your fitness journey.
Author Resource:-
Next, get the entire list of 20 "Blueprints" I created that allowed me to dramatically transform my body and win the 1998 Body For Life contest. Imagine finally getting the body you've always wanted! Only available at Harry's Blog
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.massagebyben.com/articles/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites 