Weight Loss Plateaus -- 7 Easy Steps to Overcome It

Have you ever experienced this scenario before?

"I have successfully lost 15 of the 25 pounds that I want to lose, but now I am stuck at the same weight even though I am faithfully controlling my food intake and doing my exercises. What happened? Is the diet not working anymore?"

Yes, many women over 40 start off their weight loss programs full of excitement and determination, and indeed you do see the pounds dropping off over the first few weeks.

That's great, of course.

However, the next thing you know is that your progress has come to a dead stop...

...and you have just hit the dreaded weight loss "plateau."

But don't despair -- you are _not_ the only one experiencing this.

Hitting a plateau is a common experience for most women over 40 on a weight loss program.

And it can be one of the most de-motivating things to happen.

Thankfully, overcoming it is easy... IF you know the simple steps you can take.

Today, I'm going to show you some very simple and specific steps you can take to overcome your plateaus:

1. Be careful of the little things: It's easy to lapse into complacency over time, so I suggest that you keep a food diary. Writing down what you eat each day can help you to spot those times when you might be taking in more food than you realize. A little snack here and there can (and will) add up to a lot of extra calories.

2. It may not be the food: Sometimes, it's not the food per se that is the cause of the plateau. For example, work or family stress may be the culprit instead. Stress can cause you to want to go dig into that tub of chocolate ice cream. If you are feeling stressed, it's important to acknowledge it right now, and go find some other forms of relief other than reaching out for more (typically unhealthy) food. Go take a walk, listen to music or play with your dog instead!

3. Start off on the right foot: You got to eat something for breakfast every day. Not only will you start the day with your stomach feeling satisfied, eating breakfast actually kick starts your metabolism so that you'll burn more calories throughout the day.

4. Eat more often: Instead of eating 3 big regular meals each day, opt to have 5 smaller meals. After you eat, your body releases the hormone insulin, which causes your body to store fat. The larger the meal, the more insulin your body releases. But smaller, more frequent meals keep insulin levels lower and more stable. The less insulin you have in your blood, the more fat you burn, and the less you store.

5. Try water first: If you're feeling "hungry," try drinking a glass of water first before you go grab something to much on. Sometimes we confuse thirst for hunger, and end up eating more food unnecessarily. If the water doesn't make that hunger pang go away, you can always grab something to eat later. And the bonus is that the water would have helped you to feel fuller, so you don't have to eat as much!

6. Avoid snacks at night: After you've had your dinner, do not snack or eat supper. And never ever eat just before you go to bed. Take it from Oprah -- she says that one of her secrets to her successful weight loss is that she does not eat anything after 7:30pm... not even a grape.

7. Try a weekly one-day "cleanse": Choose 1 day in the week to cleanse your system by taking only vegetable juices. And please use fresh vegetable juices if you can, and avoid the canned stuff that are chock-full of sodium or added sugars!

Apply these 7 simple steps and you too will be able to overcome those plateaus easily.

Copyright 2005 Tracy Lee

Tracy Lee is the owner of the "Weight Loss for Women Over 40" site. Get the latest news, tips & tricks that can help women over 40 to lose weight safely and permanently, and your complimentary copy of our Special Report "9 Little-Known Insider Weight Loss Secrets To Help Women Over 40 Make Those Extra Pounds Disappear" instantly here: http://www.weight-loss-for-women -over-40.com/insidersecrets/

This article is available for reprint in your ezine, website or e-book. You MUST agree not to make any changes to the article and the RESOURCE BOX MUST be included WITH A LIVE LINK back to our website. Otherwise reprint is prohibited.

---

Weight Loss and Water: The Unknown Secret

Weight Loss and Water: A Way to Make Your Body... Read More

Healthy Diet Answers: Want Fries With That Mister ?

Yes, my healthy diet has at times suffered at the... Read More

Weight Loss: Weight Loss is All in Your Mind!

"The kind of thoughts that you plant in your mind,... Read More

Low Carb Intelligence vs. Low Carb Stupidity

Remember that movie with Jim Carey, "Dumb and Dumber?" And... Read More

The Diet Demons

As the dieting phenomenon grows, with a new "diet guru"... Read More

Do You Know These Tricks To Help Conquer Food Cravings?

Food cravings are crafty -- they appear from nowhere and... Read More

Let?s Talk About Fad Diets

Although the big push for fad diets has died down... Read More

Questioning Cardio for Weight Loss?

Q: I've heard you mention that you don't need tons... Read More

Weight Loss : Keep It Simple

An increasing trend over the last few years has been... Read More

Low Carb Diets - The South Beach Diet, Atkins Diet, Zone Diet, and More

The low carb diet craze has become extremely popular amongst... Read More

Diet Tactics You Must Know To Lose Fat?

This article is about making long-term changes in the foods... Read More

Dash Diet -- Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH)

Hypertension is another name for high blood pressure. Blood pressure... Read More

Failed at Weight Loss: Heres Hope

All Diets Work: No Diets WorkHave you lost weight in... Read More

Exercise and Low Carb Diets Make Poor Partners

Over the last twenty five years the most common questioned... Read More

One Change Can Make All The Difference

Ever wondered why some people manage to keep their weight... Read More

The 7 Phases of Change

Lose The Weight For Good With The Seven Phases of... Read More

Daily Weight Loss Motivation

When you are faced with the daily challenge of trying... Read More

How To Avoid Post Workout Binges And Lose Those Last 10 Pounds In 3 Easy Steps

I was so embarrassed for her. After a grueling 45... Read More

Playing Games Does Not Help Your Weight Loss Efforts

Have you ever wondered why some fat people can be... Read More

Breast Cancer - Another Obesity Victim

Obesity raises the risk of various types of cancer. And... Read More

The Secrets of Online Weight Loss Pills

I know a lot of people out there would like... Read More

Weight Loss Online -- The Fastest & Easiest Weight Loss Plan

My first article provided steps for fast healthy weight loss.... Read More

Gastric Bypass Patients Should Include Tomatoes in Their Diet

After weight loss surgery it is important to include as... Read More

Planning Your Diet

We have plans for everything these days. That is how... Read More

Close Kept Secrets to Weight Loss Lesson #5

Wow! You must be on fire by now burning and... Read More

Lose Weight & Achieve A Healthy Metabolism By Balancing And Adjusting Your Meals

How many meals do you eat in one day?Close study... Read More

Helping Your Overweight Child

With the rise of obesity and the increasing incidence of... Read More

Meet the New Look Ronald McDonald

In a global television commercial just launched (10 June 2005),... Read More

New Hope for Attaining--and Maintaining--A Healthy Body Weight

The percentage of Americans who are overweight and obese is... Read More

Top 15 Reasons to Avoid Low Carb Diets

Low carb (carbohydrate), high protein diets are the latest ... Read More

Change Your Habits for Effective and Long Term Weight Loss

More likely than not a diet with end up a... Read More

How To Improve Your Health In 14 Days: Small Changes For Maximum Health & Weight Loss

Many Americans include health improvement in their New Year's Resolutions.... Read More

Lose Weight, Get Fit, and Live Longer

If all we have to do is exercise to live... Read More