How to Deal with a Weight Loss Plateau

Have you hit a plateau where the scale just seems to be stuck at the same number for weeks at a time? If you're there, don't panic... it's only a temporary situation. Sometimes our bodies may get in a sort of "rut" and doing the same old, same old just seems to stop working. Don't let this situation stop you dead in your tracks. Now is not the time to give up! Here are a few tips on how to deal with a weight loss plateau:

Eat something "bad". Sheri is on the Weight Watchers 1-2-3 plan, and although she has had a good deal of success, the last month or so was really tough for her. She says she was losing only a half a pound a week -- if anything -- instead of her usual pound or two. When she spoke to her Weight Watchers leader, they discovered Sheri was going

• just under her Points range some days. What did Sheri do? She headed to the nearest Burger King! Sheri swears by eating a hamburger once a week to stay on track. "The weight started coming off again, just like it did in the beginning. I guess the burger gives my metabolism a little boost. I can't believe I eat a Whopper on Weight Watchers!"
• Be honest... are you cheating? Sometimes if we don't monitor our eating habits very closely, we fall back into old habits without giving them a second thought. Are you falling into the mindless eating trap? Are you stressed and responding to it by eating? Have you stopped paying attention to portion sizes? Are you writing down absolutely everything -- even sodas or candy from your co-worker's candy dish -- in your food diary? Even if you don't normally keep a food diary, track what you eat for a minimum of three days. Do you see any patterns -- certain times of the day, certain foods, eating with certain people? Doing a little extra stringent self-monitoring may point out some areas that need improvement.
• But don't be too hard on yourself! On the other hand, you need to make sure you're not depriving yourself and then setting yourself up for a binge. Sometimes we "make up for" not eating our favorite foods for days or weeks at a time by overindulging when we finally do say yes to our craving... which certainly sets us up for a stumbling block. Instead, let moderation guide you. If you allow yourself small portions of your favorite foods -- even if they're not diet-friendly -- or better yet, if you can find reduced fat versions of them, indulge! If not, you may give into cravings without giving them a second thought simply because you feel you've missed out on your favorites for so long.
• Pump some iron. Marci wrote me to say that she experienced a weight loss triumph when she began lifting weights. "I had been at the same weight for nearly six weeks! I was doing everything on my diet by the book and walking my 30 minutes a day, but it just stopped working! I was ready to give up." But Marci didn't give up. Instead, she high-tailed it to the nearest sporting goods shop and purchased a set of dumb bells. She started out small, just doing curls with three pound hand weights, but she soon worked up to using ankle weights for leg exercises and she eventually increased the weight of her dumb bells. "It wasn't magic, but I did start seeing changes. At first I just saw some toning, which was great, but I really wanted to see the scale move. In about three weeks I broke through and lost six more pounds!" If you consider using weights, be sure to okay it with your doctor if you have any orthopedic or muscular-skeletal conditions.

From Jennifer R. Scott, former About.com Guide