Just about everyone’s New Year’s resolution list includes “lose weight”. Whether you have a little or a lot to shed, it’s important to stay motivated. Some people give up a few months into the year, but for those die hard fans of a better body, you keep at it day after day waiting for the first glimpse of change.

When it happens, not only do you notice, but so do family, friends, and co-workers. This reinforcement along with the dropping numbers on the scale, spur you on to victory. Then, one day, the numbers stop falling. You are still thirty pounds from your goal and the scale refuses to budge. What should you do?

One thing that shouldn’t be done is giving up. Look at it this way: You aren’t losing weight, but you aren’t gaining weight either. Plateaus are experienced several times over the course of a weight loss program. In the beginning, weight loss is steady because it’s new to the body. Your increased metabolism and decreased caloric intake work to shed those pounds. Water loss accounts for at least the first ten pounds of weight loss. As your body works to adjust to your physical activity, more calories are burned which translated into more weight lost. Plateaus come when the body has become accustomed to the routine.
Don’t stress. Giving up will put you right back at square one.

First of all, throw out the scale (if it was expensive, just pack it away in the back of the garage). You may have heard this before, but it’s true: Muscle weighs more than fat. If weight training has been a component of your weight loss program, then as the muscle mass increases so will your weight. You may still be losing fat, but the weight of the increased muscle balances everything out.

To jump off of your current plateau, examine your diet and exercise program. If your fitness routine hasn’t changed since the beginning, consider making a few changes. Try a new activity. If you’re used to aerobics five times a week, switch to the treadmill or an elliptical trainer. Muscles need to be challenged on a regular basis in order to grow.

If the exercises are still a challenge, then consider what you are eating. If you’ve been having a free day more than once a week you could be taking in too many calories. Go back to what you were doing at the start of the program. Keep journals for a couple of weeks to track what works for you and gets the scale moving again.

Remember, change one thing at a time. When you change something, give the change a full thirty days, and then check the results. Weight loss isn’t easy, but it is rewarding to reach your goal. Keep at it!

Just about everyone’s New Year’s resolution list includes “lose weight”. Whether you have a little or a lot to shed, it’s important to stay motivated. Some people give up a few months into the year, but for those die hard fans of a better body, you keep at it day after day waiting for the first glimpse of change.

When it happens, not only do you notice, but so do family, friends, and co-workers. This reinforcement along with the dropping numbers on the scale, spur you on to victory. Then, one day, the numbers stop falling. You are still thirty pounds from your goal and the scale refuses to budge. What should you do?

One thing that shouldn’t be done is giving up. Look at it this way: You aren’t losing weight, but you aren’t gaining weight either. Plateaus are experienced several times over the course of a weight loss program. In the beginning, weight loss is steady because it’s new to the body. Your increased metabolism and decreased caloric intake work to shed those pounds. Water loss accounts for at least the first ten pounds of weight loss. As your body works to adjust to your physical activity, more calories are burned which translated into more weight lost. Plateaus come when the body has become accustomed to the routine.
Don’t stress. Giving up will put you right back at square one.

First of all, throw out the scale (if it was expensive, just pack it away in the back of the garage). You may have heard this before, but it’s true: Muscle weighs more than fat. If weight training has been a component of your weight loss program, then as the muscle mass increases so will your weight. You may still be losing fat, but the weight of the increased muscle balances everything out.

To jump off of your current plateau, examine your diet and exercise program. If your fitness routine hasn’t changed since the beginning, consider making a few changes. Try a new activity. If you’re used to aerobics five times a week, switch to the treadmill or an elliptical trainer. Muscles need to be challenged on a regular basis in order to grow.

If the exercises are still a challenge, then consider what you are eating. If you’ve been having a free day more than once a week you could be taking in too many calories. Go back to what you were doing at the start of the program. Keep journals for a couple of weeks to track what works for you and gets the scale moving again.

Remember, change one thing at a time. When you change something, give the change a full thirty days, and then check the results. Weight loss isn’t easy, but it is rewarding to reach your goal. Keep at it!

There are a lot of fad exercise programs out there.  They show up, get really popular, and then you never hear about them again.  But one plan that keeps showing up over and over again is walking.  The reason?  It’s easy to do and it actually works.  The key is knowing how to do it right.

The first step is to walk long enough; about an hour a day, 5 to 6 days a week.  If this is too much for you, start walking less and work your way up.  If you can only make it 15 minutes, then walk 15 minutes.  If you stick with it, you’ll soon find that you can walk 30 or 40 minutes.  Just walk every day and you’ll reach that hour mark in no time  

The second step to getting a good workout from walking is to get walk fast enough to keep your heart rate up.  Once you’ve hit your goal of walking an hour, try increasing how far you walk.  Aim to walk a little farther than you did the day before, while still walking for only an hour.  Another great way to keep up your heart rate is to alter how fast you go within your walk.  For example, start at a normal pace for a minute or two; then walk as fast as you can for a minute.  After that minute just repeat the process for your whole walk.  This will maintain a good heart rate without wearing you out.

The last step is to build muscle mass so you keep burning calories even when you’re not working out.  If you’re just starting out, you will probably build muscles just by walking.  Once you’re more accomplished, you can do this by adding hills or steep slopes to your route.  You can also build muscles by having a proper walking posture, holding in your stomach, and flexing your leg muscles as you walk.  If you’re a serious walker, you can learn to race walk to further build muscle mass.

Now that you’ve gotten started on your walking workout, remember to keep going.  If you start to get bored, listen to your favorite tunes on an ipod or invite a friend to come along.  Try altering your route and explore a new area.  Just don’t give up and you’ll do great!