The dreaded fitness plateau.
We have all been there, and no doubt will be there multiple times in our lives.
Plateau
Verb: |
| Reach a state of little or no change after a time of activity or progress | |
Reach a state of little or no change after a time of activity or progress |
Anyone who ever has lost weight, or is losing weight will at some time or another reach a plateau. So far in my weight loss journey, I have had a few of them.
The first time it happened to me I was really frustrated. But the more I learned about fitness plateaus the more determined I was to break them.
Two Reasons to Motivate me past THIS Plateau
- I came across this article the other day and just had to share it – How to overcome a fitness plateau
- I’ve just gotten over my last plateau
I’m nearly at my ultimate goal weight. Which is awesome really considering it was in October 2011 that I set my push goal to get to 65kg. Back then when I was 78kg, I thought 68kg would be a dream, I never thought I would get to 65kg. Yet when I got there earlier this year I thought my dream goal of 62kg, would totally be possible.
The reason I didn’t put 62kg down as my ultimate goal in October 2011 was that I thought I couldn’t do it and that I would never get there. How VERY wrong was I. See never underestimate the power of your dreams. If you want it bad enough it will happen.
Plateau’s happen, and the reason why mine happened was that I switched up routines. Muscle confusion. I went from High-Intensity aerobic workouts (Insanity + running) to strength training with less cardio.
The other thing was I was also training for my half marathon, so I was burning a lot of calories. So yes when my half-marathon finished. I pretty much stacked on a kg (2.2lbs). (I went from 63.1kg | 138.82lbs to 64kg | 140.8lbs).
Was I worried about it? No.
I won’t lie and say I didn’t like the fact that the number on the scale went up (I was still down in cm, so that’s a plus), but I knew that I was at a good cardio peak, it was time to get that strength.
This is why I decided to do p90x (as a hybrid with TurboFire & Running). I’ve been doing p90x for a month now, and it’s only now that the number has moved. Not much, but it’s moving.
The point is that plateaus happen, and you have to understand why they happen, and the best way to break them.
I will be honest, and I’m glad that I lost weight slowly. Yeah, it’s taken me a year to lose 14kg | 30.8lbs, but by doing it slowly the weight will stay off.
The other reason is, well I’ve tried calorie restriction (1200 per day), and well it just does not work for me. I get so hungry and then make bad/poor choices. I also use to not eat my exercise calories back, I do not, however. So yes my progress might be slow, but I rather it be slow and stay off permanently than for it to come off quickly, and for it all to come back again.
I’m not the same person that I use to be. I like the person I have become. I’m a better version of myself, skinnier. I never thought I would get in size 12 pants, let alone size 10 now.
The point is you know what works for you, but don’t lie to yourself, don’t be lazy, don’t say you are going to do it tomorrow, because yesterday you said tomorrow. If you want it, you’ll get it, even if you hit some plateau’s along the way don’t let that make you fall into old ways.
Push through, if I can do it, you can too.