Staying motivated while trying to lose weight can be challenging, especially when you’re in the middle of a weight loss slump. The unfortunate reality is that the vast majority of people trying to lose weight encounter a plateau at some point. And it’s precisely then that many people fall off the weight loss wagon.
If and when you meet your slump, consider these three factors:
How Are You Eating?
Most dieters remember to restrict their caloric intake and eat “clean” when they start their weight loss programs, but then, as time moves on, unhealthy foods and excess calories begin creeping back into their diets. If you started off strong but now find yourself eating lots of “treats” or have stopped eating portion controlled meals of healthy foods, you could simply be consuming too many calories again to stay in weight loss mode.
If you started off with a solid weight loss plan that included a nutritionally adequate and balanced diet, the key is to stick to it and not let your old eating habits creep back in.
How Are Your Workouts?
Some dieters forget that as they lose weight, they’re likely to lose some muscle too, which slows their metabolism a bit. As you lose weight, it’s important to maintain and occasionally increase your level of physical activity to keep your metabolism going strong, otherwise you’ll feel like you’re doing all the work but not seeing much for your efforts.
The three easiest ways that you can increase your physical activity are to increase the amount of time of your workouts, increase the intensity of your workouts, and start integrating physical activity throughout the sedentary parts of your day.
How Are You Sleeping?
Studies have shown that people deprived of an adequate night’s sleep are more likely to eat unhealthy, high-carb foods, eat bigger portions, and don’t feel like they have the energy they need to exercise. If you’re not getting enough sleep, you could be sabotaging your weight loss efforts, so make sure you’re getting the 7 – 9 hours of sleep per night that’s recommended.
At Solstice Health, we offer a comprehensive Milwaukee medical weight loss protocol that teaches participants how to lifelong weight loss. Patients who follow our protocol as prescribed have a 100% success rate and find a dramatic reduction in the incidence and severity of weight-related health conditions.