Hitting the Wall

By Candy

Last month, those pesky pounds were peeling off fast. You felt fantastically slim, and nothing could come between you and your friend, the gym.

This month, you think the thinning-out quickie was pure luck. It seems your poundage has ceased its decline and you’re ready to throw in the towel.

Hang in there! You’ve hit what fitness gurus call a weight-loss plateau: when your body has settled into the new pattern of diet and exercise by burning fewer calories in order to retain fat stores. So shake up that metabolism again with a little lifestyle modification.

Remotivate

You’re confidence is dwindling and you need to remind yourself why you want to get that lean bod. Do this by writing down all the reasons being healthy and fit will make your life better.

No Cheating

Be honest. Has your calorie counting really been that accurate? It’s very common to overestimate calories burned and underestimate calories eaten. If you haven’t been completely sincere with your weight-loss journal, be faithful to it now.

Switch It Up

Experts say that surprising your body with a change in diet or workout can get you out of a rut. So treat your body differently daily; never do the same workouts two days in a row and alternate calorie-cutting days.

Add Resistance

The more muscle you have, the speedier your metabolism will be. Working with weights or adding in some resistance training will give your body a calorie-burning boost.

More Protein

Some evidence suggests that shifting fat and carb calories to lean protein calories may increase your metabolism. But don’t go meat and bean crazy! Protein should be 20 percent of your daily calories, max.

See. You can still keep losing. No luck required.