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Joni - Atlanta, GA
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Woodstock, GA
Posts: 2,053
Height: 5'3"
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Lots of us plateau, so in answer to the first part of the question, it's not unusual. As far as the LAWL supplements, I'm not a big fan of that stuff and think they push it to make a few extra bucks. All one really should need if they are following this healthy eating plan is a multi-vitamin and, for most women, a calcium+D vitamin.
I have a ton of info saved about plateaus....I'll share some of it here...Good luck and hang tough!
What LAWL says
Eating frequently can help to keep metabolism active and burning through out the day. Try to split meals into 5-6 mini meals each day, and plan each meal to contain some protein or dairy in each. You can split either—proteins must be the same if splitting. Examples of small frequent meals include nuts & raisins, yogurt & berries, celery and peanut butter, chicken with broccoli & brown rice, LA Lite & tossed salad with cheese, LA Lite powder blended with yogurt and berries, etc. This can also help you to get in all your foods, so sitting down to 3 large meals is not so overwhelming.
Make sure you are getting a variety of all foods, and not eating the same type of foods at the same times, everyday. The body gets use to burning the same types of foods, so mixing it up can help to jump start metabolism. Try including a Carb craver menu items or some new recipes from the cookbook-to add variety and introduce new foods.
Change up your eating patterns, so to have different foods or types of exchanges at different times of the day. One morning, instead of a half protein & a starch, try a dairy and a fruit (like a smoothie) or a full protein & a vegetable (such as an omelet).Or try a Carb Craver cereal item with fruit for lunch-for a change of pace.
Try using combination foods, that use more than one exchange at a time, such as Biscotti, cereal bar, DeLites, etc.-to help get in all your exchanges.
Try smaller portion sized foods, such as beef vs. chicken, cheese vs. milk, nuts verses a full serving of chicken,
Incorporate some light activity, such as walking–to help boost metabolism.
Limit higher sodium foods, such as frozen & restaurant meals, deli meats, canned foods, cottage cheese, etc. - to no more that 2-3 times per week total, to help control any fluid fluctuations. Also, get in at least 10-12 glasses of water, as your body will retain more if it does not get enough.
Make certain to keep a very detailed diary-weighing and measuring all foods and recording all portion sizes, including fats, beverages, condiments, as well as meal times and duration of any exercise in time spent-to review your food patterns and energy needs.
Here is a plateau breaker suggested by another member's COD
Proteins - lean options such as chicken, fish and veal
Starches - high fiber/low cal, lite whole grain bread (35-45 cal/slice)
Fruits - high fiber - strawberries, raspberries (I used frozen) and apples
Vegetables - high fiber - broccoli and spinach
LA Lites: 1 drink and 1 bar instead of two bars a day.
H2O - up to 10-12 glasses
No fast food, frozen food or restaurant foods
Try to use protein instead of cereal for my breakfast to get my metabolism going early in the day. Try skim ricotta cheese slightly warm with cinnamon. It is yummy. You can add fruit if you like.
WHEN YOUR WEIGHT PLATEAUS - Bob Greene (Make the Connection)
A plateau occurs when your weight remains the same for a period of time. This can last weeks or even a couple of months. With nearly every successful weight-loss program, you can expect your weight to plateau--probably many times. Plateaus occur for a variety of reasons, and are quite normal.
A Positive Spin On Those Frustrating Weight Loss Plateaus ediet newsletter - April 13, 2000 by Cyndi Thomas, N.D.
We live in a society that wants instant gratification. We want our health and weight loss... and we want it now! True health and permanent weight loss takes time. I have so many clients that have the attitude, "Well, I've followed your advice for a month now, why don't I feel better yet?" I have to remind them, "You didn't get sick overnight and it will take time to see the desired results." Now, onto weight loss...Just as the body was formed and operates on a priority basis, so it heals on a priority basis. This means that the most important parts of the body get the healing attention before the less vital tissues. We can't force the body to place its healing priority on weight loss when in fact the liver is about to die, for example. The liver is more important to your body than the extra pounds. So all the energies of the body go to heal the liver and weight loss will stop. The body will not compromise what health and vitality it does have in one part of the body to bring about healing in another. In other words, the body will not "rob Peter to pay Paul." So you may be eating nutritionally and exercising and you start out losing some weight. But then all of a sudden, you become stuck at a certain weight -- the needle on the scale won't budge anymore. The body is rejoicing on the inside and saying things like, "You know, we have all this extra energy now because Mr. Doughnut here has decided to start eating right and exercising -- let's take some of our new available energy and start the healing process on his congested liver!" So the body will take all the available energy and channel it into the liver. As a result the weight loss stops. The body will NOT take away any energy needed for daily activities and maintenance. It will only take what is left over to start the healing process. It's my belief that the body does not completely heal one part before moving on to the next item on its priority list. Rather, it heals a part to the degree that it is no longer a priority. At that point the healing attention is shifted to the part of the body that is now in most need of repair. In the above example, once the liver has been cleansed somewhat, the body will refocus its attention on other areas... perhaps back to weight loss. During my weight loss period, I would hit plateaus where it seemed like I'd never lose another pound. I lost 10 pounds and then nothing for 3 weeks. During that time I woke up one morning and my arthritis was gone and my blood sugar had stabilized somewhat. If you keep on your diet and exercise program, you will eventually lose all the weight you want. A healthy body is not overweight. Remember, "Always strive for health and the weight loss will happen!"
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Plateau Problems
