THE PLATEAU

The Plateau:
What to do when you hit the weight loss wall

Today I'll share with you (and in no particular order) the first, on our list of
7 productive ways to get things moving in your quest to drop those pounds

ONE OF THE MOST COMMON FRUSTRATIONS in weight (Fat) loss is when all progress halts despite the fact you are diligently following your plan. Such plateaus are
predictable and explainable.


Before we begin, it's really helpful to have a rudimentary understanding of something called BMR ...Basal Metabolic Rate ...every alive person has a BMR.


O.K. so this is how it works ...Your BMR is the measurement of the energy required to keep your heart pumping, lunges expanding, kidneys filtering, and keep all other vital bodily functions going when the body is at rest which accounts for 60 - 70 percent of the calories you burn and depends, for the most part, on your Body Mass.



KEY INFO:
When the weight loss occurs, Body Mass goes down ...so does your BMR


Consider this example:

Say you weigh 162 pounds, and you eat 1,900 calories per day ...to lose a pound a week, you've got to cut between 500 to 600 calories per day

...so you, (like many, many who are out there) restrict themselves to say, 1,400 calories AND the weight COMES OFF,

BUT..!

After week 6, the scale refuses to budge. This is because with the weight loss, your BMR has also declined (say, from 0.95 to o.75 calories per minute) ...AND where your body used to burn 1,368 calories per day, now it's using only 1,080. At this weight, there's less of you to move around, so you burn fewer calories and use fewer calories as heat. All in all, your daily calorie expenditure is now pretty close to what you're taking in. You've hit a PLATEAU..! In other words you are (weight loss wise) at - equilibrium



I hope this makes sense to you, 'cos it's handy to have a grasp of this kind of stuff, so you can have more control of your destiny and achieve better results.



Here's our first of the 7 productive ways to 'GET OVER IT'..!

Number 1) Put Up Some Resistance.
Increasing physical activity is particularly useful for moving beyond a plateau, especially if your weight loss has been coming from diet alone. Starting a structured strength training program under the guidance of an experienced Personal Trainer is an excellent idea, not only will this give you muscle tone and tighten up your skin, it will create something called 'Afterburn', this is a condition where your body burns fat while you are resting and sleeping.

One of the other fantastic benefits of a structured strength program is the boost in confidence, coordination and self-esteem that naturally occurs.


KEY INFO:
The more muscle you have, the higher your BMR.


Increasing your muscle mass AS you lose bodyfat can compensate for the decline in your BMR induced by weight loss.



Mmn... so now you know!
...and now YOU are a little more empowered & organized.

Stay in touch for 'DROP THOSE POUNDS' number 2
coming up next time on PETEtheTrainer


Here is today's TOOLBOX TIP

TOOLBOX TIP
#2. PREPARE RIGHT ...we already know you don't have time, just write down (in your day planner or program your Blackberry) your 'gym time ' just like any other important appointment (yes, it's an appointment with yourself for some 'ME' time). Show yourself DEEP RESPECT and DON'T No-Show or Last Minute Cancel or Show Up Late. Personal Empowerment is all about keeping your word to yourself, your family and those around you.

Final word today GOOD LUCK..! to Bronwen on her first skydive.
She's getting in top shape for her tour of duty in Afghanistan.

...see you Wednesday for your next 'balls to the wall' workout.
^P.

Drop me a line if you have questions

petethetrainer1@gmail.com

put TRAIN? in subject box

^P.