Learning to chill when our weight plateaus
is a vital mind-shift to make. We’re ahead of the curve, the experts will figure it out one day.
Last week I received an email from an amazing reader who has lost thirty pounds to date. She wants to lose enough so that she’ll be at a specific BMI. For her, losing is all about the health benefits.
She wrote to me saying that she’d been feeling low because she’s not losing as fast as she hoped. This is part of her email:
Hi Wendy,
My weight is “stuck” at 172/173 pounds.
Half of the “stuck” is laziness, not prioritizing health efforts and the other half is allowing summer stress to impact my efforts to lose.
I kinda feel like I need to start all over.
Signed, Anna-nonymous
My reply:
Anna, you might want to sit down for this one.
1) you’re not lazy by a long-shot
2) and you’re having mammoth success but — unfortunately — framing it as failure.
You know the theory that says our bodies have a “set weight point” and that there’s nothing we can do to change it?
Well, my theory is that when we lose too quickly our bodies default into survival-mode. You and I think we’re merely eating smart and trying to get down to our preferred weight.
But our bodies — aware that we’re losing quickly — scream, “Alert!! All hands on deck: fewer calories coming in! We’re dying!! Eat the highest calories in sight! STAT!”
Here’s the thing: when we don’t fight the plateau, our body is none the wiser. Embrace the plateau so that your mind and body don’t freak.
In the old days, when I hit plateau-land, my mind-set said, this smart eating thing isn’t working for me. At that, I’d “give up” and drop into yo-yo mode.
A Successful Mind-Set
My new mind-set is a way — way — more effective tool for long-term success. When I was losing 55 and realized that I was in plateau-ville, I’d tell myself, I’m strengthening/holding, I’m holding, I’m holding.
Seriously, that’s what I said to myself for years when I stayed “too long” at a certain weight. I just chilled. I took plateauing as a sign that something miraculous was happening to my body and it was: my body was adjusting to the new “new.” Sometimes she’d take a month to adjust.
Our new thinking says that when we plateau we need to shift our self-talk from being cruel to ourselves (losing never works for me) and see what’s really happening: our body is taking the required time she needs to settle into the new weight.
You don’t want to trip off the panic button. You want your body to feel safe and cozy.
Please don’t take this information lightly. Our culture has instilled in us the notion that weight loss should always take a linear route and go down, down, down. Once we’re down, we should then maintain for life.
And if we don’t lose in a strict linear fashion (I sure didn’t, I carried twins in the middle of losing) and maintain forever, we must be the problem.
Something is wrong with us.
Which is ridiculous.
Learning to see a plateau as a fantastic place to be versus failure is vital to a forever loss.
Managing Your Plateau
My suggestion: instead of being angry at yourself for plateauing, focus on strengthening one or two habits at a time. In the beginning of losing fifty-five I focused heavily on changing my habits.
Also can you purposely allow yourself to plateau for say thirty days? Don’t go up, but don’t go down either? Just stay in place? Keep a single sentence note on each day something like:
- 8-18-21 — 174. I’m strengthening/holding. Feels really weird not to be panicked.
- 8-19-21 — 173. Okay, I went down one, but I’m staying within a two or three pound range.
- 8-20-21 — 173. Perfect. I’m holding. I’m holding. I’m holding. I need to remember this every single morning. I’ll put a sticky on the mirror.
Have a wonderful week. I love to answer questions or hear the amazing smart eating habits you’ve established. What do you think about the idea of holding? Are you ready to try something really different with what may be amazing results? ♥
I keep forgetting to ask, but I would love it if you’d follow me on twitter @InspiredEater.com. I’ll follow you back!
Never forget that it’s not just you, health is hard.
♥, Wendy
P.s. Are you new to the Inspired Eater? Welcome!! This blog won’t make much sense until you first read the Aunt Bea post (and you’ll find Aunt Bea on this page to the right under my short bio). After you enter your email address, the Aunt Bea article will be sent to your email’s inbox. If it’s not there, you might check the spam folder. And always feel free to email me at Wendy@TheInspiredEater.com and I’ll get Aunt Bea right to you!
15 Comments
This is such a great point. Besides our goal shouldn’t really be the number, should it? It should be our health!!
XOXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Based on my experience, it’s the good habits that determine the final outcome.
I love your blog!
Wendy
I can relate to this!
I’m so glad, Katie!! ♥♥♥
So true! No healthy, sustainable weight loss journey is linear, and the plateaus are important for long-term weight loss.
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
We’re on the same page. Is your name really Lovely? That is so cool. I love the names Valentina and Joy too.
Wendy
Thanks! This is what I needed to hear today. We’re in the middle of a move and I’d hoped to be 30 pounds from my start weight before the move. It’s been a stressful time to say the least, but as you’ve mentioned, maintaining is good, too. And I’m doing that. After the move I can address areas that need tweaking.
Encouraging to hear that someone believes me!!
Holding is huge. Good luck with your move.
Wendy
Pingback: Creatively Crafty Link Party #290
Love the way you advise us to embrace the plateau! The idea that standing still is going backward is a little crazy, I think. I really appreciate the way you offer practical tips for having a good mindset.
Thanks so much for joining the Grace at Home party at Imparting Grace. I’m featuring you this week!
Thank you!
A total honor!
Wendy
This is a thought-provoking post. I hate plateaus, and I always allow plateaus to make me think negative thoughts. I like your idea that it’s really all about applying the right mind-set to the situation.
Carol
wwww.scribblingboomer.com
Someday the experts will tell us, “turns out plateaus are a good thing.” LOVE your site!
Wendy
Great tip on what can be a frustrating time.
You are so right. We need to see “plateaus” as the good things that they are.
Wendy 🙂