Help - I'm Stuck!



"Don't step on it...it makes you cry"



SPOILER ALERT:  Annoyingly perky pep talk will start in five seconds...

Lately, I’ve seen a lot of posts that start ‘help, I’m stuck….I’ve only lost XX pounds….’

Only…only….only…you’re LOSING WEIGHT!  That’s a miracle in itself.  I mean, did you ever think you'd be complaining about 'only' losing this many pounds?  What a great thing to be able to complain about! 

 

And yes, sometimes, the weight loss comes to a halt, and then you’re stuck.  And that’s normal. 

When you start a healthy eating program, you’re starting from scratch, at your very worst health-wise, so of course, the weight comes off pretty quickly, some of which was water weight, but still, it’s exciting.  And then, you keep eating right and taking care of yourself – Counting Up with P10 – and you feel great and life is fun again.  Eventually though, your body gets used to the new routine and it doesn’t respond the way it did at first. 



That doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong!  It means you’re on the right track.  Your body is saying that it likes the new routine and is getting used to being healthy.  It wants to enjoy itself and take a break to get used to feeling good.  Your body’s not done yet, it’s just coasting for a bit. 

So don’t worry!  Keep eating right.  Try new things, maybe a veggie you’ve been avoiding, or an exercise routine that you thought might be too hard…but DON’T GIVE UP.  You’re still healthier, right?  You’re still feeling good?  Then RELAX, breathe and give yourself a break.  You are still going to lose weight but right now your body is taking a break – don’t beat yourself up….after all, did you gain all this weight in a few weeks?  NO – and you won’t lose it all in a few weeks.  Give yourself permission to enjoy where you are right now and just keep going and once your body has had time to get used to the new situation, it’ll kick back in again. 



I know I’m supposed to have all the answers (yeah right) but I’m in your shoes as well.  The past few months I’ve been on and off track so much it seems like I should wear four wheel drive workout shoes. 

So please, don’t get so focused on the weight loss (or lack thereof) that you give up or get too discouraged.  There really is no ‘miracle start up’ to bust through a plateau.  Some things that have worked for me are:

• Whey protein fasting for a few days;
• Relaxing and eating slightly off plan for a couple of days and then starting back up again;
• Staying on Stage 1 for a few weeks instead of just three…the book says three but every time I wander into Stage 2 I end up not doing too well, so I mainly stick with Stage 1.



Remember people, I’m just a regular person looking for answers just like you are.  I’m not a doctor or a professional and I don’t work for P10 so I’m just giving you my two cents worth.

It’s not just the weight loss – it’s the weight off your shoulders too – when you are able to do yard work, or jog, or keep up at amusement parks or go on a cruise and not gain weight – things you were not capable of doing before.

Success seems to be connected with action.  Successful people keep moving.  They make mistakes, but they don’t quit – Conrad Hilton

Don’t lose hope if you don’t lose weight continuously.  It’s STILL better than what you were doing before.  If it bothers you so much, stay off the scale for a week or so!

I hope my rant has helped you just a little bit, or a lot.  The only big problem I have with P10 is that we don’t get together each week and share stories and pass out stickers and go ‘squeeeee’ but there’s no reason we can’t do that here or on the Facebook pages. 

Take care and hang in there!  Say it with me Kelley!  YOU ARE WORTH IT!!